Graded Stakes-Placed Atropa Tabbed Atop Six-Filly Silverbulletday Field
NEW ORLEANS (Jan. 11, 2025) — Tabbed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite, graded stakes-placed Atropa leads a field of six fillies in the $150,000 Fasig-Tipton Silverbulletday Stakes on Road to the Derby Day at Fair Grounds Race Course.
Written for 3-year-old fillies at 1 mile 70 yards, the Silverbulletday will award 20-10-6-4-2 qualifying points on the 2026 Road to the Kentucky Oaks. One of six stakes races on Saturday’s 13-race program, the Silverbulletday is slated as Race 10 and serves as the second leg of the All-Stakes Late Pick 5, which concludes with the Grade 3 $250,000 Lecomte Stakes. First post is noon CT.
One of two entries for the ownership group of Belladonna Racing, Twin Brook Stables, Woodford Racing and B.C.W.T., both trained by Cherie DeVaux, Atropa’s resume is highlighted by a second-place finish to Bella Ballerina in the Golden Rod (G2) on the Stars of Tomorrow II card at Churchill Downs. The Into Mischief filly proved her stamina at 1 1/16 miles when breaking her maiden by 10 lengths in October at Keeneland. Jose Ortiz will ride from the rail.
DeVaux will also saddle White Smoke, who rallied from last to win her six-furlong debut on the Gun Runner undercard. Flavien Prat will pilot the Essential Quality filly.
Chief among their competition is Magdalena Racing, Terry Bradshaw, Graham Leveston and Raasi Stable’s Taken by the Wind. Perfect in two starts, the Rock Your World filly vaulted from her debut victory at Saratoga to the Pocahontas (G3) winner’s circle, earning 10 Oaks qualifying points for trainer Kenny McPeek. Brian Hernandez Jr. has the call.
Luv Your Neighbor and Pashmina, who finished second and third, respectively, in December’s Untapable Stakes, will also line up in the Silverbulletday, seeking to strengthen their bids for a spot in the Kentucky Oaks 152 starting gate.
Here is the complete field for the Fasig-Tipton Silverbulletday from the rail out with jockey, trainer, and morning line odds:
Atropa (Ortiz, DeVaux, 2-1)
Dancin in Old Town (James Graham, Keith Desormeaux, 10-1)
White Smoke (Prat, DeVaux, 9-2)
Taken by the Wind (Hernandez, McPeek, 5-2)
Luv Your Neighbor (Axel Concepcion , Mike Stidham, 4-1)
Pashmina (Ben Curtis, Rob Atras, 5-1)
-30-
About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, La, Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 13 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 154th Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 113th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 20, 2025 through March 22, 2026. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.
