Silky Sullivan Handicap
The Silky Sullivan Handicap is run each year (until recently in March, but now on November 5th) at Golden Gate Fields in the San Francisco Bay Area. Named for the "Heart Attack Horse," the great closer Silky Sullivan, it's a mile and an eighth or 9 furlong Grade III turf race——run on grass——with a purse of $100,000, and open to males or females three-years-old and older.
Silky himself is buried in the infield of Golden Gate Fields, the only horse to be so honored.
Past winners
Winner of the silky Sullivann since the beginning of the new century are:
(proving difficult to find)
- 2006 -
- 2005 - Eastern Sand, ridden by Victor Espinoza and trained by Jeff Mullins.
- 2004 -
- 2003 -
- 2002 - Big Shot, ridden by Jason P. Lumpkins and trained by Racing Hall of Famer Richard Mandella
- 2001 - Casino King, trained by Simon Bray
- 2000 - B. Mr. Lucky
Going Back
- 1999 - Sunday Stroll
- 1996 - Cavonnier (?)
- 1992 - Music Prospector, trained by Steve Miyadi
- 1986/87 (?) - Variety Road, owner Kjell Qvale
- 1981 (?) - Regalberto
- 1976 (?) - Alias Smith
- 1975 (?) - Austin Mittler
Another Silky race
"The Silky Sullivan Turf Special" for sophomore colts ran at least once on a New York track in August, 2005, for a $75,000 purse. In it, the Sky Mesa colt Sky Turn to Black, Kingmambo's Puppet Regime, and the Pine Bluff colt Gingobell competed in a large field. This writer has yet to discover who won, or if the race is now established, and if so, where?——or was run once, and once only.