Gulfstream Park: Starsilhoutte goes from last to first in Tiara

Starsilhouette blew past the field with surprising ease Saturday at Gulfstream Park, when she captured the $122,500 Claiming Crown Tiara, the fifth of seven races in the 14th annual Claiming Crown series.

Giving Mike Maker his third win of the Claiming Crown program, Starsilhouette was ridden by Alan Garcia when rallying from dead last to win the 1 1/16-mile turf race by 1 1/4 lengths over Malibu Yankee in a field of 12 fillies and mares.

The Tiara allowed Maker to extend his all-time series record to 10 wins. All three of his Saturday wins came for his longtime clients Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

“It was one of those days where I felt all my horses were live,” said Maker. “It’s one of those things when you could either not win a race or win a bunch. Thankfully we’ve had a good day.”

Starsilhouette, a gray 5-year-old mare by Orientate, returned $15.40 to win. She now has won 11 of 31 lifetime starts while competing primarily for the starter-allowance conditions that govern all the Claiming Crown events.

Starsilhouette is now 4 for 6 over the Gulfstream turf.

“She had a fabulous winter down here last year,” said Maker. “She loves this course.”

Silver Screamer, the 6-5 favorite in the Tiara, had a wide trip but not much else excuse when fading badly to finish 10th.

In earlier Claiming Crown events:

* In the $96,000 Glass Slipper, Starship Truffles ($12.20) battled between rivals for much of the seven-furlong trip before pulling away to a four-length score under Luis Saez.

Based at Calder throughout her career – and with Marty Wolfson since he assumed her training in mid-September – Starship Truffles now has won 8 of 14 starts this year and was claimed by prior connections for a mere $6,250 on July 4. A 3-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper, Starship Truffles put away one of the favorites, Brandys Secret, when she suddenly spurted clear in the turn for home, with Come Sunday rallying to be second in the field of 10 fillies and mares.

* In the $97,000 Rapid Transit, Maker overtook Scott Lake as the winningest trainer in Claiming Crown history when Bernie the Maestro ($7.40), getting a great outside stalking trip under Joel Rosario, powered past Off the Jak to win this seven-furlong race in going-away fashion by 2 3/4 lengths.

The win was the second of the day and ninth overall in the Claiming Crown for Maker, who entered the afternoon trailing Scott Lake by an 8-7 count.

Bernie the Maestro, claimed in August for $35,000, was the second winner of the day for the Ramseys.

*In the $98,000 Iron Horse, Brother Bird ($9.80) was hustled into a contending position by Rosario on the first turn of this 1 1/16-mile race before wearing down the race-long front-runner, Jazzit, to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

Maker trains Brother Bird, a 5-year-old gelding, for the Ramseys. Brother Bird, by Yonaguska, was produced by Mining My Own, the dam of 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, now retired at 6.

*In the $96,000 Express, Tiban ($6.20), giving jockey Calvin Borel career victory No. 4,998, rallied from well behind to be up in the final jumps as the slight favorite in this six-furlong race. Trained by Tim Glyshaw, the 5-year-old Tiban directly benefitted from Pedro Cotto Jr., the jockey on the 13-1 runner-up Pot of Gold, standing up prematurely when he misjudged the location of the finish line.