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Silverbulletday by Tammy Siters 
Silverbulletday was born on January 22, 1996 in Kentucky. She was bred by Highclere, Inc.
and Clear Creek, who chose the stallion Silver Deputy for the aging broodmare Rokeby Rose.
Rokeby Rose, by Tom Rolfe, and purchased at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale for $42,000,
was a Grade 2 turf winner and earner of $250,480. She was already the dam of 11 foals,
the best to this point a restricted stakes winner, Kerfoot Corner. Silver Deputy
was a similarly modest prospect, winning a stakes and $41,820 before an injury forced
his retirement to stud after only two races. Silverbulletday's pedigree and conformation
were good enough to get her into the Fasig-Tipton Summer Yearling Sale in Kentucky. After
a bidding war, she belonged to trainer Bob Baffert for $155,000, who had purchased her
for his friend Mike Pegram. It was the most Pegram had ever paid for a horse, but a short
year later, it looked like quite a bargain.
Silverbulletday made her career debut on June 13, 1998 at Churchill Downs, easily winning a maiden special weight by 11 lengths, running the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04 3/5 as the favorite. She came back only two weeks later, this time in graded stakes company. It was a hint of a bright future when she rolled to another easy win in the Debutante Stakes (G3). Silverbulletday then made her West coast debut in Del Mar's August 8th Sorrento Stakes (G2) at 6 1/2 furlongs. She won again, this time leaving Excellent Meeting and Colorado Song in her 2 furlong wake. Next on the schedule was the 7 furlong Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G2) on August 29th. The filly got caught up in a speed duel with fractions of :21 4/5 and :44 2/5 before fading to 4th, beaten by 7 1/2 lengths by Excellent Meeting, Antahkarana and Colorado Song. Excellent Meeting, also trained by Bob Baffert, stayed on the west coast to win the Grade 1 Oak Leaf Stakes on October 10th, while Silverbulletday shipped east to Kentucky to run in Keeneland's Walmac International Alcibiades Stakes (G2) on October 11th. "The Bullet", as whe was affectionately called, scored another impressive win, drawing off by 2 1/2 lengths and running the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 2/5. The stage was set for the 1998 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs on November 6. After her defeat in the Del Mar Debutante, the consensus was that Silverbulletday was just a sprinter, and Excellent Meeting would prove to be the better of the two fillies. The field was formidable; Excellent Meeting and Antahkarana were back, as were Alcibiades victims Extended Applause and Grand Deed, along with new faces, Three Ring, Rayelle, Emanating, and Confessional. As expected, Bullet stalked the early pace while Excellent Meeting bided her time in the back of the pack. Bullet made her patented move around the far turn and opened up, awaiting Excellent Meeting's late charge. The charge came, but it was too little too late and Silverbulletday won by half a length. Even though she had Champion 2-year-old Filly honors locked up, Baffert sent his filly postward again two weeks later in the Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. She won easily, and ended 1998 with 6 wins from 7 and earnings of over $1,000,000. After a two month rest, Silverbulletday made her 3-year-old on February 20th in the Fairgrounds' Davona Dale Stakes (G3). She stalked the pace then took command around the far turn, drawing off by 2 1/4 lengths over graded stakes winners Brushed Halory and On A Soapbox. She carried a 4-race win streak into the Fairgrounds Oaks (G3) on March 13th at 1 1/16 miles. Though the sloppy track wasn't to her liking, she responded like a champion, sweeping around the far turn to win by three lengths over Runaway Venus and Brushed Halory in 1:44 4/5. Silverbulletday took to the road again, traveling to Kentucky for Keeneland's Ashland Stakes (G1). With Jerry Bailey subbing for regular rider Gary Stevens, Bullet romped by seven in a final time of 1:41 3/5 for the 1 1/16 mile race. Graded Stakes winners Marley Vale and Gold From the West were now Bullet's latest victims. 
In the springtime in Kentucky, thoughts always turn to the Kentucky Derby and the 3-
year-old colts. This year the talk would include speculation about Baffert's two super
fillies and whether they'd contest the Derby instead of the Kentucky Oaks. Baffert
chose Excellent Meeting as his filly Derby representative, and sent Silverbulletday to
the Oaks, hoping to walk off with both prizes. Bullet did her part, completing the
1 1/8 race in 1:49 4/5 to win by two lengths over Dreams Gallore and Sweeping Story.
Excellent Meeting didn't fare as well in the Derby, finishing 5th to Charismatic, but
her effort was applauded considering she was beaten by just a few lengths and was
closing fast despite a very rough trip.
