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Princess Theorem Kicks Clear Late In Monday’s Van Clief Stakes

Dewberry Thoroughbred, LLC's Princess Theorem met Larry Johnson and RDM Racing Stable's No Mo Lady at the top of the stretch, battled momentarily then pulled away in the final eighth of a mile to win the $100,000 Van Clief Stakes for Virginia-restricted horses Monday at Colonial Downs.

In two previous turf starts, the 3-year-old Nyquist filly had respective third and fifth-place finishes at Churchill and Fair Grounds but on Monday, the Brendan Walsh trainee completed a comeback at 1 1/16th miles on grass. Racing sixth at the quarter and at the half in a nine-horse field, jockey Joe Rocco Jr. assumed he would be closer to the lead at that point, so he had to switch strategies on the fly.

“They went pretty fast early,” he said. “I rode my horse away from the gate and thought I'd be stalking Pletcher's horse (Apurate). I thought he'd be in front and I'd get a comfortable spot there, but they just went too fast. So I took a little hold and tried to tuck her in. They were pretty bunched up going into the turn and two of the horses to beat were to my inside and right in front of me so I saw that as an opportunity to make an early move, pass a couple dead horses and then be able to go in and tighten it up on the horses to beat. I think that's what was able to get us to first.”

Tasting the Stars, who was 5-for-7 entering the stakes, was the horse next to Rocco's and No Mo Lady, with a $233,000 bankroll, was next to him. “Those were two of the three to beat,” he added. “I saw the opportunity to get better position on them before the turn so we didn't have to go too wide. Brendan gave me a lot of filly to ride. She's very nice.”

With a 1 3/4 length win, Princess Theorem earned her second victory in six starts overall and pushed her bankroll to $125,382. Ther Brendan Walsh trainee is out of the Street Cry mare, Princess Haya. No Mo Lady finished second and Susan Cooney's Fionnbharr took third.

Colonial Downs continues its season on Tuesday with a nine-race card beginning at 1:45 PM. The meet continues until September 1 with racing every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 1:45 PM. New Kent County Virginia Derby Day is Tuesday August 31.

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Hard Work Pays Off As Maria Rosana Scaldaferri Rides First American Winner

Jockey Maria Rosana Scaldaferri, a native of Pergamino, Argentina, reached the winners circle for the first time in America on Wednesday afternoon at Colonial Downs, which ushered in its annual summer season on Monday.

The 30-year-old rider had been winless in 27 U.S. starts until the ninth on Wednesday when she piloted Leanne Hester's homebred Tempting Moment to a gate-to-wire effort at odds of 15-1. The 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint attracted a field of thirteen $10,000 claimers who competed for a $25,000 purse.

Hester's 6-year-old Gone Clubbing gelding led by 1 1/2 lengths early on, carried a five-length cushion into the top of the stretch and crossed three lengths ahead of Fashionable in 1:04.05. The winner paid $32.20 and marked his first win in 12 starts.

The day's last race matched a jockey with a horse, both of whom were in search of a much-needed victory.

“I'm so happy,” said an emotional Scaldaferri after the race. “You can't imagine how happy I am. I've put in so much hard work to get to this point. I rode at Gulfstream for three years then at Monmouth for a short time before coming here and didn't win at either place. I thought it was going to be easier by now. This means so much to me because I got sick so many times last year and only made one start. I had pneumonia at one point, would feel better, get going then get sick again and have to start all over.”

The win came in Scaldaferri's third start this week at Colonial. She had four starts at Monmouth before arriving in Virginia and only had one in 2020.

“This is my first win ever in America,” she proclaimed again as she walked back into the paddock all smiles. “I'll be back riding here all season, for sure.”

Colonial Downs continues its 7-week season Monday July 26 with nine races beginning at 1:45 PM. Three open stakes will be contested — the $150,000 Buckland, and $100,000 Da Hoss and Andy Guest Stakes.

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Colonial Downs Kicks Off 2021 Season With Record Opening Day Handle

Colonial Downs kicked off its 2021 racing season Monday with a record opening day handle of $2.66 million, spurred by a four-pack of $100,000 Virginia-restricted turf stakes races, and the return of fans to the New Kent track now in its third year under ownership of the Colonial Downs Group.

“We would like to thank the horsemen, our fans on and off site and our team for starting the meet on the right foot,” said John Marshall, Executive VP Operations for the Colonial Downs Group. “What a delight it was to see 2,500 fans at Colonial Downs on a Monday afternoon with such enthusiasm. We appreciate our fans for urging a new all-time Colonial Downs all-source handle opening day record. Looking at today's card, Colonial Downs has arrived at a whole new level.”

Story lines were aplenty in the nine-race program as Colonial's all-time leading rider Horacio Karamanos reached the winners circle three times including a gate-to-wire victory atop Reiley McDonald's Passion Play in the 1 1/16th miles Bert Allen Stakes. The 5-year-old Hold Me Back gelding crossed two lengths ahead of Forloveofcountry, who had a four-race win streak snapped. The winner, a Mary Eppler trainee who broke his maiden two years ago in New Kent, pushed his bankroll to $197,947. Betting favorite Chess Chief finished fourth.

“I expected someone else to go to the front, but when my horse broke out of the gate and took the lead, I tried to control the pace and at the half mile mark, knew I had plenty of horse left,” said Karamanos. “I'm so happy to come here and win this much. This is like my home. I broke records here and feel so happy when I'm back at Colonial Downs.

Karamanos also scored aboard Cavalier Cupid and My Sweet Story.

Gordon Keys' Grateful Bred's win in the 5 1/2-furlong Meadow Stable Stakes gave Middleburg, Virginia-based trainer Madison Myers her first stakes win. The 5-year-old Great Notion gelding raced three-wide around the turn, took the lead at the top of the stretch and crossed 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Sky's Not Falling. He is now 4-for-5 on the turf with earnings of $159,765.

“It's pretty important and exciting to get my first stakes win,” said Myers. “I can't thank Mr. Keys enough for giving me a chance with a horse like this. We only have a handful of horses, so for him to leave him with me and let us go down this route is very special. He won a Maryland-bred allowance four weeks and this was the goal, so we worked him once in between.”

Myers added that winning in Virginia made it extra special win. “The horse is Maryland-bred and Virginia-Certified, and we want to support both programs. We moved to Virginia 8 1/2 years ago, bought a house and just had a baby, so we're pretty settled here now.”

Newtown Anner Stud Farm's Tasting the Stars earned her third stakes win in the Nellie Mae Cox for Virginia-bred and sired horses with Feargal Lynch in the irons. The John Kimmel trainee was fifth heading into the final turn, launched an inside bid turning for home, and won by 2 1/4 lengths. The 5-year-old Bodemeister mare previously won the Brookmeade at Laurel and Just Jenda Stakes at Monmouth. She is now 5-for-7 with earnings of $204,600.

Big Lick Farm's Puppymonkeybaby prevailed in the M. Tyson Gilpin Stakes, her second straight win, and gave trainer Sara Nagle her second win of the day. The lightly raced 3-year-old Hit it a Bomb filly was sent off at 24-1 and was making just her third lifetime start. Winning jockey Jevian Toledo collected his second stakes win — he also guided Grateful Bred to victory. Betting favorite Street Lute, winner of seven dirt stakes, finished sixth in her first effort on grass.

Colonial Downs continues its summer meet with a nine-race card Tuesday at 1:45 PM. The season continues every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday thru September 1.

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Colonial Downs’ Opening Day Card Draws 111 Entries Over Nine Races

Opening day of the third Colonial Downs racing season under ownership of the Colonial Downs Group attracted a full entry box when the draw for Monday's (July 19) card was conducted Wednesday afternoon.

A total of 111 horses are slated to compete in nine pari-mutuel races, five of which feature 14-horse fields and another with 13. Of the nine, all but one will be contested over the Secretariat Turf Course including four $100,000 stakes. Post time is 1:45 PM. A pair of non-betting steeplechase races will kick off festivities at 12:15 PM prior to the pari-mutuel program.

The Meadow Stable and M. Tyson Gilpin Stakes, both Virginia-restricted, boast fields of 14 and will run at 5 1/2 furlongs. The stakes are open to Virginia-bred, sired and certified horses.

Lothenbach Stables' Elusive Mischief, winner of the 2019 Meadow Stable Stakes during Colonial's “Racing Revival” campaign, looks to make it two straight in the event, which was not run in 2020. The 6-year-old Into Mischief gelding sports a bankroll of $214,409 and will be ridden by Chris Landeros. Ed and Susie Orr's Boldor is a three-time stakes winner with earnings of $360,517. The 5-year-old Steve Asmussen trainee captured the 2019 Punch Line Stakes for Virginia-breds. Paco Lopez will ride. Louis Ulman & H. Neil Glasser's Kenny Had a Notion also is a three-time stakes champ and is 4-for-8 lifetime.

Virginia-Certified and Maryland-bred sensation Street Lute headlines the Gilpin field. The 3-year-old Street Magician filly is 8-for-11 with seven stakes wins on her resume. The John Robb trainee, owned by Lucky 7 Stables, has yet to race on turf. She will be ridden by Xavier Perez. 2020 Gilpin winner Virginia Beach will try to defend her title. Country Life Farm's 4-year-old Twirling Candy filly is conditioned by Michael Trombetta and will have Julian Pimentel up top. A pair of Kentucky-breds — Sally Thomas & Olga Payne's Momentous Miss and David Ross's Larimar — are in as well. The former has raced only twice, but had a successful career debut in a maiden special weight at Keeneland last fall. The latter, who broke her maiden last summer in New Kent, invades from Charles Town fresh off back-to-back allowance wins.

A third Virginia-restricted stakes showcases 5-year-old Into Mischief horse, Chess Chief. The Dallas Stewart trainee has amassed $688,920 in earnings and plans to use the Bert Allen Stakes as a prep for the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. The Virginia-bred won the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic Stakes in March and finished fifth most recently in the Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill. Jockey Florent Geroux will direct Chess Chief from post five in a field of seven. Troy Johnson, Charles Lo and Jagger Incorporated's Forloveofcountry brings an impressive four-race win streak into the Allen, though all have come on dirt. The Jamie Ness trainee will be ridden by Jaime Rodriguez.

The Nellie Mae Cox finishes off the stakes four-pack and is open to Virginia-bred and sired fillies & mares. Newtown Anner Stud Farm's Tasting The Stars, 4-for-6 lifetime and 2-for-3 on grass, leads the field of 11. The 5-year-old Bodemeister mare started her career with three straight wins in 2019, finished sixth in the Virginia Oaks that year, then raced twice in 2020. Her most recent out was a triumph in the Brookmeade Stakes last October at Laurel. Winchester Place Thoroughbreds' Urban Fairytale is fresh off a pair of respectable third place finishes in the Lady Canterbury Stakes and a turf allowance at Churchill. Florent Geroux will be in the irons.

“We're thrilled with the enthusiastic response and support from the horsemen,” said Jill Byrne, Colonial Downs VP of Racing Operations. “The entry box was overflowing for the opener and we look forward to offering full fields for fans to wager. Kudos to Allison DeLuca and her race office staff for doing such a great job.”

The Colonial Downs season will continue through September 1 with racing every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 1:45 PM. All races during the summer meet will be broadcast on TVG. Highlight of the meet is the $250,000 New Kent County Virginia Derby (Gr. 3), scheduled for Tuesday August 31.

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