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Top Timber Contenders Andi’amu, Doc Cebu Will Line Up In Saturday’s Virginia Gold Cup

This year, for the first time in its 95-year history and due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Virginia Gold is being held as a livestream event only—no spectators. As one of the largest steeplechase race meets in the U.S., the usual 60,000 on-site spectators and the roar of the crowd as horses race for the finish will be missed by many.

On Saturday, June 27, the Virginia Gold Cup will be livestreamed starting at 12:15 p.m. EDT. Jockeys, trainers, grooms and only essential personnel are allowed on the race grounds and all are following strict CDC and health department guidelines. The livestream is available at no cost and may be seen at this link http://nsa.network.video/.

A total of 106 horses will run in 10 races on the 27th with $220,000 in purse money, and the signature race is the Virginia Gold Cup with its $40,000 purse. While the other races have as many as 14 contenders, the Virginia Gold Cup is a timber race that requires stamina and ability. The race is four miles, which is long for many horses (the hurdle races throughout the day are 2-1/8 miles long.)

While the Virginia Gold Cup has attracted a quality field of entries, two horses in particular stand out—Andi'amu and Doc Cebu. They are timber champions and each horse has a solid record. In 2019, Andi'amu won the Virginia Gold Cup by three lengths. Doc Cebu won the International Gold Cup in 2017 with an 11-length victory and he won again in 2018. He was second in the esteemed 2020 Middleburg Hunt Cup two weeks ago against Andi'amu, the winner.

Another contender for the Virginia Gold Cup is Schoodic. He won the 2019 International Gold Cup and Genesee Valley Hunt Cup. He opened his timber career in 2019 with three starting victories. Other entries include Lemony Bay, Super Saturday, Curve of Stones, Storm Team and Codrington College—all are formidable contenders.

The Virginia Gold Cup race gets underway at 3 p.m. EDT on June 27. There are also other exciting races throughout the day. The Steeplethon, a three-mile timber race at 1:30 p.m. takes horses and jockeys around a very unusual course that includes a big splash as horses gallop across a pond as part of the course.

In addition to racing, there will be virtual tailgate, hat and trivia contests throughout the day. Learn more at : www.facebook.com/vagoldcup, www.instagram.com/virginiagoldcup/ or @vagoldcup. Be sure to include #vagoldcup2020. Entries must be sent by midnight Saturday, June 27. Winners will be selected by 5 p.m. on Monday, June 29 and notified on the week of June 29. The winning tailgate (first place) will receive an Oakwood Box to the 2020 International Gold Cup. Runners up and hat contest winners will receive Gold Cup t-shirts, commemorative cups, and Gold Cup hats. For the tailgate contest, three winners will be selected in first, second and third place based on creativity, theme and quality of menu. For the hat contest, five winners will be selected—most glamourous, most outrageous, best racing theme, best men's hat and best child's hat.

Trivia questions throughout the day on the 27th will include questions to action on the livestream. First respondents with correct answers will be able to win tickets to future Gold Cup races, hats, shirts, etc.

“We hope some of our many Virginia Gold Cup fans will celebrate the day with safe-distancing watch parties, tailgating and hat contests,” stated Dr. William Allison, chairman of the Virginia Gold Cup Association.

For more information on the 95th running of the Virginia Gold Cup, visit vagoldcup.com.

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Oleksandra To Remain in New York

Team Valor International’s Oleksandra (Aus) (Animal Kingdom), who came from last to defeat a field of males in Saturday’s GI Jaipur S. at Belmont, will not return to trainer Neil Drysdale’s Southern California base and will instead remain in New York. The Southern Hemisphere-bred 5-year-old sustained a nick on a lower front limb after eventual runner-up Kanthaka (Jimmy Creed) made contact with her at the break, but is in “good shape” otherwise, according to a release from Team Valor’s Barry Irwin.

