Colonial Season Ends on a High

Colonial Downs concluded its 21-day season this week, highlighted by a new all-time daily average handle and over $10-million in purse distribution. In all, total handle was $46,867,078, a record average daily handle of $2,231,765. The 2019 meet–which was 15 days over five weeks–produced an average handle of $1,166,666, for a more that 91% increase.

“It is so gratifying to see the continued revival of Virginia racing as we mark new all-time handle heights,” said John Marshall, Colonial Downs Group Executive Vice President, Operations. “We have held true to our promise of building Colonial Downs into one of the country's elite boutique meets. We thank our horsemen, fans and team for doing their part in making it so.”

The Colonial racing program generated a total of 1,713 starters for the 205 races conducted this year, for an average of 8.36 runners per race. A total of 148 races were contested over Colonial's Secretariat Turf Course. A total of 1,325 horses competed over turf, an average of 8.85 starters per race; and 388 horses participated in 57 dirt races for an average of 6.81 per race.

The Aug. 31 GIII Virginia Derby established a new all-sources handle single-day record of $4,890,704, 10% higher than the previous best of $4.4 million which was set on Virginia Derby Day in 2008.

In the battle for meeting titles, leading jockey Horacio Karamanos and Joe Rocco Jr. finished on par with 20 wins apiece, while Hamilton Smith led all trainers with 10 wins. Mike Trombetta, with eight wins, was the leading money earning trainer with $491,650.

Larry Johnson, owner of Legacy Farm in Bluemont, Virginia, was the leading owner with six wins, besting PTK, LLC who had five.

The post Colonial Season Ends on a High appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Cavalier Cupid Doubles Up At Colonial Downs With Victory In Keswick Stakes

Big Lick Farm's Cavalier Cupid became the first horse to win two times at the current Colonial Downs summer meet when she captured the $100,000 Keswick Stakes for Virginia restricted 2-year-old fillies at the New Kent, Va., track on Monday afternoon.

The race was one of three turf sprint stakes on the card that included the Hickory Tree for 2-year-olds — also Virginia restricted — and the Da Hoss, which was postponed from last Monday due to a thunderstorm.

Cavalier Cupid won a maiden special weight opening day at the meet July 19 and wheeled back Monday, just two weeks later, and ran a similar race with higher stakes on the line. The daughter of Quality Road trailed DARRS Inc.'s Rambert until the top of the stretch when she eased past, then ended up beating the former frontrunner by one length in the 5 1/2-furlong test. It was a nearly identical scenario to her maiden breaking win when she also faced Rambert, who led until the stretch run in that event and finished second.

“It was similar race,” said jockey Horacio Karamanos who rode in both victories. “We saw some different fillies in from out of town for the stakes. The filly that was second, she really tried today but my filly was better. When I asked her to give me a kick, they otherwise go with me a little bit, but my filly, she was rolling at the end. I think she can longer too, maybe not now though. She's fast out of the gate but when you pull her back, she relaxes nice.”

“She just doesn't do a single thing wrong,” said trainer Sarah Nagle. “She's just a pleasure to train. If they were all like this, it would be a whole lot easier.  Atter the maiden win, she had five days off in the paddock just rolling around. We didn't work her during the time between races, just galloped her lightly.”

The winner paid $3.40 and increased her bankroll to $93,080 from three starts.

Bird Mobberley's Local Motive broke his maiden July 24 on the dirt at Pimlico, then switched surfaces Monday at Colonial and captured the Hickory Tree Stakes by one-half length over Ray M. Pennington III's Roll Dem Bones at the same 5 1/2-furlong distance.

The Divining Rod colt raced two-wide in the turn in a field of nine, came on strong and took the lead in the final furlong, then crossed one-half length the best in :57.52. J.D. Acosta was up in both starts.

[Story Continues Below]

“I'm not so sure he took to the turf as well as it looked,” said trainer John Salzman Jr.. “It was a little bit of an easier race today. I hate having to change courses. I don't think it's fair to the horses but we had to try. I almost didn't run this horse back because it was a quick eight-day turnaround. It's not my style. But If you skip it, what are you going to do. It worked out for us.”

