Well-backed at 67-10 despite his overall lack of seasoning, the $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase took up a position in the latter third of the field behind a decent early pace and was quietly ridden through the middle stages of the nine-furlong affair by Kendrick Carmouche. Asked to improve leaving the three-eighths pole, he snuck his way into contention, following the move of the last-out GI Saratoga Derby hero into the stretch. Pulled to the outside off the home corner, Integration managed to find extra entering the final furlong, drew alongside the chalk with about 100 yards to race and edged clear.

The word was out on Integration for his debut, which came two years and two days after West Point and Woodford Racing teamed to purchase the colt at Saratoga. Sent off at even money on Arlington Million day Aug. 12, the March foal raced reasonably handy to the pace, and when Tyler Gaffalione asked him to win his race, he did so with gusto, marching through the final furlong to graduate by 6 1/2 lengths. As patient a trainer as there is, Shug McGaughey was comfortable enough to give Integration a big-money shot Saturday and the colt proved more than equal to the task.

INTEGRATION ($15.40) burst free of the pack with ease to win the $500,000 Virginia Derby (G3) at @ColonialDowns. This 3yo Quality Road (@LanesEndFarms) colt Trained by Shug Mcgaughey with @KendrickCarmou1 in the irons. Congrats to owners @westpointtbred and @woodfordracing! pic.twitter.com/XLsn1DNrFR

— TVG (@TVG) September 9, 2023

“Shug felt his debut here would be the best spot for his first race,” said Dawn Lenert, the Chief Marketing Officer and Director of Partner Relations for West Point Thoroughbreds. “Although it was unconventional, Shug felt a graded stake would be the right spot for his second race, and when a Hall of Fame trainer tells you you're going to come back in a graded stake, you do it. After the race Kendrick (jockey Carmouche) said to me Integration's potential is limitless.”

Pedigree Notes:

With the victory, Integration becomes the 75th worldwide stakes winner and 36th worldwide graded/group winner for his successful Lane's End-based sire.

The bay colt is the second produce for his dam, an $80,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Larkin Armstrong who campaigned her to five victories, including the 2016 GI Del Mar Oaks. The Seitz family's Brookdale Sales agency consigned Integration to the Saratoga sale on behalf of their long-time client Armstrong. Harmonize's first foal, the 4-year-old gelding Vocalize (More Than Ready), was beaten a head into second in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance over the Colonial turf course Aug. 19 and Harmonize is also the dam of a 2-year-old Curlin colt who fetched $400,000 from Meridian International at KEESEP last year. The 10-year-old Harmonize is represented by a yearling Nyquist filly named Castanet, a colt by Gun Runner foaled Mar. 23 and was among the first book of mares covered by Horse of the Year Flightline.

Saturday, Colonial Downs
NEW KENT COUNTY VIRGINIA DERBY-GIII, $500,000, Colonial Downs, 9-9, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:46.41, fm.
1–INTEGRATION, 119, c, 3, by Quality Road
         1st Dam: Harmonize (GISW, $827,860), by Scat Daddy
         2nd Dam: Mesa Fresca, by Sky Mesa
         3rd Dam: Mayan Maiden, by Lyphard
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($700,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing, LLC; B-Larkin Armstrong (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III; J-Kendrick Carmouche. $300,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $336,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Program Trading (GB), 123, r, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Dreamlike (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). (250,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Fittocks Stud & Arrow Farm Stud (GB); T-Chad C. Brown. $100,000.
3–Runaway Storm, 118, g, 3, Midnight Storm–Runaway Betty, by Run Away and Hide. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Robert Joseph Hunt (KY); T-Ethan W. West. $55,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2 1/4, HF. Odds: 6.70, 0.70, 34.30.
Also Ran: Mondego (GB), Dataman, Gigante, Activist Investing (GB), Salute the Stars, Ari Gold. Scratched: Freedom Trail, Laurel Valley.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPshttp://www.equineline.com/tdn/pedigree.cfm?tk=SAR&cy=USA&rd=09/07/2015&rn=9&de=D  &ref=9104432. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Total handle for the 26-day live racing meet was $74,940,840 for a daily average of $2,882,340, up more than 29% from the 2021 average daily handle mark of $2,231,765 during that season's 21-day session. This race meet marked an all-time wagering high in the history of Colonial Downs.

