Nominations closed July 21 for the inaugural Colonial Downs Festival of Racing featuring the Grade 1 Arlington Million, Grade 1 $500,000 Beverly D., and Grade 1 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes. The trio of internationally recognized turf tests are being held in Virginia for the first time in 2023 on Saturday, August 12.
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's multiple Grade 1 stakes winner Up to the Mark heads the list of 29 nominated for the 1¼-mile Arlington Million. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the son of Not This Time captured the G1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs and G1 Manhattan at Belmont in his last two starts.
Pletcher also has nominated Bass Racing's Annapolis, winner of the 2022 G1 Turf Mile at Keeneland and recent G3 Poker victor Emmanuel, who races in the colors of WinStar Farm and Siena Farm.
Other notable nominees for the Million include defending champion Godolphin's Santin, who captured the 2022 running when the race was held at Churchill Downs; Three Diamonds Farm's Atone, who took the G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream in January; the last two winners of Monmouth Park's G1 United Nations – 2022 victor Adhamo for owners Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Louis Lazzinnaro and Michael Caruso and this year's champ the Dubb-owned Therapist.
The G1 $500,000 Beverly D. has been selected as one of the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Races. The nominated winner of the Beverly D. will be entitled to automatic entry into the 2023 running of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The nominated winner will also be entitled to have pre-entry and entry fees waived for the 2023 Filly & Mare Turf. The sister race to the Million, the Beverly D. will be run at a distance of 1-3/16 miles.
Trainer Chad Brown, who won five consecutive runnings of the race at Arlington Park from 2015-2019, has nominated 11 distaffers from his stable including 2023 G1 stakes winners Peter Brant's In Italian, who captured the Just a Game at Belmont Park on June 9; Klaravich Stables' Marketsegmentation, winner of the New York the same day; and Diana Stakes victress Juddmonte's Whitebeam.
Other filles and mares of note nominated include: R Unicorn Stable's Macadamia, winner of the G1 Gamely at Santa Anita Park for trainer Phil D'Amato; Merriebelle Stable's Didia, the Ignacio Correas IV trainee who took the G3 Modesty at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day; and the Mark Casse-trained Fev Rover, winner of the G2 Nassau Stakes at Woodbine for owner Tracy Farmer.
The Grade 2 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes, named after the Virginia-bred 1973 Triple Crown hero, is a one-mile race for 3-year-olds. Trainer Todd Pletcher has five sophomores nominated led by LSU Stables' Far Bridge, winner of the G1 Belmont Derby last out on July 8 and multiple G2 stakes winner Spendthrift Farm's Major Dude.
Godolphin has three horses nominated, two for European stalwart Charlie Appleby – Mysterious Night, winner of the G2 Summer Stakes at Woodbine last fall in a previous trip to North America, and Group 3 stakes victor Silver Knott, whose last two starts were stateside at Belmont Park. Godophin's other nominee is the Brad Cox-trained Wadsworth, who captured the American Derby at Ellis Park last time out.
Other graded stakes winners nominated include: D. J. Stable's Webslinger (G2 American Turf at Churchill); BBN Racing's Mo Stash (G3 Transylvania at Keeneland); and Victory Racing Partners' More Than Looks (G3 Manila at Belmont).
Entries for the Colonial Downs Festival of Racing will be drawn Wednesday, August 9. Tickets for the Colonial Downs Festival of Racing can be purchased at www.colonialdowns.com.
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