virginia | Horse Racing Free Tips

Colonial Downs Cancels Tuesday, Wednesday Cards After McCarthy Tests Positive For COVID-19

Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va. has cancelled both its Tuesday and Wednesday cards this week after leading rider Trevor McCarthy tested positive for COVID-19, reports the Daily Racing Form.

McCarthy experienced symptoms on Saturday, and subsequently took off his mounts on Sunday and Monday. His agent, Scott Silver, reported that the rider got tested Tuesday although he was feeling better, and was later told he was positive.

The track will seek guidance from the Virginia Department of Health on how to proceed.

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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Opening Weekend At Colonial Downs To Feature Six Virginia-Restricted Stakes Races

Virginia-bred, -sired and/or -certified horses will be spotlighted in the first three evenings of racing at Colonial Downs – Monday, July 27 through Wednesday, July 29 – with six stakes races. Three of the events are for registered Virginia bred/sired runners and three for Virginia-certified Thoroughbreds.

The opening night's program will be highlighted by the $40,000 Van Clief Handicap for fillies and mares at one mile over Colonial's renowned Secretariat turf course. Most prominent among the 30 nominees for the Van Clief is Dare To Dream Stable's Embolden, winner of the Jamestown Stakes here last September. The Mike Stidham-trained son of The Factor has not raced since a third-place run in the $400,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park last December. The career earner of $181,000 is cross-nominated to the July 29 Edward P. Evans Stakes.

Other noms of note include the 1-2-3 finishers in the 2019 Bert Allen Stakes – Alex Kazdan's K D's Cat Bird, Sarah Nagle's Black Prong and Lady Olivia at Northcliff's Accountable; Eagle Point Farm's Braxton, runner-up in last August's Meadow Stable Stakes; and Morgan's Ford Farm's River Deep, the winner of last summer's Evans.

Juvenile runners headline the Tuesday, July 28 card with a pair of $40,000 dashes – one open and one for the fillies. The 5 1/2-furlong White Oak Farm Stakes attracted 20 nominations most of whom are making their career debuts. One exception is Kingdom Bloodstock's Merchant of Hope. The daughter of Bayern broke her maiden at Charles Town at first asking for trainer Phil Schoenthal and is cross-nominated to the open race.

The open division honors 1991 Preakness and Belmont Stakes champion Hansel and will also be contested at 5½ furlongs. In addition to aforementioned Merchant of Hope, other winners listed among the 30 nominees are O'Sullivan Farms and Huntertown Farm's Natural Attraction and R. Larry Johnson's and RDM Stable's Sky's Not Falling.

A trio of Virginia-bred/sired stakes – each with a $60,000 purse – will highlight the Wednesday, July 29 card. Fifteen horses have each been nominated to the Nellie Mae Cox and Camptown Stakes while 19 were nominated to the Edward P. Evans.

Tasting The Stars and Bella Aurora headline horses for the Nellie Mae Cox, a one-mile filly and mare turf stakes. The former is a Michael Stidham trainee who won the 2019 Just Jenda Stakes at Monmouth and was sixth in last year's Virginia Oaks. A 4-year-old Bodemeister filly bred by Audley Farm, Tasting The Stars is three for four with $96,600 in earnings. The latter, trained by Michael Trombetta, won the 2019 Gin Talking Stakes and was runner-up in Colonial's Jamestown Stakes. Bred by Morgan's Ford Farm, the 3-year-old Carpe Diem filly has bankrolled $154,140 from eight starts. Also nominated is the Ian Wilkes-trained Urban Fairytale who is fresh off a maiden special weight victory at Gulfstream March 29.

The top two finishers from last year's M. Tyson Gilpin Stakes were nominated to the Camptown. What The Beep, trained and bred by Karen Godsey at her Ashland, Virginia, Eagle Point Farm, prevailed by one length in the Gilpin and was a runner-up in the 2018 Camptown. English Heiress, a Patrick Neusch trainee, finished second behind What the Beep. Also nominated is Tan and Tight, a 4-year-old Uncle Mo filly conditioned by Michael Stidham. She has earned $100,000 from seven starts including a dominating maiden special weight win at Aqueduct in January. Bella Aurora, nominated to the Nellie Mae Cox in addition to the Camptown.

Embolden and K D's Cat Bird – both six figure earners – are among the Edward P. Evans nominees. Both are also nominated to the July 27 Van Clief.

