Double stakes winner Silver Ticket heads a three-horse Sam-Son Farm contingent among 11 entered in Sunday's $300,000 Chinese Cultural Centre Stakes (Can-II), a grass race that has attracted some of Canada's top profile horses, including A Bit O'Gold, Mobil, and Niigon. Four-year-old Silver Ticket, a four-time winner with $538,874 in earnings, comes off the best performance of his life, winning the King Edward Gold Cup (Can-II) with a powerful move on the turn to win by a commanding 2 ¾-length margin over champion Mobil. "No question, it was a great race on his part," noted Frostad. "Hopefully, he can repeat it. He was a little disappointing in the Connaught Cup. We hope he runs back to the King Edward and not the Connaught."In the Connaught, the son of Silver Deputy finished third, defeated just a length by Le Cinquieme Essai. In the King Edward, the bay gelding showed more punch. If Silver Ticket, who is partnered again by Todd Kabel, were to double up in the 1 3/8-mile Chinese Cultural Centre Stakes, he would become the first horse to win both races."It might be a little far," offered Frostad. "He's in good order. He relaxes off the pace. So we'll see."Silver Ticket is joined Sunday by stablemate Colorful Judgement, a two-time stakes winner and earner of $498,676. Starting in his first race in over four months, the son of Diesis prompted the pace and appeared to be fading in upper stretch. But the chestnut summoned enough courage in deep stretch to finish third. "He ran a super race that day," praised Frostad, who said the 11 furlong distance is a better fit. "He came out of the race well and he's training well."Last fall, Colorful Judgement, who will be teamed with jockey Slade Callaghan, won the Sky Classic Stakes (Can-II) at the same distance.The third member of the Sam-Son Farms team is Burst of Fire, a 4-year-old bay gelding with four wins in 13 starts and $301,056 in earnings. While the son of Smart Strike seeks his first stakes triumph, he was a runner up in last year's Breeders' Stakes at 1 ½-miles. In two starts this season, Burst of Fire, who will be ridden by Gary Cruise, finished fourth in the Connaught Cup and sixth in the Singspiel Stakes."He's in there to ensure an honest pace," said Frostad. "But he gets in pretty light, so he may be a factor. He's a nice horse on his own. Hopefully, he runs well, too." A victory by one of the three red and gold color-bearers would give Team Sam-Son and Mark Frostad their fourth consecutive victory in the CCC and their fifth title in eight editions. Sam-Son's past winners include Quiet Resolve, Strike Smartly, Strut the Stage, and Shoal Water.Two Bit Racing Stable's 3-year-old champion A Bit O'Gold won the Breeders' Stakes last August for trainer Catherine Day Phillips and is coming off a dominating 2 3/4-length win in the Dominion Day Stakes (Can-III) earlier this month over his rival Niigon.$300,000 (Canadian( Chinese Cultural Centre Stakes (Can-II), 3 & up, 1 3/8 miles
PP / Horse / Jockey / Trainer
1 / Just In Case Jimmy/Richard Dos Ramos/Roger Attfield
2 / Niigon/Robert Landry/Eric Coatrieux
3 / A Bit O'Gold/Jono Jones/Catherine Day Phillips
4 / More Bourb/David Clark/Greg De Gannes
5 / Last Answer/Corey Fraser/Mike Keogh
6 / Burst Of Fire/Gary Cruise/Mark Frostad
7 / Colorful Judgement/Slade Callaghan/Mark Frostad
8 / Affirmative Action/Jose Santos/Christophe Clement
9 / Daddy Cool/Jim McAleney/Sean Smullen
10 / Silver Ticket/Todd Kabel/Mark Frostad
11 / Mobil/Patrick Husbands/Mike Keogh
