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Weekend Lineup Presented By HIWU: Colonial Downs Hosts Arlington Million

Illinois' loss was Virginia's gain.

The biggest weekend in Chicago racing is now the biggest weekend ever in Virginia horse racing history as Colonial Downs in New Kent hosts its first-ever Grade 1 races, the Arlington Million and Beverly D. Stakes, along with the Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes, all of them on the Secretariat turf course named for the most famous Thoroughbred ever bred in the commonwealth.

Saturday's three graded stakes at Colonial were formerly held at Arlington Park in the Chicago suburbs, but a decision by Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) to close the track and sell it to the NFL's Chicago Bears for a potential football stadium left the trio of races without a home. The 2022 Million and Beverly D. were contested at Churchill Downs while the Secretariat was not run. After selling Arlington, CDI purchased Colonial Downs and opted to move the three races there.

Saturday's other Grade 1 race is the Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga, where 2-year-olds also will be showcased in the G2 Saratoga Special. Two-year-olds will also get their chances at Del Mar, with the fillies contesting Saturday's Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes and colts running Sunday in the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes.

On Sunday, Emerald Downs near Seattle, Wash., offers its biggest race of the year, the Longacres Mile.

All times listed below are for the Eastern time zone.

Friday

5:08 p.m. – Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes

The Hall of Fame was originally scheduled Aug. 4 but was one of the four races cancelled after the skies opened up and lightning posed to horses and humans. Nine 3-year-olds going a mile on the inner turf were re-entered when the race was re-drawn, with the More Than Ready colt More Than Looks established as the slight favorite at 5-2. Coming off a stretch-running victory in the G3 Manila, More Than Looks will be sent to the post by Cherie DeVaux with John Velazquez aboard. Chad Brown entered a trio of runners and Charles Appleby, ever dangerous with Godolphin's European-based stable, is shipping Mysterious Night to North America for the second time. The Irish-bred by Dark Angel dominated last year's G1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine, winning by 5 3/4 lengths.

Saturday

5:06 p.m. – Grade 2 Saratoga Special

Rhyme Schemes was impressive enough winning his maiden race at Ellis Park (his second start) by 9 1/2 lengths that NYRA's morning line maker put him at 4-5 in this field of six 2-year-old colts. The son of Ghostzapper, trained by Norm Casse, earned an eye-opening Beyer Speed Figure of 94. Ricardo Santana Jr. was aboard and will be back to ride on Saturday.

5:14 p.m. – Secretariat Stakes

Silver Knott came up a nose short in last year's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland though the Lope de Vega colt has not shown progression as a 3-year-old, including his two starts in New York. The Charles Appleby-trained Godolphin runner remained in New York after his most recent start, turning in a series of half-mile drills at Saratoga. Jamie Spencer comes in to ride.

Nagirrac finished a length behind Silver Knott in the BC Juvenile Turf and has been competitive in each of his four starts in the U.S. this year for Graham Motion. Flavien Prat rides the turf as well as any U.S.-based rider and will be aboard

5:44 p.m. – Fourstardave Handicap

Casa Creek concedes one to 11 pounds as the high weight in this handicap as he bids for a second consecutive Fourstardave victory and what would be the sixth win in the race for his trainer, Hall of Famer William Mott. The Jimmy Creed 7-year-old horse, making his fourth consecutive start in the Fourstardave, faces a stiff challenge from the Todd Pletcher-trained duo of Annapolis and Emmanuel. The race will be live on FOX, with coverage beginning at 3 p.m. ET.

The race winner will earn an automatic starting position, and fees paid, into the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile. The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 80 Graded/Group stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park.

5:55 p.m. – Beverly D. Stakes

Seven fillies and mares were entered for the Beverly D., including Gina Romantica, winner of last year's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Keeneland and Didia, a G1 winner in her native Argentina and second in the G1 New York Stakes last out at Belmont Park. A new player in the filly and mare turf ranks is Romagna Mia, a G2 winner in Italy in 2022 making her North American debut. Fev Rover, an Irish-bred who won the G2 Nassau on yielding turf July 1 at Woodbine,d and a G2 winner there last year on firm turf, is the morning line favorite at 2-1 for Mark Casse. The Beverly D. is a “Win and You're In” Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race, giving fees-paid entry to the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

6:40 p.m. – Arlington Million Stakes

Santin won the 2022 Arlington Million on an immature turf course that probably didn't give closers much of a chance, but the 5-year-old by Distorted Humor hasn't done much since. Atone won the G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January, then regressed in two starts, the most recent when fifth after setting the pace in the G3 Dinner Party at Pimlico on May 20. Adhamo won the G1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park in 2022 but hasn't started since a poor showing last October in the G1 Turf Classic at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet. Set Piece is going in good form at age 7 for Brad Cox and has recorded 12 wins in 28 starts.

