Tice is Nice / Madcap on Track

- Tice is the first foal from the champion filly Silverbulletday, and the 3 yo son of A.P. Indy makes his debut in the 6th at Santa Anita today for Bob Baffert and owner Mike Pegram, the same connections as his dam. Silverbulletday (Silver Deputy) won the Eclipse as top filly at 2 and 3, won 15 out of 23 starts and a bit over $3 million. Her Grade 1 stakes triumphs included the Breeders Cup Juvenile, the Ashland, Kentucky Oaks, the Alabama, and the Gazelle; check out her P.Ps, via Baffert's website. Tice originally had the hideous name of Duckornodinner, which sounds like something Donald Rumsfeld might tell soldiers complaining about the dinner menu. The name change actually just took place a few days ago, just in time for his debut.

Silverbulletday has a 2 year-old by Storm Cat, and is booked back to him this year.

- Madcap Escapade (Hennessy) is training in earnest at Gulfstream (scroll down for story) for her first start since she suffered her first defeat in the Kentucky Oaks last April 30; she worked 5f in 59.80 on Friday for trainer Frank Brothers. The Shirley Jones Handicap on Feb 19 is a possibility. [DRF]

[UPDATE: Tice was dead on the board at 11-1, and ran 10th. The winner, El Roblar is at least the 14th winner from the first crop of War Chant, who also had his third stakes winner last weekend. HIs yearlings sold for an average of $225,000 last year, well in excess of his 2005 fee of $60,000. The son of Danzig won the 2000 Breeders Cup Mile, and is out of champion filly Hollywood Wildcat.]