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Storms Interrupt Colonial Downs Card: Violenza, Eons Rally For Stakes Victories

A neck and a head were the difference makers at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., on Monday in the Andy Guest and Buckland Stakes, while Mother Nature was the difference maker in the Da Hoss Stakes, which was cancelled mid-card due to thunderstorms in the area. Both stakes were contested over the Secretariat Turf Course, which was labeled good after the rain departed.

Seven of the track's nine races scheduled were run. The fourth and fifth fell victim to the storms which caused an hour-plus delay.

Randall Bloch, Six Column Stables LLC, John Seiler, David Hall & David Kirk's Violenza edged Mucha Mezquina on the outside after a thrilling finish that saw the pair trailing by nine lengths halfway through the 5 1/2-furlong $100,000 Andy Guest Stakes. Both made moves together exiting the turn and at the top of stretch, moved into striking position. Violenza ended up prevailing in a blanket finish where the top five finished within 1 1/2 lengths of each other.

Regular jockey Chris Landeros came in from Kentucky solely to ride Ian Wilkes' winning 4-year-old Violence filly. Sheldon Russell piloted Anthony Spinazzola's Mucha Mezquina for trainer Mark Salvaggio. Beantown Baby, going for her fourth straight win, finished third, just a neck behind the runner-up.

“She's good, she's nice and she's as honest as they come,” said Landeros of Violenza. “I think the pace up front really helped us. She doesn't mind a little bit of soft going so it was in our favor today. I know they skip over it early when there's a little bit of moisture in the ground. It favors a closer so I knew I had a little bit of an advantage coming into it today.”

Mark Grier's Eons and BBN Racing LLC's Kentucky Ghost encountered a similar scenario in the 1 1/8-mile, $150,000 Buckland, which followed next on the card. Both were among the three trailing horses at the half in the field of seven and both powered forward coming out of the final turn. Eons edged Kentucky Ghost by a head while Godolphin, LLC's Pixelate, highest money earner in the field with $493,350, took third, 1 1/4 lengths behind the runner-up.

“After the rain delay, all horses had been coming off the pace,” said winning jockey Mychel Sanchez. “I really liked my horse. I started out in the middle of the pack and by the time we got to the half I was last. But I knew he would close. I just wanted him to relax because he can be really tough but he can run. We got a lot of rain but the turf course here is amazing.”

With his fifth lifetime win, Eons' career bankroll increased to $428,615. The 5-year-old Giants Causeway horse is trained by Arnaud Delacour. The Kentucky-bred is out of the Hansel mare, Golden Antigua.

Colonial Downs hosts a nine-race card Tuesday at 1:45 PM. The season continues through September 1 with racing every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

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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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Field Pass Posts Neck Victory In BWI Turf Cup At Pimlico

Three Diamonds Farm's multiple graded-stakes winner Field Pass squeezed through a narrow opening along the rail in deep stretch and muscled his way to a popular neck triumph over stubborn pacesetter Ramsey Solution in Saturday's $200,000 Grade 3 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The 15th running of the one-mile G3 BWI Turf Cup for 3-year-olds and up anchored four grass stakes worth $500,000 in purses, following wins by Indian Lake in the $100,000 Bald Eagle Derby for 3-year-olds and Can the Queen in the $100,000 Sensible Lady Turf Dash and Tightly Twisted in the $100,000 Big Dreyfus, both for fillies and mares 3 years old and up.

Ridden for the first time by Victor Carrasco for trainer Mike Maker, Field Pass ($3.40) earned his seventh career win and fourth in graded company after the Grade 3 Transylvania on turf and Grade 3 Ontario Derby and Grade 3 Jeff Ruby on synthetics last year.

“We're obviously happy with the win. We had a few anxious moments there, but we're happy he got through and got there,” Maker said by phone from Saratoga. “There weren't a whole lot of instructions. We basically said, 'He's the class of the field, get to the wire first,' and they did.”

The winning time was 1:35.12 over a firm turf course. Talk Or Listen, second by a length in the Grade 2 Dinner Party May 15 at Pimlico, trailed runner-up Ramsey Solution by 1 ½ lengths with Posterity another 3 ¾ lengths back. Graded-stakes winners Pixelate and English Bee were scratched.

Jockey Mychel Sanchez and Ramsey Solution broke on the outside and were intent on the lead, with Field Pass on the rail and Talk Or Listen with Daniel Centeno on their right hip. The early fractions were sensible, going :24.59 for a quarter-mile and :48.33 for the half.