The winner, now 2-for-2, paid $8.20 and pushed his bankroll to $86,920.

Michelle Lovell and Griffon Farms' Just Might won his second straight race and sixth overall in the Da Hoss Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 5 1/2-furlongs. The 5-year-old Justin Phillip gelding sat behind Maribeth Sanford and Lynch Racing LLC's Francatelli from the start in a five-horse field through the turn when the pair engaged in a stretch duel. Lovell's colt was best by one-half length in 1:01.77.

“He's such an energetic horse and was hoping the stake's cancellation last week didn't affect him or take anything out of him,” said Lovell.

“He stayed straight and ran a great race,” said winning jockey Colby Hernandez. “The horse in front had a little more speed, so I tracked him. At the eighth pole, I called on him and he ran on home. At the sixteenth pole, he kicked on even harder and stronger. He's just an honest horse and he tries his heart out every single time.”

With the win, Just Might's lifetime earnings increased to $460,309. The winner paid $3.40.

Colonial Downs continues its summer season Tuesday, August 3, with a nine-race card beginning at 1:45 p.m. ET.

The post Cavalier Cupid Doubles Up At Colonial Downs With Victory In Keswick Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Da Hoss Stakes, Juvenile Turf Sprints Headline Monday Card At Colonial

The third week of the Colonial Downs summer racing season kicks off Monday, August 2 with a trio of $100,000 stakes races, including a pair of Virginia-restricted turf sprints for 2-year-olds and a rescheduled stakes from the July 26 card when storms caused its postponement. Colonial Downs is located in New Kent, Va.

The five-furlong Hickory Tree Stakes attracted a field of ten colts/geldings including Sean Feld's Evan Harlan, the morning-line favorite. The Graham Motion trainee finished third in a maiden special weight turf race at six furlongs June 20 at Belmont, his only career start. The Temple City colt was two lengths back at the wire. Victor Carrasco has the mount from post three.

Jeremy Brooks' Wow Whata Summer, second early choice, finished second in his career bow July 20 at Colonial, but was bumped up to the top spot when initial winner Capt. Candy was disqualified and placed down a notch. The Summer Front colt is trained by James Lawrence and will be ridden by Feargal Lynch, who was up in the start two weeks ago.

Four first-time starters are also in the field. The Hickory Tree has been carded as the eighth race of nine at a scheduled post of 5:01 PM.

A field of nine fillies will compete in the Keswick Stakes, also at five furlongs, led by Big Lick Farm's Cavalier Cupid. The Sarah Nagle trainee is fresh off a two-length victory in a maiden special weight turf sprint opening day at the New Kent track. The daughter of Quality Road was the favorite with Horacio Karamanos in the irons. She is the morning-line choice in the stakes and Karamanos is scheduled to ride again.

David Ross's Rambert finished second to Cavalier Cupid in that maiden race July 19 and is the second early pick in the Keswick at 4-1. Michael Stidham, leading Colonial trainer in '19 and '20, conditions the Declaration of War filly. Colby Hernandez is back as rider.

Three other horses in the field come in fresh off maiden victories, though they all came on dirt. O K Smarty Pants and Fancy Her Up prevailed by five-plus lengths at Charles Town Race Track in Charles Town, W.Va., while Buff My Boots dominated gate-to-wire by ten lengths at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. Determined Truth, third early choice, lost by a neck at Pimlico in her debut July 9 which was also was on dirt.

The Keswick Stakes has been carded as the seventh and will go to post at 4:33 PM.

[Story Continues Below]

Six of the seven Da Hoss Stakes 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 in Louisville, Ky., 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 second early 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 in Hot Springs, Ark., and Delta Downs in Vinton, La., in back-to-back starts. Jockey Sheldon Russell gets the call Monday.

Jim and Susan Hill's Holiday Stone, 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.

The Da Hoss, open to three-year-olds & up at 5 1/2 turf furlongs, will kick off the stakes action in the third race at 2:41 PM. First post at Colonial is 1:45 PM.

The post Da Hoss Stakes, Juvenile Turf Sprints Headline Monday Card At Colonial appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

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.

The post Colonial Downs Kicks Off 2021 Season With Record Opening Day Handle appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights