Colonial Downs To Feature Three Stakes On Monday Card

A trio of open turf stakes highlight Monday's nine-race card at Colonial Downs as the New Kent, Va., track ushers in week number two of its summer racing season on the heels of a record-breaking handle during opening week.

The $150,000 Buckland Stakes, to be run at 1 1/16 miles, attracted a ten-horse field, eight of which have earned $190,000 or more. The $100,000 Andy Guest Stakes for fillies & mares lured a dozen entrants and the $100,000 Da Hoss has an impressive seven-horse field. The final pair will be contested at 5 1/2 furlongs.

Godolphin, LLC's Pixelate, with wins this past year in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby, Woodchopper, and Prince George County Stakes, is the early 7-2 choice in the Buckland. The 4-year-old City Zip colt also finished a respectable fifth in January's Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. The Kentucky-bred has five wins overall, six seconds, and three thirds with $493,350 in earnings. Pixelate is trained by Michael Stidham and will be ridden by Joe Bravo.

WSS Racing and Hooties Racing, LLC's Mr. Dumas, next at 4-1, has been idle since last October when he was best in a Keeneland Race Course grass allowance. The John Ortiz trainee also prevailed in a 2020 Churchill Downs allowance and finished a close second in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga Race Course last July. In 2019, Mr. Dumas captured the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs. The 5-year-old Majesticperfection horse has accumulated $358,479 in earnings from 14 starts. He will be ridden by Julian Pimentel.

Blackout Racing's Megacity, third early favorite at 9-2, is fresh off a pair of turf allowance wins at Belmont Park and Monmouth Park. The Michael Tomlison trainee was bred in Kentucky by Virginian Maggie Bryant, who recently passed away. Joe Rocco Jr. will be in the irons.

Team Valor International's Beantown Baby, looking for her fourth straight win, headlines the Andy Guest Stakes field. The 5-year-old Artie Shiller mare returns to Virginia after recent convincing turf sprint wins at Delaware Park and Pimlico Race Course, and another at Laurel Park last July. The Arnaud Delacour trainee captured a maiden claiming race in New Kent in 2019. Mychel Sanchez will ride on Monday.

John Kerber, Iveta Kerber, and Jon Lapczenski's Ain't No Elmers is the second choice at 4-1 and is fresh off a solid gate-to-wire performance in a Churchill Downs dirt allowance. The 4-year-old Goldencents filly was runner-up in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness Stakes in 2020. She has only made one turf start in 13 career outs. Ain't No Elmers is trained by Bret Calhoun and will be ridden by Adam Beschizza.

Six of the seven Da Hoss entrants have a bankroll of $220,000-plus including Michelle Lovell and Griffon Farm's Just Might, the 9-5 early favorite. The 5-year-old Justin Phillip gelding captured the Mighty Beau Stakes at Churchill Downs last out and earlier this year, powered home to a five-length win in the Colonel Power Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La. In 2020, Just Might was stakes placed in a pair of Grade 2's — the Woodford Stakes and Twin Spires Turf Sprint. In all, he has bankrolled $400,309. Colby Hernandez will ride.

Ed Orr and Susie Orr's Virginia-bred Boldor, conditioned by Steve Asmussen, is the early second choice at 7-2. The 5-year-old Munnings gelding prevailed in the King Cotton and Sam's Town Stakes earlier this year at Oaklawn Park and Delta Downs in back-to-back starts. Jockey Sheldon Russell gets the call Monday.

Jim and Susan Hill's Holiday Stone, the top money earner in the field with $521,159, is the third early pick. The 7-year-old Harlan's Holiday horse has a turf allowance victory in each of the last three years. Feargal Lynch will ride for trainer George Weaver.

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First post on Monday is 1:45 PM. The Da Hoss is the fourth race on the card followed by the Andy Guest (Race 7) and Buckland Stakes (Race 8). For the opening race week that ran from July 19-21, Colonial handled a combined $7,100,435.

Colonial Downs also presents its first-ever online Handicapping Challenge on Monday. Two seats to the 2022 National Horseplayers Championship and one entry into the 2021 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge are up for grabs. Details are at colonialdowns.com/wagering.

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Magic Attitude Rallies From Last To Win Sheepshead Bay

Lael Stable's Magic Attitude rallied from last of six to capture Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay, an 11-furlong inner turf test for older fillies and mares, at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Arnaud Delacour and patiently piloted by Trevor McCarthy, Magic Attitude saved ground at the back of the pack as graded stakes winner Antoinette led the field through splits of 25.27, 51.03 and 1:17.05 on the firm turf.

Mutamakina stalked from second position down the backstretch under Jose Lezcano but it was Always Shopping, with Joe Bravo up, who made the first run at the leader with a menacing move outside rivals into the final turn.

Antoinette was asked for more as pressure arrived from Always Shopping, and Mutamakina positioned off the rail to launch her bid. But it was Magic Attitude, angled off the rail inside of Orglandes and out to the center of the track, who saved her best run for last to pick off her rivals one-by-one for a powerful three-length score in a final time of 2:14.32.

Delacour said Belmont's inner turf course is ideal for Magic Attitude, who entered the Sheepshead Bay from a close seventh in the Grade 2 Hillsborough on March 6 at Tampa Bay Downs.

“They weren't going fast, but there's no other way to really ride her,” said Delacour. “She needs to be switched off behind, and she has an explosive turn-of-foot, so it's nice to train a filly of that caliber.

“She likes it at Belmont,” he added. “It's more like the European style for her. She can take her time, get balanced, and then produce acceleration. Last time nothing really worked out for her that day. She was really edgy in the post parade and in the paddock. Usually, she is really relaxed, like she was here. I knew that wasn't the best set up, but she probably needed that race.”

Magic Attitude launched her career in France with trainer Fabrice Chappet, capturing the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux at Longchamp last May and finishing second to Tawkeel in the Group 1 Prix Saint Alary at Chantilly in June.

Transferred to the care of Delacour in the fall, Magic Attitude made a winning North American debut under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational, part of NYRA's Turf Triple Series for fillies, on September 19. She completed her season with a third in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in October at Keeneland.

Saturday's stylish score marked the fourth win on the card for McCarthy, who was full of praise for the talented filly.

“When Javier rode her, he didn't get aggressive with her,” said McCarthy. “In the stretch, he just gathered her, let her run and get into her rhythm, which is what she loves. She impressed me today.”

Mutamakina, who stalled in mid-stretch, re-rallied to earn place money by a half-length over Always Shopping and My Sister Nat. Rounding out the order of finish were Antoinette and Orglandes.

Lezcano, aboard the runner-up Mutamakina, felt the slow pace hampered his chances.

“She broke very well. No one wanted to go to the front, so I let her be where she was,” said Lezcano. “When [Always Shopping] came around the backside, I had to push a little early. I think if the race had set up better for her, she may have beat the other filly.”

Bred in Great Britain by Katsumi Yoshida, Magic Attitude banked $110,000 in victory while improving her record to 10-4-1-2. She returned $11 on a $2 win wager.

Victory in the Belmont Oaks qualified Magic Attitude for considerable bonus money should she win the Grade 2, $750,000 New York, going 1 ¼ miles on June 4 at Belmont; or the Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl, at 1 3/8 miles on September 4 at Saratoga.

The “New York Stakes Turf Bonus” will provide $315,000 to the owner and $35,000 to the trainer of any previous winner of the filly Turf Triple series races – Belmont Oaks, Saratoga Oaks or Jockey Club Oaks – who captures the 2021 edition of the New York.

Additionally, the “Flower Bowl Bonus” will provide $300,000 to the owner and $30,000 to the trainer of any previous winner of a filly Turf Triple series race who wins the Flower Bowl, a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” event offering a berth in the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Turf in November at Del Mar.

Live racing continues Sunday at Belmont with a nine-race card and a 1 p.m. Eastern first post. The slate is highlighted by the Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up going one mile on the main track in Race 8 at 4:40 p.m.

Starting on May 1, Belmont Park re-opened to a limited number of spectators. All admission must be purchased in advance at nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

For comprehensive information on health and safety protocols in effect for the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, please visit: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

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Magic Attitude Back On Favorite Course For Sheepshead Bay

Lael Stables' Magic Attitude will seek a return to winning form over familiar ground, taking on an all-graded stakes-winning field in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay for older fillies and mares going 1 3/8 miles over the inner turf course at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Arnaud Delacour, Magic Attitude is the lone Grade 1-winner in the six-horse field, capturing her North American debut in last year's Belmont Oaks Invitational in September.

The daughter of prolific international sire Galileo rallied from last-of-5 in that race, displaying a powerful turn of foot in mid-stretch, crossing the wire a 2 1/2-length winner. The same late-running strategy was utilized next out in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on October 10 at Keeneland, but she could not replicate the winning push of her prior start, finishing third, 1 1/4 lengths back to Harvey's Lil Goil.

Magic Attitude arrives at the Sheepshead Bay off her 2021 debut in the Grade 2 Hillsborough on March 6 at Tampa Bay Downs, where she rode the rail throughout most of the journey, lacked racing room in upper stretch and made a late bid in between horses to finish a close seventh.

“She may have been a little short when we brought her back at Tampa,” Delacour said. “It didn't work out well as far as the trip was concerned. She was down and on the inside and never got relaxed. I'm also not sure she likes the tight turns at Tampa either. So, we just regrouped after that race and we wanted to go where she's been successful in the past to try and bring back her best form. We know she likes Belmont Park.”

Delacour noted that Belmont Park's wider turns could play to his filly's favor in the Belmont Oaks and hopes to see that play to her advantage on Saturday.

“She had a hard time with the tight turns. At Belmont, she had plenty of time to come gradually. She had balance and produced an explosive kick. We are looking for more stretch,” Delacour said. “The turns are wider at Belmont, and it was a slow pace when she won the Belmont Oaks, which gave her plenty of time to settle and come with a kick. We'll see what the pace scenario is like, but likely she'll take back and make one big run.”

Jockey Trevor McCarthy will pilot Magic Attitude from the inside post.

A victory in the Belmont Oaks qualified Magic Attitude for considerable bonus money should she win the Grade 2, $750,000 New York, going 1 ¼ miles on June 4 at Belmont; or the Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl, at 1 3/8 miles on September 4 at Saratoga.

The “New York Stakes Turf Bonus” will provide $315,000 to the owner and $35,000 to the trainer of any previous winner of the filly Turf Triple series races – Belmont Oaks, Saratoga Oaks or Jockey Club Oaks – who captures the 2021 edition of the New York.

Additionally, the “Flower Bowl Bonus” will provide $300,000 to the owner and $30,000 to the trainer of any previous winner of a filly Turf Triple series race who wins the Flower Bowl, a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” event offering a berth in the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Turf in November at Del Mar.

“The bonus is something that is definitely in the back of our minds,” Delacour said. “With a filly like her the main thing is to bring her back where she can win, and we know she loves Belmont Park. We'll see how she does on Saturday.”

Trainer Chad Brown seeks a fifth Sheepshead Bay win when he sends out My Sister Nat and Orglandes for their respective seasonal debuts.

“I think they're both very classy fillies with a lot of potential. Both have very bright futures,” said Brown's Belmont-based assistant trainer Dan Stupp. “They both wintered well, came up in great condition. They've trained well since they've been here.”

Owned by Peter Brant, My Sister Nat seeks a second graded stakes win in North America after winning the Grade 3 Waya going 1 1/2 miles on August 8 at Saratoga. The half-sister to 2018 Champion Turf Mare Sistercharlie trailed the field early on, inched her way into contention along the hedge midway down the backstretch and swung four-wide in upper stretch for the win.

Following two graded stakes runner-up finishes to Civil Union, My Sister Nat finished ninth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on November 6 at Keeneland in her last start.

Stupp recalled My Sister Nat's performance in the Grade 3 Long Island in November 2019 at the Big A, where she made up considerable ground only to miss a neck to Si Que Es Buena.

“When I first started working for Chad, she ran that huge race at Aqueduct where she just missed,” Stupp recalled. “After the race, we knew we were going to have a nice filly for next year. She continued to progress last year, just missing in the Grade 1 [Flower Bowl on October 3 at Belmont Park]. She's got a nice year ahead of her, she's just a late-blooming horse. She doesn't look like her sister. She's developed very nicely, it's just taken her awhile.”