“I saw on the first turn to the backside, Mychel was trying to keep his horse inside and he's fighting with him to keep him on the rail. I had Centeno on my outside with [Talk Or Listen] and I'm just waiting and holding because all my horse wants to do is go. I'm like, 'No, there's not enough room. It's too early yet,'” Carrasco said.

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“They didn't give me many instructions. They said, 'Don't fight with him. If [Ramsey Solution] wants to go, let him go. Come around and stalk him, don't let him go free,'” he added. “But, I had somebody on my outside and he wasn't relaxing for me. I was fighting with him behind horses. I had no other choice but to wait, wait, wait, and patience won the race.”

Ramsey Solution, winner of the Tapit last fall at Kentucky Downs, remained in front after going six furlongs in 1:11.55 and straightened for home with Talk Or Listen bearing down on his outside and Field Pass trying to get through on the rail. Ramsey Solution dug in gamely through the lane but Field Pass had just enough room and time to get up two jumps from the wire.

“When we turned for home, Mychel stayed outside and I said, 'It's now or never.' When I said 'go,' he gave me some but when I hit him with the left hand he gave me another gear,” Carrasco said. “My horse is not huge but he's well-built. There wasn't much [room]. I moved on him and he wasn't afraid of going to the hole, and he got it done.”

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Mychel Sanchez Hoping To Make His Presence Felt At Monmouth Park This Summer

Though jockey Mychel Sanchez has been a proven commodity at Parx, where he has won the past two riding titles, the 25-year-old is trying to make his presence felt at Monmouth Park this summer as well.

“I was always at Parx, and I think I am built for more than just one track,” said Sanchez. “I think I am more of a jockey than just Parx, and I think I can do better by going to New York, here at Monmouth, and other places on the East Coast.”

During his career Sanchez has raced primarily at Parx, where he has posted 52 wins and is winning at a 14 percent clip in 2021. This summer he has had the opportunity to ride in stakes races at Monmouth Park, Pimlico, Delaware Park (where he is 11-for-34 overall this year) and Belmont Park.

The native of Venezuela is on pace to ride the most he ever has in his career, which started in 2013, with 439 mounts this year alone. The most mounts he has in a single season was 859 in 2019.

He is just beginning to get a foothold at the Monmouth meet too, with a 3-2-4 line from 29 mounts. Overall he has 67 wins entering the day.

“I think it is time for me to go out there, get to know more people and get bigger opportunities,” said Sanchez. “I want to be a jockey who travels around and competes in big races.”

Sanchez has one career graded stakes victory, which came in 2018 when he rode Dixie Serenade to a victory at Belmont Park in the Grade 3 Victory Rides Stakes. The winning ticket had a payout of $97.50. He has been clamoring for more opportunities to ride in bigger races ever since.

“I think I can do better in stake races. I think I am built for it,” he said. “I believe I can ride against anybody if I have the right horse.”

Sanchez' first stakes win of the Monmouth Park meet happened June 27, when he rode Groovy Surprise to victory the Smart N' Classy Handicap. The jockey has had mounts in two grade 3 stakes races at Monmouth Park so far this summer — the Salvator Mile and the Eatontown Stakes — but a second graded stakes career victory has eluded him so far.

“Most of the time it's all about the horse, but you still have to go out there and do the job, and do the right thing as a jockey,” said Sanchez. “I think I can do anything, and if I have the right horse, I will win.”

Besides winning graded stakes races, he has aspirations of being the top rider at Monmouth Park and reaching the 1,000-win mark. He currently has 843 career wins.

“I am hoping to accomplish a lot of things in my career, like (winning) graded stakes, and hopefully winning more riding titles at tracks other than Parx — like Monmouth,” said Sanchez. “Getting 1,000 wins would be great. I work hard and I try hard, and I could do anything that a trainer needs me to do. I just need the opportunity.”

With Scott Silver as his agent, and given an opportunity with top trainers, Sanchez feels his name can spread throughout the Eastern seaboard.

“Just give me the chance. Like I told my agent, just put my name out there and I will open the doors,” he said. “More people are starting to notice.”

Coming from a family where his father, uncle and brother were all riders, Sanchez hopes to carry on his family's name, and leave a legacy that aspiring riders will hope to replicate.

“I want my career to end with my name in the history books,” he said.

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