7:45 p.m. – Sorrento Stakes

Three of the eight 2-year-old fillies in this six-furlong race come out of a July 22 maiden race at Del Mar won narrowly by Dua, who battled for the lead throughout and prevailed by a half length. The daughter of Arrogate is trained by Bob Baffert and will be ridden by leading rider Juan Hernandez. Ur in Trouble finished in a dead-heat for second, with Feisty Mitole very close to making it a three-way tie. Both of those fillies are back to take another run at Dua. The morning line favorite is Benedetta, who was never seriously threatened winning her debut at Los Alamitos by three lengths for Simon Callaghan on July 8.

9:15 p.m. – Yellow Ribbon Handicap

Trainer Phil D'Amato sent out the first four finishers in the G2 Eddie Read Stakes on turf earlier in the Del Mar meet, so you'd better take a look at the trio of fillies and mares he's entered inthe Yellow Ribbon going 1 1/16 miles on the Jimmy Durante grass course. School Dance, one of the three D'Amato runners, is looking for her first stakes triumph but was a good second to the Yellow Ribbon's 5-2 morning line favorite, Closing Remarks, in the G2 Royal Heroine at Santa Anita in April. The latter filly, a California-bred by Vronsky, drew the inside post in a field of seven and will have Umberto Rispoli in the saddle for trainer Carla Gaines. Irish-bred Spirit And Glory ships west for trainer Robert Falcone Jr. and will have turf specialist Hector Berrios in the saddle.

Sunday

6:30 p.m. – Best Pal Stakes

Bob Baffert dominates California's 2-year-old male dirt division and has two of the five entries in the Best Pal, including the Good Magic colt Muth, who earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure winning his debut at Santa Anita June 18. Baffert's other runner is Prince of Monaco, who was the 1-20 favorite against three others in a July 9 maiden race at Los Alamitos that he won by eight lengths. Juan Hernandez rode both but will be aboard Muth on Sunday, with Flavien Prat coming in from Saratoga to ride the Speightstown colt Prince of Monaco. Both were pricey auction purchases, Muth costing $2 million at the OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training and Prince of Monaco a $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling buy.

8:30 a.m. – Longacres Mile

Slew's Tiz Whiz won the 2022 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs from the rail post in a field of 12 but will break post nine in a field of 10 this year, and that's a tall order for the 9-5 favorite. Zestful chased Slew's Tiz Whiz in a sprint prep for this race, but the Justin Evans-trained veteran figures to improve around two turns. Joe Bravo makes his Emerald Downs debut to ride Five Star General for trainer Grant Forster, a Pacific Northwest native who would like nothing more than to win this race for a second time. Five Star General ran third last year for trainer Doris Harwood, then was transferred to Kentucky-based Forster, who has transformed the horse from a closing sprinter to a front-running route horse. The Distorted Humor 7-year-old comes off a solid second to Trademark in a Horseshoe Indianapolis stakes.

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Asmussen Stables To Pay $205K in Penalties, Reimbursements Following DOL Investigation, Litigation

Steve Asmussen Stables has entered into a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor to reimburse grooms and hotwalkers nearly $130,000 to resolve violations of the federal H-2B worker program, which enables businesses to employ temporary visa workers, according to a release from the Department of Labor. Asmussen was also assessed civil money penalties of just over $75,000 for its violations in addition to the wage penalties.

According to the release, this is the fourth time in recent years that Asmussen has been ordered to make payments to workers, having most recently been ordered to pay more than a half-million dollars in back wages and damages. The DOL investigation in this instance found that the employer violated numerous commitments that it made during the H-2B application process to employ workers in the state of New York. The violations were said to have occurred between December 2016 and December 2019.

According to the release, the violations included:

Failing to pay workers for costs they incurred during travel to and from the U.S. at the beginning and end of the racing season, including visa fees;

Seeking and obtaining kickbacks from workers, supposedly to cover Asmussen Stables' attorney fees;

Employing workers outside of New York, contrary to statements made to the government;

Overstating the number of H-2B workers needed by the employer and;

Not disclosing material terms of the position to potential U.S. job applicants, such as that free housing may be available onsite.

“H-2B workers too often find themselves vulnerable to wage shortages and other violations of their rights,” explained Wage and Hour Division District Director David An in Westbury, New York. “Employers like Steve Asmussen Stables who employ H-2B workers must comply with the law or face sanctions, including fines and potentially being barred from the program.”

The settlement also includes enhanced compliance measures, including hiring of an independent monitor by the stable to conduct regular audits, providing workers with updated training in languages they understand, forbidding certain managers from being involved in the H-2B program and allowing the division to provide training to Asmussen Stables' H-2B workers regarding their rights.

“The U.S. Department of Labor will pursue all necessary legal avenues to obtain proper compensation for employees and prevent future violations by employers,” explained regional Solicitor of Labor Jeffrey S. Rogoff in New York. “This settlement reimburses these underpaid workers, requires Asmussen Stables to pay penalties and seeks to change this employer's behavior and prevent future violations by providing an independent monitor to perform regular audits.”

The division's Long Island District Office conducted the investigation. Department of Labor Senior Trial Attorney Jacob Heyman-Kantor litigated the case for the division before the Office of Administrative Law Judges. View the consent findings and the order approving the findings.