Oleksandra, who became the first Australian-bred Grade I winner in the U.S. since the pattern race scheme came into effect in 1974, will train at Belmont Park, with the GIII Troy S. at Saratoga the next objective. According to the release she will have one additional start prior to the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, for which the Jaipur was a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier. Oleksandra was not an original nominee to the Breeders’ Cup, but was supplemented last week. She will then be offered at public auction.

“That will be her last race for Team Valor,” Irwin said. “She will be offered for sale after the Breeders’ Cup at an auction in Kentucky with an as-yet undetermined agent.”

Irwin said that Oleksandra has already received an invitation from the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Bill Nader to participate in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint in December and that her new owner could elect to run in that spot or in the 2021 G1 Al Quoz Sprint before sending her off to stud.

Oleksandra received a Beyer Speed Figure of 101 for the Jaipur.

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First Winner For Spendthrift’s Hit It A Bomb Comes At Santa Anita Park

Hit It a Bomb, the winner of the 2015 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and resident of Spendthrift Farm, was represented by his first winner from his first starter on June 21 when Weston took a Santa Anita Park maiden special weight, BloodHorse reports.

Weston a bay gelding, got to the lead early in the 4 1/2-furlong race, and finished gamely to win by 1 1/4 lengths under jockey Drayden Van Dyke. Trained by Ryan Hanson for himself and Chris Drakos, Weston finished the race in :52.27 seconds over a fast main track.

Bred in Kentucky by EVADI Farm Team, Weston is out of the stakes-placed Dixie Union mare Elke. His third dam is the Grade 1 winner Trumpet's Blare.

Hit It a Bomb stands at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky., for an advertised fee of $5,000.

The 7-year-old son of War Front won three of seven starts during his on-track career for earnings of $626,476, highlighted by his Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf score at Keeneland. He also won the Star Appeal Stakes in Ireland as a juvenile. The horse came back at three to place in a pair of Irish group stakes races.

A Kentucky homebred for Evelyn Stockwell, Hit It a Bomb is out of the Irish Group 3-winning Sadler's Wells mare Liscanna, making him a full-brother to European champion Brave Anna.

Gamine Shaves Over A Second Off Stakes Record, Smashes Competition In Acorn

A $1.8 million 2-year-old purchase, Michael Lund Peterson's Gamine made her graded stakes debut an impressive one in Saturday's Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park. The 3-year-old Into Mischief filly ran her opposition off their feet to win by over 15 lengths, delivering for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey John Velazquez as the 1-2 favorite.

Gamine's final time for the one-mile trip over a fast main track was a sparkling 1:32.55, shaving more than a second off the previous stakes record of 1:33.58, set last year by Guarana.

Breaking from the inside gate in the field of seven, Gamine went straight to the lead under Velazquez. She began to separate herself from the field after a first quarter in 22.48 seconds, pulling away by a length and a half to mark the half-mile in :45.28. Water White and Lucrezia attempted to go with her around the turn, but nearing the head of the lane Gamine had a three-length lead.

All alone after six furlongs in 1:09.33, Gamine continued to pull at the bridle and increase the distance between herself and her rivals down the stretch. By the wire, she was about 15 lengths ahead of Pleasant Orb in second, while Water White finished third. Lucrezia faded to fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Grace Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, Gamine is out of the stakes-placed Kafwain mare Peggy Jane. With one winner from the mare's first two foals, Gamine sold for $220,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale. Bobby Dodd prepared the filly for the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old in training sale, when her :10 flat breeze and impressive physical commanded a final bid of $1.8 million.

The filly easily broke her maiden at first asking at Santa Anita, winning by 6 1/4 lengths, before showing her determination in her second start to win an allowance race at Oaklawn Park. In that 1 1/16-mile contest, Gamine set the pace and dug in to defeat the well-regarded Speech (next-out second in the Santa Anita Oaks) by a neck on the wire.

Now undefeated through three career starts, Gamine boasts earnings of nearly $250,000.

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