The Colonial Downs season begins Monday, July 27, with racing conducted three days a week – Monday through Wednesday – with a first post of 5:30 p.m. EDT with provisions for a limited number of spectators in attendance for the 18-day schedule.

Under conditions established in Virginia's Phase 3 reopening plan, which allows for outdoor venues to cap attendance at 1,000 spectators, Colonial Downs will plan the following protocols for the nightly meeting:

· Up to 1,000 spectators will be admitted to the outdoor areas of the grandstand and the track apron.

· All guests will receive temperature checks upon arrival at the facility and a 6-foot physical distancing policy will be enforced.

· Guests are required to wear masks indoors and encouraged outdoors.

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Training Begins At Colonial Downs; 18-Day Meet To Start July 27

With the return of live racing to Colonial Downs just two weeks away, trainers from Tampa Bay Downs were amongst the initial conditioners to arrive on the backstretch which recently opened. As a light rain shower passed through the area, the first horses made their way onto the mile and a quarter main track signaling the start of training for the 18-day meet that starts Monday, July 27.

The first horse onto the track was Mo Margarita from the barn of James Tsirigotis, Jr., who has eight horses here from Tampa.

“The Tampa horsemen definitely played a big role in the success of our 'racing revival' last year and I'm certainly glad to see so many of them return,” said Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Allison DeLuca, who serves in the same role at the Oldsmar, Florida, oval.

The Sunshine State outfits are topped by last year's co-leading trainer Mike Stidham, who will again have a string at Colonial this summer. The 62-year-old native of Neptune, New Jersey, won 10 races during the 2019 meet including stakes scores with Embolden in the Jamestown Stakes and with Doc's Boy in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Kitten's Joy. He surpassed the 2,000-win mark in November.

“We enjoyed racing here last year,” Stidham said. “We had a lot of grass horses that we were able to run that we couldn't get in at other tracks. We won a lot of races. Our horses liked the grass course and the dirt surface was good as well.

“We're anxious and looking forward to another good meet,” he continued. “We will have a strong presence at Colonial and plan to run as many as possible this year.”

In addition to Stidham and Tsirigotis, others trainers who have made the trek from the western peninsula of Florida include Mike Campbell, Francisco Machado, Abdul Williams, James Dimmett, Jonathon Feron, Joseph Minieri, Mauricio Nunez, Derek Ryan, Dennis Ward, John Fennessey, Sarah Nagle, Moises Yanez, and Whitney Vallis to name just a few.

Among the prominent new trainers to have a Colonial Downs outfit is that of Christophe Clemente. The Paris-born Clemente, who saddled Tonalist to win the 2014 Belmont Stakes (G1), though based in New York this time of year he will have a contingent of eight horses here. Earlier this year, Clemente notched his 2,000th victory.

Of course, Virginia-bred, -sired or -restricted runners will be featured prominently during the Colonial Downs season with numerous stakes opportunities sprinkled throughout the meet with as many as six such events planned for the opening three programs.

“Move in day was hectic – we have 100 horses at home; trying to get a batch down here,” said trainer Karen Godsey. “Mom and I were throwing hay the other day trying to get it all done.  We have 11 (horses) here so far, nine or 10 more to come from the farm and some from other tracks. We'll trickle them in — I'll bring another couple more every day.

“It feels great to be back especially after this year that we've all had — at one point, didn't even know we'd be here,” she said. “I hope I have as a good meet as I did last year but don't know if you can get lucky twice. What the Beep, winner of the 2019 Tyson Gilpin Stakes is back and will compete in the same Virginia-bred stakes this year (Sept. 2).”

Another Virginia-based trainer David Bourke arrived over the weekend and will have 10 horses here for the meet. “I just brought the first set out to train and the track feels great — it has a really nice cushion on it. It is all manicured and looks A1,” he said. “We fortunately brought a bit better stock with us this year. We have two really nice 2-year-olds. We have something more to look forward to than we did last year. The quality in our stable this year is better.”

Under conditions established in Virginia's Phase 3 reopening plan, which allows for outdoor venues to cap attendance at 1,000 spectators, Colonial Downs will plan the following protocols for the nightly meeting:

·        Up to 1000 spectators will be admitted to the outdoor areas of the grandstand and the track apron.

·        All guests will receive temperature checks upon arrival at the facility and a 6-foot social distancing policy will be enforced.

·        Guests are required to wear masks indoors and encouraged outdoors.

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