Hypothetically, if you had to choose who was the best three-year-old pacing filly between Chancey Lady, Yellow Diamond and Moving Pictures. Which would it be?
Each of the lasses have done some great things in their careers. Each of the millionaires was trained at one point or another by Casie Coleman. The two-time O'Brien Award winner as Canada's Trainer of the Year knows a top pacing filly when she sees one.
That is why Coleman's comments during an interview with the Woodbine Entertainment Group are pretty big.
With her sophomore Western Terror filly Western Silk in to contest Saturday's eliminations for the Fan Hanover Stakes at Mohawk Racetrack, Coleman has said that the career winner of nine of 16 races and over $400,000 in purses could be even better than that illustrious trio.
"I'd rate her right up there," Coleman said. "I had Chancey Lady, Yellow Diamond, Moving Pictures. I've had some top three-year-olds fillies, and I would rate her right up near the top if not better than them right now, so hopefully she proves me right."
Western Silk will start from Post 4 in the third of Saturday's elims. The top three finishers from each elim, plus one fourth-place finisher drawn by lot, will gain entrance to the $680,000 final, which will be part of Mohawk Racetrack's stellar program of racing scheduled for June 26.
"She's come back really good. I've been absolutely pleased with 'Silky' this year. She's a lot calmer, as people can see. She used to be hot last year as a two-year-old racing. I've got her in an open bridle this year and she's a lot more relaxed. I couldn't be any happier."
Coleman explained that she is so high on the filly that she trains her with her older males, who are no pushovers in their own right.
"She's just a sweetheart now. She'll sit in a hole with two fingers now. If you're within five or six lengths at the head of the lane, I don't know many horses that can out-pace her for the last piece of a mile. I train her with some of my aged horses here sometimes -- like Lucky Man and that -- and she can out-sprint them coming down the lane. She's unbelievable."
In terms of Saturday, Coleman realizes that she dodged some nice fillies which have drawn into other eliminations.
"She hit not too tough of [an elimination] for the Fan Hanover. But it's tough enough -- it's the Fan Hanover. She didn't hit Fancy Filly or Put On A Show. She managed to duck them, so that's good. Hopefully she can get her job done and pick her post. 'D' Barn is always a problem with 'Silk.' It was last year. I'm hoping it's not this year. She seems a lot calmer. I don't think it will be a problem this year. I'm just crossing my fingers."
To view the entries for Saturday at Mohawk, click here.