Sterling Silver Looks to Make the Grade in G3 Hurricane Bertie

Multiple Graded Stakes-Placed Millionaire Seeking 1st Graded Win

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Mark T. Anderson’s Sterling Silver brings impressive credentials into Saturday’s $175,000 Hurricane Bertie (G3) at Gulfstream Park, where the New York-bred millionaire is scheduled to face eight other fillies and mares in the 6 ½-furlong stakes.

The 7-year-old daughter of Cupid has captured 11 races, including seven stakes while earning more than $1.3 million in purses.

“She’s very straightforward. She’s one of the easiest horses to train. She does everything you ask,” trainer Anthony Margotta Jr. said. “She’s just a mature 7-year-old, very classy mare, very classy.”

Sterling Silver’s resume, however, is lacking one very important achievement – a graded-stakes victory. Not that she hasn’t tried her best when facing graded-stakes company. From 13 graded stakes tries, including five unplaced Grade 1 efforts, she has placed in seven of eight Grade 2 and Grade 3 appearances, most recently a runner-up finish in the Inside Information (G2) Jan. 24 at Gulfstream.

Formerly trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Sterling Silver has made two starts at the current Championship Meet for trainer Anthony Margotta Jr., who saddled her for the first time for a 1 ¼-length victory in the one-turn mile Rampart Dec. 26 at Gulfstream.

“I put my team up against any team in the business. We’re just a small operation, that’s why we don ‘t carry a lot of horses, but we do a very good job,” Margotta said. “It was extremely satisfying to win the Rampart. Billy is a Hall of Fame trainer. When we get one from a guy like him, it’s always a feather in our cap when we can do what they’ve done.”

Sterling Silver came back to put in a strong five-wide run to rally from well off the pace to finish second behind favored Mott-trained Grand Job in the seven-furlong Inside Information.

“When I saw Bill after the race, he said, ‘Well, that worked out OK,” Margotta said. “What a filly she is, Grand Job. She ran a 95 Beyer, Sterling Silver. A 95 Beyer wins that race nine out of 10 times. The only time you don’t win is when Grand Job is in there. Grand Job ran a 100 Beyer. That was an outstanding effort, and I take nothing away from the winner. When I saw her in the paddock, I said, ‘Uh-oh, we might have a little problem here.’”

Sterling Silver, who is rated second at 2-1 on the morning line, will be ridden for the first time by Rajiv Maragh, who guided two-time champion female sprinter Groupie Doll for a victory in the 2014 Hurricane Bertie in her final career start.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is represented by five in the field of nine entered in the Hurricane Bertie, most notably Rich Averill and Two Eight Racing LLC’s R Disaster, a graded-stakes winner who is slated to make her 2026 debut Saturday.

The speedy R Disaster, who won the 2025 Gallant Bloom (G2) at Aqueduct over third-place finisher Sterling Silver, has never finished worse than second in 13 career starts, winning seven and losing by less than a length in four of her six runner-up finishes.

Micah Husbands has the call on R Disaster, who is narrowly favored at 9-5 on the morning line.

Agave Racing Stable, Miller Racing LLC and BAG Racing Stables LLC’s Indy Bay, the 2025 Charles Town Oaks (G2) winner who finished 10th in the Inside Information off a four-month layoff; Shining Stables LLC, Steven Friedfertig and Miller Racing LLC’s Luvumorgan, who finished seventh behind Sterling Silver in the Rampart; Miller Racing LLC’s Taliesin, who finished third in her first two starts since being transferred to Joseph’s stable; and Mark Corrado and Chris Coleman’s Andrea, the third-place finisher in the Charles Town Oaks behind Indy Bay who has been outrun in her two 2026 starts; are also scheduled to run for Joseph in the Hurricane Bertie.

Dylan Davis has the call on Indy Bay. Jorge Ruiz is named on Luvumorgan, while Edwin Gonzalez has the mount on Taliesin and Miguel Vasquez has the call on Andrea.

Helen Alexander’s Roswell, who is rated third at 7-2 on the morning line, will seek her first stakes victory Saturday while looking for her third victory in her last four starts.

Edgard Zayas has the call on the Mott-trained 5-year-old daughter of Into Mischief.

Smith Ranch Stables’ Lynn’s Milky Way enters the Hurricane Bertie off back-to-back six-furlong optional claiming allowance victories at Gulfstream.

The Luis Ramirez-trained 4-year-old Volatile filly, who is rated at 8-1 on the morning line, will be ridden for the first time by Mario Gutierrez.

All East Stables LLC’s Beyond Belief, who finished a troubled sixth in the Inside Information, rounds out the field. The Kelly Breen-trained 4-year-old daughter of Goldencents will be ridden by Joe Bravo, who was aboard for back-to-back optional claiming allowances wins prior to the Inside Information.