Silent Poet Aims to Defend Highlander Stakes Title

The CA$200,000 Highlander Stakes (G2T) and CA$175,000 Nassau Stakes (G2T) share the spotlight July 2 at Woodbine. Last year, Silent Poet won the six-furlong Highlander. He returns to defend his title. In what will be his third race since last year's Highlander—all this year—Silent Poet is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Jacques Cartier Stakes (G3) on Woodbine's all-weather track. Among those looking to prevent Silent Poet from repeating is Sonata Stable's Arzak. The Not This Time colt is coming off back-to-back wins in the Thorncliffe and the Jacques Cartier. In the Thorncliffe, Arzak beat Silent Poet by 3 1/4 lengths. Tap It to Win, another Highlander contender, finished 1 1/2 lengths back in the Jacques Cartier. Meanwhile, the one-mile Nassau for fillies and mares 4 and upward features Speightster's daughter Dreaming of Drew. The 4-year-old has won three of her last four starts with the May 8 Whimsical Stakes (G3) the outlier. She also has a fourth-place showing in the 2020 Natalma Stakes (G1T). She did not race as a 3-year-old. The race also presents another opportunity for Plum Ali and Our Flash Drive to improve upon their last time out when they both ran the Beaugay Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park where they finished seventh and second, respectively.