After the Derby, speculation was rampant as to what Baffert may choose to do with his fillies next. With the shorter distance of the Preakness, many thought Baffert would switch their roles, sending the speedy Bullet in the Preakness and roughed-up Excellent Meeting in the softer Black Eyed Susan. They were wrong; Baffert would again send Excellent Meeting against the boys and run Silverbulletday with the fillies. Bullet again whipped up on the 3-year-old filly division, winning by two over Dreams Gallore in wire to wire fashion, racing the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47 4/5. Excellent Meeting fared even worse in the Preakness, pulling up lame after only a half-mile, and Charismatic went on to win, adding a second jewel and becoming a Triple Crown candidate. Anticipation of Charismatic's Triple Crown attempt was high, and with no new male challengers on the horizon, Silverbulletday loomed as the most likely spoiler. Baffert dropped Silverbulletday's name in the Belmont entries, and the air sizzled with excitement. Bullet's speed was feared -- run with her and risk being run into the ground yourself, leave her alone on an easy lead and you may not catch her. Charismatic and jockey Chris Antley chose the former instead of his usual stalking trip, and it cost them both when the fast early fractions finally took their toll. The filly was on the lead after 1 1/4 miles in a time faster than the Kentucky Derby, but she could not keep pace, and Bailey, realizing she was beaten, eased her up to finish 7th, beaten 10 1/2 lengths. Charismatic held on longer, finishing a close 3rd, but was immediately pulled up past the wire lame. Antly thankfully reacted quickly and likely saved Charismatic's life, but his racing career was over. Silverbulletday was thought to also be finished, ruined by running in the Belmont, but Baffert didn't agree. He gave her five weeks rest, then resumed racing in the Monmouth Breeders' Cup Oaks (G2). Bullet looked no worse for wear, smashing the field by five lengths in a time of 1:43. She headed to Saratoga for the Aug. 21 Alabama Stakes (G1) at 1 1/4 miles. Her distance ability still questioned, she quieted those critics quickly in what would be one of the most impressive races of the year. Silverbulletday stalked a very slow pace before sprouting wings around the far turn, rolling to a nine length win over Strolling Belle and the Canadian Queen Gandria in 2:02 3/5. Moving to Belmont, she then won the Gazelle Handicap (G1) by 1 3/4 lengths in a time of 1:47 3/5. It was time for Silverbulletday to step up in class, to take on older fillies and mares in the Oct. 10 Beldame Stakes, and awaiting her was the huge bay powerhouse, Beautiful Pleasure. Over a sloppy track, Beautiful Pleasure got away with an easy lead and proved too much for Silverbulletday. She finished 2nd, beaten by 4 3/4 lengths, but was six lengths clear of the rest of the older fillies, including Grade 1 winner Catinca. The Breeders' Cup Distaff was next on the agenda, and everyone was awaiting the match between Beautiful Pleasure, Silverbulletday, and another forminable older filly, Banshee Breeze. Eclipse honors hung in the balance between the two older ladies, and a win by Silverbulletday could put her in the Horse of the Year picture. Bullet didn't fire at all, though, finishing a disappointing 6th to Beautiful Pleasure. It was rumored after the race that Silverbulletday had accidently caught a nail when having her shoes reset the day before the race, and in any event, she was shelved for a long winter's break. Silverbulletday added another Eclipse to her collection, the 3-year-old Filly Eclipse, and she exited 1999 with career totals of 18 starts, 14 wins, 1 second, and earnings of $2,871,750 -- the richest 3-year-old filly of all time. The plan for 2000 was to have Silverbulletday pursue another brass ring -- the all-time filly or mare NA earnings title held by Serena's Song. Bullet looked great when she returned to the track, having matured over the winter, gaining height, weight, and muscle mass. She took her first start in equally fine-looking fashion, winning the Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland over Roza Robata. No one knew at the time that they were witnessing her last win. In the May 5th Louisville Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2), Silverbulletday showed the beginnings of her unraveling when she finished 4th, her 2nd out of the money finish in 3 races, to Heritage of Gold. She tried Heritage of Gold again in the June 3rd Fleur de Lis (G3) at Churchill Downs, and again lost, but this time finished 2nd. Bullet then traveled to Monmouth for the Molly Pitcher Breeders' Cup Handicap on July 4th, losing by a nose to Lu Ravi after getting a bad trip. Another attempt was made on July 23rd in the Delaware Handicap (G3), and she unraveled completely, having nothing more to give and finishing 3rd. Pegram and Baffert abandoned their plan for the all-time distaff NA earnings title and announced her retirement on Aug. 28th, and sent her to Hill N Dale Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, on Sept. 1st. One of the greatest fillies of all time ended her career with 23 starts, 15 wins, 3 seconds, and 1 third, and earnings of $3,093,207, and 4th on the all-time NA distaff earnings list. Bullet raced in stakes company in 22 of her 23 starts, the exception her maiden, and 21 of 22 in graded stakes competition. She raced at 10 different tracks across the country, and won at distances up to 1 1/4 miles. For the filly of rather modest beginnings and thought to be "only a sprinter", her record was anything but modest. |