Saintly Joan stormed down the stretch to take the off-the-turf $60,000 Little Silver Stakes by a half-length Saturday at Monmouth Park (VIDEO). Saintly Joan capped a terrific week for Northern Afleet, who has had eight winners, as well Kaigun finishing second in the Grade 1 Manhattan S. at Belmont Park.

Making her first start for trainer Pat McBurney, Saintly Joan was a couple lengths off the early leader Legal Laura, who set a leisurely pace :50.27 for the half-mile. Still some four lengths back in mid-stretch, Saintly Joan uncorked a furious rally under Angel Serpa to get up in the final strides, covering the mile in 1:39.60 over the fast main track.

“I just tried and let her break so I could settle her down behind horses,” said Serpa. “When I asked her she just kept going. As soon as I started riding
she gave me everything.”

Owned by S.T. Bajer, Gem, Inc. and D. O’Hara, 3-year-old Saintly Joan, who recorded her first stakes win, now sports a record of 3-0-1 from nine starts, with earnings of $121,230.

“The fractions were slow and I wasn’t sure if she was going to get there, but I guess the tail wind helped her,” McBurney said. “She didn’t care for the downhill turf course at Santa Anita so the owners sent her our way and she’s trained well since she arrived.”

Out of the El Corredor mare Concinnous, Saintly Joan is a half-sister to Iotapa, who won the Grade 1 Vanity S. at Hollywood Park on Saturday.