“The revival of Virginia racing continues to grow as we once again set new all-time handle marks,” said John Marshall, Colonial Downs Group Executive Vice President, Operations. “It is gratifying to see Colonial Downs evolve into one of the nation's elite meets which is what our team set out to accomplish just four years ago. We congratulate all of those who aimed and worked at placing Virginia racing in such an admirable position.”

Purses for the season averaged a Virginia record of $612,000 up from 2021's $521,000 per day in purse distribution. A total of 1382 individual horses representing 321 trainers made a combined 2,179 starts for the season. Field size averaged 8.35 runners per race compared to the 7.17 national per race average.

Mike Stidham took home leading trainer honors with 13 victories. The owners' race ended in a dead-heat between David Ross's DARRS, Inc. and R. Larry Johnson each of whom visited the winner's circle on six occasions. Jevian Toledo won his first Colonial riding crown with 25 victories.

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Fresh off another riding title at the recently concluded Saratoga meeting, Irad Ortiz Jr. came away with five wins on Colonial's Virginia Derby Day card.

Capensis was sent off at what now appears to be an overlay at 5-1 in his debut going 1 1/16-miles at Belmont July 2 and quickly showed his class, rolling home an emphatic five-length winner over next out winners Running Bee (English Channel) and Sosua Summer (Summer Front). Rightly bet down to even-money favoritism in his latest start at the Spa, he faced some obstacles but still managed to finish a close-up sixth.

Pedigree Notes:

With his Virginia Derby victory, Capensis becomes the 155th black-type winner and 97th graded winner for Gainesway's leading sire Tapit. The bottom side of the colt's pedigree is no less impressive with 'TDN Rising Star' Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song), a three-time graded winner including the GI Santa Margarita S. A half-sister to GISW Visionaire (Grand Slam), GSW & MGISP Scarlet Strike (Smart Strike) and GSW Madison's Luna (Tapit), the winner's dam has a juvenile colt by Curlin and a yearling by Quality Road.

Campaigned by her breeder Stonestreet Stables, Tara's Tango hit paydirt quickly as a broodmare when her first foal, a colt by Medaglia d'Oro, brought $2.15 million at Keeneland September in 2019. The following season, Eaton Sales consigned Capensis, who topped the covid-impacted 2020 renewal of the Keeneland September sale.

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A total of $1,113,614 was bet into the sixth race Aug. 9 at Colonial Downs, which is the highest non-Virginia Derby single race pool in the history of the track and contributed to a meet-high daily handle of $4,158,874.

“We are delighted with the response thus far from fans from around the country who are enthusiastically wagering on our high-quality racing product, featuring horses from some of racing's most familiar trainers and competition among top jockeys,” said Jill Byrne, Colonial Downs Vice President of Racing Operations. “Our Pick 5 has been wildly successful since we reduced takeout to 12% on the bet this year. We look forward to continued success for the second half of the meet resuming on August 15.”

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Trained by H. Graham Motion and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Wootton Asset – a 3-year-old colt by Wootton Bassett – finished three-quarters of a length to the good of the Brad Cox-trained Slicked Back and jockey Fernando De La Cruz. It Can Be Done finished another 1 3/4 lengths back in third, and he was followed by Hidden Energy, 2-1 favorite Experienced, Indian Lake, Draft Capital, Doubleoseven, Eye of the Cat and Search for Truth.

Time for the 1 1/8 miles on a firm turf course was 1:46.79. Wootton Asset paid $11.20 to win as the second choice in the wagering.

Wootton Asset, making his sixth start in the U.S. since last October, saved ground early while racing in seventh position as Indian Lake established a moderate early pace, with fractions of :23.96, :48.13 and 1:11.24 for the opening six furlongs.

Rounding the far turn, Ortiz angled Wootton Asset to the outside from a tight spot along the rail and went five wide into the stretch. He seized the advantage just outside of the eighth pole after a mile in 1:34.76 and was never seriously challenged by the late run of Slicked Back.

