By Frank Cotolo, HarnessLink, 15 July 2024
CAVIART BELLE (CAPTAINTREACHEROUS) won the first division of the $100,000 Jerry Silverman Memorial, for 3-year-old harness racing filly pacers, on Saturday at the Meadowlands. Yannick Gingras drove the filly to a career-best 1:49 mile in the stakes event, formerly known as the Mistletoe Shalee.
The first three-quarters were combative with a :26 first panel set by Asweetbeachhere from the outside. SARATOSA HANOVER (STAY HUNGRY) took over, and a speed battle ensued when favorite Pass Line stormed to the top for a :53.3 half. Pass Line led through the 1:22 three-quarters, Lyons Legend charged up the inside and SARATOSA HANOVER chanced a rally. Early speedsters struggled as CAVIART BELLE’s third-over position in the final turn opened a winning path six-wide to win by 2-1/2 lengths. SARATOSA HANOVER finished second with a late-closing Canigetalouploup getting third.
CAVIART BELLE, from the Well Said dam Eloquent Grace, has now won $609,255 through her second season of racing. Gingras said he found the early cover he wanted: “She can pace as fast as any filly,” he said. Richard Silverman, son of the late Jerry, said the event “is an honor to my father and to all the great fillies he raced [at the Meadowlands].”