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The Curragh: “Hopefully We Can Get Revenge.” Unquestionable Set For Phoenix Rematch

The Curragh stages Europe's first Group 1 contest for the current crop of 2-year-olds on Saturday and it is fair to say that a Keeneland Phoenix S. without the anticipated presence of River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is up for grabs. While Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore contingent opted to send the G2 Coventry S.-winning 'TDN Rising Star' to Deauville for the Prix Morny, the way is clear for another 'TDN Rising Star' son of that sire to step into his place. Unquestionable (Fr) has the obstacle of yet another Wootton Bassett colt in Bucanero Fuerte (GB) to overcome and he couldn't quite manage that in the course-and-distance G2 Railway S. last month, but this is the Phoenix and O'Brien that we are talking about.

Ballydoyle's commander-in-chief has almost made this race his private property since 1998, with a sequence of 17 winners. Remarkably, the gap between Sioux Nation in 2017 and Little Big Bear (Ire) last term was the only time in that period that he had gone more than a year without collecting and the Railway has always been a race to sharpen his prospective Phoenix colt. Ryan Moore has enjoyed even more success than usual on the stable's big guns in Ireland in 2023 and he said on his betfair blog, “This lacks a stand-out. Only a short-head separated Bucanero Fuerte and Unquestionable in the Railway and hopefully we can get revenge after our colt had to miss Goodwood because of the worsening ground.”

Other than Bucanero Fuerte, Royal Ascot's Coventry also featured Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) who was just 3/4 of a length behind having been sent for home some way out. Bronsan Racing and Theresa Marnane's G3 Marble Hill S. winner has been given a freshener since then and trainer Jessica Harrington issued a positive update on the £1.1-million Goffs London sensation. “Hopefully he'll run a good race and we don't get too much rain between now and then so we have a bit of nice ground on the day. He's won on soft, but I'd prefer better ground as he's a good-moving horse,” she said.

No filly has won this since La Collina (Ire) (Strategic Prince {GB}) in 2011, but the unbeaten Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) had some smart fillies behind when capturing the G3 Albany S. for the Fowler-Medallion Racing-Weston-Reeves collective and there is no definitive marker as to how the two sexes stand up. “She was in control the whole way in the Albany and did everything you'd like, so you'd have to respect the form and she seems quite versatile,” jockey Oisin Murphy said.

Sweet Solera Up For Grabs

While Ascot stages its longstanding Shergar Cup with its alternative appeal, Newmarket quietly gets on with the business of helping to sort the 2-year-old pecking order. Like the Phoenix, the G3 Molson Coors Sweet Solera S. also lacks a standout candidate but Godolphin's four-length course-and-distance winner Wild Goddess (GB) (Camelot {GB}) fits the bill with her connections and pedigree as she tackles the Listed Star S. second and third Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Soprano (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). The latter is back on more suitable ground, having been third behind Porta Fortuna in the Albany and we'll know more what that form means by late afternoon on Saturday.

At Haydock, there is an intriguing blend of youth and old talent in the 10-furlong G3 Rose Of Lancaster S. with the impressive Listed Lyric Fillies' S. winner Midnight Mile (Ire) (No Nay Never) taking on Shadwell's unpredictable Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) with weight-for-age on her side.

Inspiral Confirmed For Marois Defence

John and Thady Gosden have given the green light for Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) to attempt back-to-back successes in Sunday's G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois at Deauville following her last-of-five effort in the G1 Sussex S. She will encounter her G1 Queen Anne S. conqueror Triple Time (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and also Yeguada Centurion SL's G1 Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), as well as the G1 Prix Jean Prat-winning course specialist Good Guess (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) in a competitive 11-runner affair.

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Mage Drills Six Furlongs For Travers

OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing and CMNWLTH's GI Kentucky Derby hero Mage (Good Magic) turned in his penultimate breeze ahead of his anticipated appearance in the Aug. 26, GI Travers S., going six furlongs in 1:12.98 over the Saratoga main track Friday morning under exercise rider J. J. Delgado. According to Daily Racing Form, Mage galloped out seven furlongs in 1:26.31 and was up the mile in 1:40.66.

It was a stiffer breeze than last week, when he covered five furlongs in 1:01.03 over a track with a high moisture content following significant rainfall over the days prior to the work.

“He did pretty good. He was a little more in the bridle today,” said Gustavo Delgado, Jr., son and assistant to trainer Gustavo Delgado, of Friday's move. “His exercise rider was happy about it and the best thing is how he came back. He took a couple rounds [cooling out] and that was it. It's always good to see that.”

Delgado, Jr. said the plan is for the $235,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $290,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic juvenile to have one last maintenance work ahead of the Travers.

“It will depend on the weather, but hopefully Friday on the main track again,” said Delgado, Jr.

Mage is expected to face a field that includes 'TDN Rising Star' and reigning Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old Forte (Violence)–to whom he was runner-up in the GI Curlin Florida Derby–and GI Preakness S. winner National Treasure (Quality Road). Mage was third, beaten 2 1/4 lengths at Old Hilltop and has since finished a bang-up second in the GI Haskell S. July 22. Arcangelo (Arrogate), last-out winner of the GI Belmont S., is also among the probable starters.

Mage will be ridden by Luis Saez in the Travers.

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