Stewards lit the inquiry sign and Slicked Back's jockey De La Cruz lodged a claim of foul against the first-place finisher alleging that Wootton Asset interfered with him when he angled off the rail and into his path.

Stewards allowed the original order of finish to stand.

“I knew what I was doing out there,” Ortiz said of the foul claim. “Fernando was running out of horse at the three-eighths pole. He didn't have enough horse to keep me in there so I just went on. I never made contact with him. If we did it was very slight brush. My trip was great. My position on the backside is where I won the race. I just had a lot of horse. He did his job. The horse moved very smooth on the grass. I really like this turf course.” 

“Jose was pretty confident (that the result would stand),” said Motion. “He just had a lot of horse. He's a cool horse and he finally got his good ground. He hasn't done much wrong since he's been here. He came to this country to run on firm ground which is what he got today.” 

Flippant and Rafael Bejarano winning the Virginia Oaks

In the companion race for 3-year-old fillies, G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s homebred Flippant took advantage of a quick pace to rally from far back and win the $150,000 Woodford Reserve Virginia Oaks by 1 1/4 lengths under Rafael Bejarano.

Invincible Gal finished second under Jose Ortiz, with Gold for Kitten and jockey Joe Rocco third.

The gray 3-year-old filly by Tapit out of Frivolous, by Empire Maker, was winning her third consecutive race for trainer Victoria Oliver. She ran 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:46.47, establishing a new course record. Flippant paid $6.60 to win as the favorite.

Bejarano allowed Flippant to settle near the back of the 12-filly field as Belle Belisa carved out quick fractions of :23.31, :46.35 and 1:10.20. With just over a quarter mile left to run, Fliippant still had her work cut out for her while racing in 11th position. She split horses at the top of the stretch and gradually wore them all down, drawing clear in deep stretch.

“The first time I rode her I didn't know a lot about her,” Bejarano said. “This is the kind of filly that likes to come from behind. She likes to get settled and relax. She has a better turn of foot. I learned my lesson. My strategy was to have her in a good position right behind the speed to make one move from the three-eighths or half-mile, wherever she was ready. There was a lot of pace in my race which was good. I had to wait a little in the stretch and when I was clear she came flying.” 

Wagering on Virginia Derby Day Card Establishes New Record
New Kent County Virginia Derby Day set a new all-source handle record of $4,875,792, bettering the old record of $4,469,223 set on July 19, 2008 – the date of Gio Ponti's victory in that year's Virginia Derby.

“I'd like to thank the fans, horsemen and our great staff for tremendous support today,” said Jill Byrne, VP of Racing Operations. “To generate an all-time record handle in just our third year since racing returned to Colonial Downs is quite an accomplishment.”  

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The Derby carries a purse of $250,000 and will be contested at 1 1/8 miles over the track's signature Secretariat Turf Course. Programmed as the tenth race, it will be the final leg of an All-Stakes, All-Turf Pick-5 wager covering races 6-10 that kicks off with the $150,000 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Old Nelson Stakes and continues with the $100,000 Woodford Reserve Kitten's Joy Stakes, the $100,000 Exacta Systems Rosie's Stakes and the $150,000 Woodford Reserve Virginia Oaks. First post Tuesday is 1:45 PM and the Derby itself is at 6:14 PM.

The top three finishers from the Bald Eagle Derby at Pimlico July 24 all return to square off in the Virginia Derby and all are early favorites.

With only two lifetime starts, Augustin Stable's Experienced was a solid runner-up in the Bald Eagle last out which followed a maiden special weight score over the Delaware turf June 21. Jonathan Thomas conditions the Temple City gelding who is favored at 7-2. Manuel Franco will be in the irons.

Augustin Stable is seeking their third Virginia Derby win. They scored in the 1998 inaugural edition with Crowd Pleaser and three years later with Potaro.

Gap View Stables and Jagger Inc.'s Indian Lake, a gate-to-wire winner in the Bald Eagle, is co-second favorite at 5-1. The 3-year-old Daredevil gelding has finished in-the-money in 16 of 17 career starts and has earnings of $222,408, highest of any in the field. The Jamie Ness trainee has a trio of allowance wins this year, a runner-up in the Jersey Derby and a third in the Sussex Stakes. Ruben Silvera will ride.