While My Sister Nat seeks a return to winning form, Orglandes will look to pick back up where she left off after shipping to southern California for the Grade 3 Red Carpet on November 28 at Del Mar. The daughter of Le Havre made up considerable ground when traveling the 11-furlong distance to make a winning move in between horses in mid-stretch to win by a half-length.

A dual winner in her native France, Orglandes earned her first trip to the winner's circle in North America when travelling nine furlongs over the inner turf course on October 9 at Belmont Park.

“That race last year in California got us excited for the year ahead,” Stupp said. “She'll certainly be competing in the top stakes for older fillies on the grass throughout the year.”

Manny Franco has the call on My Sister Nat from the outermost post 6, while Orglandes will leave from post 3 under Eric Cancel.

Al Shira'aa Farms Mutamakina also will make her 2021 bow looking to build on her triumph in the Grade 3 Long Island on November 28 at Aqueduct.

The 5-year-old daughter of Nathaniel originally was campaigned in France by trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias, for whom she placed in two Group 2 events, including to eventual Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass. She made her North American debut on October 31 over a yielding outer turf course at Belmont Park in the 12-furlong Zagora, where she was a troubled third for trainer Christophe Clement.

Saving ground in third along the hedge, Mutamakina was shuffled back around the far turn in the Zagora but made up considerable ground in the stretch to finish third, beaten a half-length to winner Luck Money.

Mutamakina's Long Island effort again displayed stalking tactics, where she maintained position around the far turn and confronted pacesetting stablemate Traipsing in the final strides to secure her first stakes win in North America by three-quarters of a length.

“She's a very top class mare,” said four-time Sheepshead Bay winner Clement. “It's ambitious running her there first time out, but she's been doing very well. She ran a very good race in her North American debut, even though she got beat.”

Jockey Jose Lezcano will ride Mutamakina from post 2.

Repole Stables' Always Shopping will attempt to parlay her newfound affinity for turf marathon events when breaking from post 4 with Joe Bravo in the irons.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the daughter of Awesome Again out of graded stakes winner Stopshoppingmaria won the Grade 3 Gazelle on dirt at Aqueduct during her sophomore campaign in 2019, but a decline in winning form prompted her connections to give turf a try.

After a three-length win in the 1 1/8-mile Via Borghese in December at Gulfstream Park, she successfully stretched out to 1 ½ miles in the Grade 3 La Prevoyante at Gulfstream in January, winning by the same margin. Always Shopping arrives off a close second place finish in the Grade 3 Orchid on March 28 at Gulfstream.

“She always breezed well on the dirt and when her progression sort of plateaued, we made the change to turf and it appears to have paid off,” said Pletcher's Belmont-based assistant Byron Hughes.

Rounding out the field is Godolphin's Antoinette, for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The homebred daughter of Hard Spun made her 2021 debut a triumphant one when maintaining command the whole way around and drawing off to a 2 ¼ length win in the Grade 3 The Very One on February 27 at Gulfstream Park going 1 3/16 miles. Antoinette displayed similar frontrunning tactics when capturing the Saratoga Oaks Invitational on August 8 at the Spa, which she won by a half-length.

Through an 11-4-1-4 record, Antoinette boasts the field's highest bankroll with earnings of $608,750.

Like fellow Sheepshead Bay contender Magic Attitude, Antoinette also qualifies for both the “New York Turf Bonus” and the “Flower Bowl Bonus.”

Breaking from post 5, Antoinette will be piloted by Edgard Zayas.

The Sheepshead Bay is slated as Race 10 on Belmont's 11-race Saturday program, which also features the Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester at one mile over the main track and the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy for older horses going nine furlongs over the inner turf. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Riding For His Father Makes First Win Extra Special For Nicolas Arriagada

Two initiations took place at Tampa Bay Downs after 21-year-old apprentice jockey Nicolas Arriagada earned the first victory of his career in Friday's sixth race on 9-year-old gelding Native Hawk at the Oldsmar, Fla., track.

One occurred on Arriagada's return to the jockeys' room, when his fellow riders lined up to welcome him into the fraternity of winners with buckets of ice water, shaving cream, soap and a couple of well-aimed sprays from a hose nozzle.

The first initiation came earlier, mere seconds after Arriagada and Native Hawk crossed the wire, when the winner's owner and trainer – Tampa Bay Downs conditioner Juan Arriagada, Nicolas's father  – received congratulations from fellow trainers, backstretch workers and fans ringing the winner's circle.

Juan Arriagada, himself a former jockey in Peru and Chile who rode about 350 winners, struggled to keep his emotions in check as he floated onto the racing surface to high-five his son. They shared a heartfelt embrace after Nicolas dismounted, his father probably realizing everything this rite of passage actually represents.

“Oh my god, it was perfect,” Juan Arriagada said. “To be the second race of his life. … I'm just very proud of him.”

Earlier, in the fourth race, Nicolas had finished third on his father's 6-year-old gelding Ellas My Love in his first career race. Coincidentally, another apprentice in search of his first victory, Eduviel Ignacio, finished second on Gettinintomischief in the fourth and second again in the seventh race on 43-1 shot La Bella Vita.

Both jockeys have worked the last few years as exercise riders for Tampa Bay Downs trainer Arnaud Delacour.

“I can't really explain the feeling, except that it is the best feeling in the world,” Nicolas said after cleaning up from the traditional, messy initiation. “For people like us who are into horses, to win a race for your dad on your first day as a jockey. … I'm probably going to cry, because it is amazing.”

As his father suggested, the winning ride was close to flawless. Sensing the pace contested by Tiz Approved and Friendly Fella in the 6 ½-furlong claiming race was a bit too fast, Nicolas allowed Native Hawk to drop back several lengths before encouraging him on the turn for home. “Little by little, I started asking my horse and he started answering real good. He switched leads and opened it up at the finish,” Nicolas said.

The winning margin was 2 ¾ lengths. Nicolas's mother, grandmother and sister watched the race together on television in Lima, Peru.

“My dad and I talked about the races a couple of days ago and he told me both horses had a chance and to keep them in the clear, don't rush and see what happened,” Nicolas said. “He also told me 'I can tell you a lot of things before a race, but when the gate opens a lot of things will change, and that is the difference with a good jockey – they make the right choices at the right moments.' ”

Nicolas grew up in Peru and was tutored by his late grandfather, trainer Raul Arriagada, after Juan moved to the United States when the boy was 4. Nicolas arrived in the states in 2018, rejoining his father on his quest to become a jockey.

“He taught me how to ride here, because we don't use a saddle in Peru. He put a saddle on a pony when we were at Delaware Park, and I'd ride that pony in a soccer field on the backside between races,” Nicolas said.

The experience working for Delacour was a godsend, too. “He taught me so many things and gave me so many opportunities. He'd take me aside and say 'Nicol, that was good, but you can do better if you do this.' That meant so much.”

And the treatment from his fellow jockeys on a pretty warm day (which, in the interest of full disclosure, Nicolas knew was coming)? Superb. He will remember it for a lifetime.

“It was just beautiful, because those are the guys I work with every morning. We see each other every day and we work together,” he said. “They'll tell me things I can do to get better, and I go out and practice them. It was a good moment.

“When I got there and saw them waiting, I just closed my eyes and it felt real nice.”

Around the oval. Antonio Gallardo and Jose Ferrer each rode two winners Friday. Gallardo won the first race on April Fog, a 6-year-old mare owned by Michael R. Di Tomasso and trained by M. A. Ferraro. Gallardo added the ninth and final race on the turf with Harrykeepthechange, a 3-year-old Florida-bred gelding owned by Reitman Stables and trained by Darien Rodriguez.

Ferrer blocked Ignacio's path to the winner's circle on two occasions, first in the fourth race on 7-year-old gelding Executive Decree, owned and trained by Gregory Eidschun. Ferrer also won the seventh on Bahamian Moon, a 4-year-old Florida-bred filly owned by Ridenjac Racing and David F. Kegley and trained by Dennis Ward.

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