Week Will Be Hard to Eclipse for Nafzger

What had already been a memorable week for trainer Carl Nafzger got even better Saturday.

Four days after Banshee Breeze was named the top 3-year-old female of 1998 in Eclipse Award voting, Nafzger saw his Vicar win the $200,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Vicar, on the lead virtually throughout the race under Shane Sellers, outbattled favored Cat Thief to win by a neck in 1:45 3/5 for the 1 1/16 miles.

Vicar, owned by James Tafel, won for the third time in five starts and probably earned himself a start in the Florida Derby next month. Certain, a 7-1 shot ridden by Kent Desormeaux, was third, three-quarters of a length behind Cat Thief.

“I didn’t tell Shane what to do,” Nafzger said. “I told Shane to ride his race. I just wanted the colt to relax and he relaxed tremendously for Shane.

“I think we have something very special here and this has been a week beyond weeks.”

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Making her 1999 debut for owner Mike Pegram and trainer Bob Baffert, Silverbulletday won the $125,000 Davona Dale Saturday at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

Silverbulletday, a 1-10 favorite ridden with confidence by jockey Gary Stevens, was reserved off the pace early, rallied along the rail entering the stretch and went on to defeat 6-1 second-choice Brushed Halory by 2 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:44 1/5 for the 1 1/16 miles.

This was the seventh win in eight starts for Silverbulletday, who was an Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s top 2-year-old filly.

“She was very fresh today and it would have been easy to put her on the lead, but that’s not her style,” Stevens said. “I made the lead a little easier than expected and she loafed a bit, so I just hustled her a little. I never had to get after her too much.”

Horse Racing Notes

Controlled, the 3-5 favorite, won the $108,000 Boo La Boo Stakes Saturday at Santa Anita. It was the fifth win in seven starts for the daughter of In Excess, who is owned by Edward Hand and trained by Ed Gregson. Alex Solis rode Controlled, who beat 15-1 shot Aloha Mangos by a length in running 1:10 1/5 for the six furlongs. . . . Plicck, a 6-1 shot, went wire to wire and beat Self Feeder by a neck in the $83,850 San Marino Handicap. Chris McCarron rode Plicck, who is trained by Ron McAnally for owners Al and Sandee Kirkwood. The final time for the 1 1/4 miles on turf was 2:02 1/5. . . . Hollywood Park has reduced the number of Friday night cards for this year’s spring-summer meeting. Friday-night cards will be held on April 24 and the final four weeks of the meet. The Hollywood Park meeting opens April 23 and concludes July 19.