Madaket Stables LLC's Wootton Asset, third place finisher in the Bald Eagle, is trained by Graham Motion who won the 2019 Virginia Derby with English Bee. The 3-year-old Wootton Bassett colt, also 5-1, took third in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes July 3 and finished second by a nose in the Laurel Futurity last October. He has bankrolled $100,245 from nine turf starts. Jose Ortiz has the mount.

Gallagher's Stud's Search For Truth dominated a Colonial maiden special weight race by 11 1/2 lengths August 10 at the 1 1/8 miles distance and is 8-1 in the Derby. The Michael Dickinson trainee's only other start came over a soft turf at Delaware where he rallied from fifth at the top of the stretch to finish second. Joe Rocco Jr., who rode the Tourist colt to victory three weeks ago, is back up top.

Also at 8-1, L and N Racing's Hidden Enemy only has one win from ten starts but has faced tough competition in his last four outs. The Steve Asmussen trainee was fourth in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill May 1 then finished ninth in the $1 million, Grade I Belmont Derby July 10. The Irish-bred son of Galileo broke his maiden March 21 at Fair Grounds. Feargal Lynch will ride.

Red Oak Stable's It Can Be Done, 10-1 early, has bankrolled $177,330 from ten starts including a win in the Nownownow Stakes at Monmouth last October. The Temple City gelding finished a solid second last out in the Tale of the Cat Stakes and lost by a neck March 27 in the Cutler Bay at Gulfstream. The Greg Sacco trainee has competed in six stakes thus far. Jose Ferrer is the jockey.

Rounding out the Derby field is Savesnine Corporation's Draft Capital, McCarty Racing LLC's Doubleoseven, Bourbon Lane Stable's Hard Rye Guy, Deuce Greathouse's Shady McGee, Jerry Marks Stables LLC's Slicked Back and Carmen Catizone's Eye of the Cat.

Twelve 3-year-old fillies have entered the 12th running of the $150,000 Woodford Reserve Virginia Oaks, also at 1 1/8 miles, led by morning line favorite Por Que No. Owned by Fano Racing, the daughter of Wicked Strong has won five of seven career starts including a gate-to-wire win in the Boiling Springs Stakes most recently.

A field of seven 2-year-olds will compete 5 1/2 furlongs in the 2nd running of the $100,000 Exacta Systems Rosie's Stakes. Tom Durant's Tejano Twist, fresh off a three length maiden special weight win at Colonial August 3, is favored at 5-2. Rocco Jr. will ride for trainer Bret Calhoun.

Six 2-year-olds will stretch out at 1 1/16th miles in the $100,000 Woodford Reserve Kitten's Joy Stakes. Jeremy Brooks' Wow Whata Summer is 5-2 early based on a pair of starts at the current New Kent meet. The Summer Front colt finished a close third in the Virginia-restricted Hickory Tree Stakes August 2, which followed a maiden special weight race July 20 where the James Lawrence trainee was bumped up from second after initial winner Capt. Candy was disqualified.

The $150,000 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Old Nelson Stakes kicks off the Pick-5 with a field of eight fillies and mares at the 1 1/16th miles distance. Randall Bloch and Six Column Stables' Market Rumor is favored at 3-1. The Afleet Alex filly has bankrolled $229,270 from 14 starts including an allowance victory last out at Gulfstream.

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The Derby carries a purse of $250,000 and will be contested at 1 1/8 miles over the track's signature Secretariat Turf Course. Programmed as the 10th race, it will be the final leg of an All-Stakes, All-Turf Pick-5 wager covering races 6-10 that kicks off with the $150,000 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Old Nelson Stakes and continues with the $100,000 Woodford Reserve Kitten's Joy Stakes, the $100,000 Exacta Systems Rosie's Stakes and the $150,000 Woodford Reserve Virginia Oaks. First post Tuesday is 1:45 PM and the Derby itself is at 6:14 PM.

Among the Derby dozen is Gap View Stables and Jagger Inc.'s Indian Lake, a gate-to-wire winner in the Bald Eagle Derby at Pimlico most recently. The 3-year-old Daredevil gelding has finished in-the-money in 16 of 17 career starts and has earnings of $222,408, highest of any in the field. The Jamie Ness trainee has a trio of allowance wins this year, a runner-up in the Jersey Derby and a third in the Sussex Stakes.

