SILVER STATE’s Itza Lock lived up to his name on Sunday when the race favorite blasted to a 3 ½ length victory at Gulfstream Park to break his maiden.
Racing over five furlongs on the all-weather track, the Jose D’Angelo trainee hassled an early leader from his inside position as they headed into the turn. A confident Leonel Reyes sent his mount through a rail hole in the bend and Itza Lock quickly had the lead and immediately started extending his lead.
Allowed to coast home in the final sixteenth, Itza Lock’s lead shrunk slightly to 3 ½ lengths, but every sign indicated he could have easily won by more if asked.
Racing for Fugget About It Racing Stables, Itza Lock was third in his debut last month going the same distance on the same track before this race to take his record to two top three finishes in two starts.
The Forever Spring Farm-bred is out of Broken Vow mare Celtic Vow, who was a three-time winner herself and has two placed runners from two to race. The mare is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner and Grade 2-placed Fahan Mura and stakes placed Scottish Symphony as one of three winners out of two-time winning Giant’s Causeway mare Celtic Cross.
This family also includes champion Sweet Catomine and Grade 1 winners Pirate’s Revenge and Life Is Sweet.
SILVER STATE is now the sire of five winners with four coming since August 30. He has 17 selling at this month’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale.