Apprentice LaBarre Closes Out Colonial Downs’ Pick 4 With An Upset

Rebecca Grace LaBarre may be an apprentice jockey and may be competing at Colonial Downs for the first time ever, but she has made her presence felt in a big way so far at the track's summer meet, especially to Pick-4 players.

The New Kent track opened its racing season on July 28 and in each of the two Monday cards Colonial has conducted since, the 26-year-old has put an exclamation point on the final leg of the early Pick-4 with upset wins. Those wager-ending triumphs have sent Pick-4 payouts into five-digit territory both times.

Monday evening (August 10), her victory atop Bay Bridge in the fifth paid $21.00 but more importantly, triggered a .50 Pick-4 bonanza of $32,957 for the 9-2-1-5 combination. Solitary Jack ($47.60) won the first leg and was followed by Dude's Secret ($39.00) and Chaps ($4.20).

A week prior on August 3, her score aboard Thump returned $36.60 to win and resulted in a .50 Pick-4 payoff of $19,310.50 for the 4-6-2-2 combo. Raison d'Etat Girl kicked the first leg off with a $64.00 win followed by modest middle leg returns — The Great Samurai ($6.40) and Feeling Mischief ($4.40).

LaBarre began her riding career in January, 2019 at Laurel. She had competed primarily there and at Penn National before relocating to Colonial Downs two weeks ago. In the six cards Colonial has held, LaBarre has five wins. Her others have come aboard first or second favorites — Snaggletooth ($7.40), Hypnotist ($6.40) and Tolaga Bay ($3.60).

Colonial Downs, home of the Secretariat Turf Course, continues its summer season with cards every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 5:30 PM through September 2. The Grade 3 New Kent County Virginia Derby is slated for Tuesday September 1.

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What The Beep Provides ‘Emotional’ Upset In Colonial’s Camptown Stakes

On Wednesday at Colonial Downs, What the Beep pulled off an upset with a one-length victory over heavy favorite Tan and Tight in the $60,000 Camptown Stakes for Virginia-bred or -sired fillies and mares. The homebred daughter of Great Notion was ridden by Forest Boyce for trainer Karen Godsey, who bred and broke the 5-year-old mare on her Eagle Point Farm.

“This is very emotional for me,” said a tearful Godsey. “Her mother (Toccoa) was my first winner. To win a race like the Camptown, which my grandfather helped to start, is important to me. We mainly race here and the rest of the year I am breaking horses on the farm.”

What the Beep won the M. Tyson Gilpin Stakes here last summer but hasn't raced since an off-the-board finish in an allowance race at Laurel last October.

“She got a little cut on her leg and we almost missed that last race,” Godsey explained. “So she came home and got to spend the whole winter being a horse, hanging out, and ran around an 80-acre field with all her brothers. It's nice she gets to do that, come back here and run like this. It's kind of what her momma did. I would take her home every winter and come back here and win every summer. She's a happy horse.”

The bay mare led every step of the way getting the 5 ½ furlongs over firm turf in 1:02.95 after setting fractions of 22.38 seconds, 44.37 seconds and 56.31 seconds.

The Camptown was the fourth victory in 16 starts for What the Beep who could race next to defend her title in the M Tyson Gilpin Stakes. She earned $36,000 for the tally to boost her bankroll to $189,503 and paid $15.20, $4 and $2.20.

Tan and Tight, the 2-5 post-time favorite, stalked the pace and made a mild rally in the stretch but was no threat to the winner returning $2.20 and $2.20. Bella Aurora ($2.20) finished third in the six-horse field, followed by Solarte, Determined Love and Chasing Midnight to complete the order of finish.

A compact field of four went to the gate in the $60,000 Edward P. Evans Stakes for Virginia-bred or -sired runners with heavily favored Largent, owned by Twin Creeks Racing Stables and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. The son of Into Mischief covered the mile over firm turf in 1:36.14. He was trained by Todd Pletcher who picked up his third victory in the first two nights of racing at Colonial this season. Tyler Conner had the winning ride.

“I wanted to be a little closer than I was (early in the race),” Conner said. “I let him settle where he's happy. My man Trevor (jockey McCarthy) had me in a little tight. I didn't want to take back and go around. So I just went with the momentum and hoping he's split somewhere and I could get through.”

Largent's tally was his fourth in six starts and the $36,000 winner's share boosted his bankroll to $134,670. He paid $2.40 and $2.10. There was no show wagering in the race.

Embolden, the 2019 Jamestown winner, was beaten just a length in the mile race and paid $2.10. Carbon Data and River Deep completed the order of finish.

Also of note on the card was the 3rd race, a first-level allowance race won by Robert LaPenta, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Chrysalis Stable's Farmington Road, who was making his turf debut after racing on the Triple Crown trail earlier this year. Pletcher and Conner partnered here as well with the son of Quality Road who had last raced in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, finishing eighth in a 10-horse field.

Colonial Downs will race a special make up card this Sunday at 5:30 PM.

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Guillaume Breaks His Maiden In Hansel Stakes; McCarthy Wins Four On Colonial’s Opening Night

Guillaume rallied on the outside and overtook Merchant of Hope in the final strides of the $40,000 Hansel Stakes for Virginia Certified 2-year-olds on the Tuesday night opening night card at Colonial Downs. The son of Hard Spun is owned by DARRS Inc., trained by Mike Stidham and was ridden by Trevor McCarthy, the same owner-trainer-jockey combination who were leaders at the 2019 Colonial meeting.

The victory was third of four on the night for McCarthy and second for Stidham. “When we saw that his race was for Virginia-certified horses, it got on our radar,” said Stidham. “He was impressive at this distance but we'll be looking to go longer in his next start.”

Named after a famous Canadian ballet dancer, Guillaume's performance impressed owner David Ross: “Mike did a great job getting the horse ready and Trevor did a phenomenal job getting out in the lane and just getting him to the wire in time. The horse was moving forwardly at the finish. He's an exciting horse to watch.”

Guillaume was making his career debut in the Hansel and banked $24,000 for the half-length victory. He covered the 5 ½ furlongs over a fast track in 1:04.38 and paid $6.40, $3.40 and $2.10. The winner was started at the Middleburg Training Center by Ballyerin Racing's Madison Meyers and Kieran Norris. The Center recently underwent a multi-million-dollar upgrade.

Merchant of Hope set the pace in the five-horse field through fractions of 22.85 seconds for the opening quarter, 46.11 seconds for a half-mile and a five-furlong split of 58.06 seconds. The son of Bayern paid $4.00 and $2.40.

It was another 1 ¾ lengths back to third-place finisher and post-time favorite Sky's Not Falling who returned $2.10 to show. Natural Attraction and Dare to Promise completed the order of finish.

Earlier in the card, Wesley Ward's Amsden went gate-to-wire in a $40,000 five-furlong maiden turf race for two-year-olds. The American Pharoah colt won by three lengths. Last year, Ward connected in a Colonial turf sprint with another two-year-old, Four Wheel Drive, who captured the Rosie's Stakes and went on to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Colonial Downs' summer meeting continues racing through September 2 on a Monday through Wednesday basis with a first post of 5:30 EDT. A special Sunday program has been added August 2 to make up for the cancellation of Monday's scheduled card.

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Colonial Downs Increases Takeout Rates, Bumps Tuesday Post Time Due To Heat Wave

Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va. was scheduled to begin live racing on Monday, July 27, but a heat wave in the area forced that card to be rescheduled. On Tuesday, track officials decided to push post time back to 6:30 p.m., according to drf.com.

In addition, the Daily Racing Form reported that Colonial Downs has raised wagering takeout rates for its 2020 meet. The new rates will be as follows:

  • Win, Place, Show Wagers: 18 percent (2019: 16 percent)
  • Exotic Bets: 22 percent (2019: 20 percent)
  • Pick 5: eliminated (2019: 12 percent)

Colonial is racing on a Monday through Wednesday schedule this season, a change from last year's Friday to Sunday schedule. That places the track around a different set of competitors with higher takeout rates, explained John Marshall, executive vice president of operations.

“We felt like [Colonial's new rates] are still the most competitive in that set,” Marshall told the Daily Racing Form. “We just didn't feel the need to go super low this year.”

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