Madaket Stables LLC's Wootton Asset, third-place finisher in the Bald Eagle Derby, is trained by Graham Motion, who won the 2019 Virginia Derby with English Bee. The 3-year-old Wootton Bassett colt also took third in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes July 3 and finished second by a nose in the Laurel Futurity last October. He has bankrolled $100,245, all of which has come from nine turf starts.

Gallaghers Stud's Search For Truth dominated a Colonial maiden special weight race by 11 1/2 lengths Aug. 10 at the 1 1/8-mile distance. The Michael Dickinson trainee's only other start came over a soft turf at Delaware where he rallied from fifth at the top of the stretch to finish second.

Savesnine Corp.'s Draft Capital brings a four-race win streak into Virginia. The Uncle Mo colt's margin of victory in the four-pack – all contested at Arlington – has increased with each start. The Doug Matthews trainee started his streak with a maiden claiming triumph June 19 by a nose and most recently prevailed by four in an off-the-turf allowance. He has earned $55,694.

Red Oak Stable's It Can Be Done has bankrolled $177,330 from ten starts which includes a win in the Nownownow Stakes at Monmouth last October. The Temple City gelding finished a solid second last out in the Tale of the Cat Stakes and lost by a neck March 27 in the Cutler Bay at Gulfstream. The Greg Sacco trainee has competed in six stakes thus far.

With only two lifetime starts, Augustin Stable's Experienced was a solid runner-up in the Bald Eagle last out which followed a maiden special weight score over the Delaware turf June 21. Jonathan Thomas conditions the Temple City gelding. Augustin Stable will be seeking a Derby hat trick of sorts after wins in the 1998 inaugural edition with Crowd Pleaser and three years later with Potaro.

L and N Racing's Hidden Enemy only has one win from ten starts, but has faced tough competition in some. The Steve Asmussen trainee was fourth in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill May 1, part of the Kentucky Derby under card, then finished ninth in the $1 million, Grade I Belmont Derby July 10. The Irish-bred son of Galileo broke his maiden March 21 at Fair Grounds.

Rounding out the Derby field is McCarty Racing LLC's Doubleoseven, Bourbon Lane Stable's Hard Rye Guy, Deuce Greathouse's Shady McGee, Jerry Marks Stables LLC's Slicked Back and Carmen Catizone's Eye of the Cat.

Six of seven weeks in the 2021 Colonial Downs summer meet have been completed. The final race week includes a 10-race card Monday, Aug. 30, the Derby program on Tuesday and an 11-race Virginia Breeder's card Wednesday, Sept. 1, which features five $100,000 stakes for Virginia-bred/sired horses.  

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The seven-week campaign will run from July 19 – Sept. 1 with racing scheduled every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Now in its third season under ownership of the Colonial Downs Group, the meet will include a total of 21 race dates. The stable area and track will open for training on July 5 and will close on Sept. 8.

“Purses are projected to average at least $500,000 per day absent any unforeseen events like an increase of the pandemic beyond its current intensity,” said Frank Petramalo, Virginia HBPA Executive Director. “I think most horsemen by nature have to be optimists otherwise they wouldn't last very long in the racing business. Let's hope a successful 2021 meet will erase the memory of last summer's COVID-related cancellation after just six race days.”

Colonial will again offer a diverse stakes program in 2021 highlighted by the Grade 3 Virginia Derby and a lucrative Virginia-bred stakes schedule. ​Details will be announced early in the new year.

“Colonial Downs in conjunction with the VHBPA and all the stakeholders in the Virginia thoroughbred industry look forward to welcoming horsemen back to our beautiful facility in 2021 for 21 days of racing over its two fantastic surfaces including our world-famous Secretariat turf course,” said Jill Byrne, vice president of racing operations. “As a member of the Mid-Atlantic Racing jurisdiction, which has been a leader in adopting some of the strongest safety, health, medication and welfare regulations in the country, Colonial Downs is committed to always putting our equine and human athletes first. We are proud to continue to support the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and the integrity of the entire Thoroughbred industry.”

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