Illinois' loss was Virginia's gain.
The biggest weekend in Chicago racing is now the biggest weekend ever in Virginia horse racing history as Colonial Downs in New Kent hosts its first-ever Grade 1 races, the Arlington Million and Beverly D. Stakes, along with the Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes, all of them on the Secretariat turf course named for the most famous Thoroughbred ever bred in the commonwealth.
Saturday's three graded stakes at Colonial were formerly held at Arlington Park in the Chicago suburbs, but a decision by Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) to close the track and sell it to the NFL's Chicago Bears for a potential football stadium left the trio of races without a home. The 2022 Million and Beverly D. were contested at Churchill Downs while the Secretariat was not run. After selling Arlington, CDI purchased Colonial Downs and opted to move the three races there.
Saturday's other Grade 1 race is the Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga, where 2-year-olds also will be showcased in the G2 Saratoga Special. Two-year-olds will also get their chances at Del Mar, with the fillies contesting Saturday's Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes and colts running Sunday in the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes.
On Sunday, Emerald Downs near Seattle, Wash., offers its biggest race of the year, the Longacres Mile.
All times listed below are for the Eastern time zone.
Friday
5:08 p.m. – Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes
The Hall of Fame was originally scheduled Aug. 4 but was one of the four races cancelled after the skies opened up and lightning posed to horses and humans. Nine 3-year-olds going a mile on the inner turf were re-entered when the race was re-drawn, with the More Than Ready colt More Than Looks established as the slight favorite at 5-2. Coming off a stretch-running victory in the G3 Manila, More Than Looks will be sent to the post by Cherie DeVaux with John Velazquez aboard. Chad Brown entered a trio of runners and Charles Appleby, ever dangerous with Godolphin's European-based stable, is shipping Mysterious Night to North America for the second time. The Irish-bred by Dark Angel dominated last year's G1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine, winning by 5 3/4 lengths.
Saturday
5:06 p.m. – Grade 2 Saratoga Special
Rhyme Schemes was impressive enough winning his maiden race at Ellis Park (his second start) by 9 1/2 lengths that NYRA's morning line maker put him at 4-5 in this field of six 2-year-old colts. The son of Ghostzapper, trained by Norm Casse, earned an eye-opening Beyer Speed Figure of 94. Ricardo Santana Jr. was aboard and will be back to ride on Saturday.
5:14 p.m. – Secretariat Stakes
Silver Knott came up a nose short in last year's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland though the Lope de Vega colt has not shown progression as a 3-year-old, including his two starts in New York. The Charles Appleby-trained Godolphin runner remained in New York after his most recent start, turning in a series of half-mile drills at Saratoga. Jamie Spencer comes in to ride.
Nagirrac finished a length behind Silver Knott in the BC Juvenile Turf and has been competitive in each of his four starts in the U.S. this year for Graham Motion. Flavien Prat rides the turf as well as any U.S.-based rider and will be aboard
5:44 p.m. – Fourstardave Handicap
Casa Creek concedes one to 11 pounds as the high weight in this handicap as he bids for a second consecutive Fourstardave victory and what would be the sixth win in the race for his trainer, Hall of Famer William Mott. The Jimmy Creed 7-year-old horse, making his fourth consecutive start in the Fourstardave, faces a stiff challenge from the Todd Pletcher-trained duo of Annapolis and Emmanuel. The race will be live on FOX, with coverage beginning at 3 p.m. ET.
The race winner will earn an automatic starting position, and fees paid, into the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile. The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 80 Graded/Group stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park.
5:55 p.m. – Beverly D. Stakes
Seven fillies and mares were entered for the Beverly D., including Gina Romantica, winner of last year's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Keeneland and Didia, a G1 winner in her native Argentina and second in the G1 New York Stakes last out at Belmont Park. A new player in the filly and mare turf ranks is Romagna Mia, a G2 winner in Italy in 2022 making her North American debut. Fev Rover, an Irish-bred who won the G2 Nassau on yielding turf July 1 at Woodbine,d and a G2 winner there last year on firm turf, is the morning line favorite at 2-1 for Mark Casse. The Beverly D. is a “Win and You're In” Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race, giving fees-paid entry to the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
6:40 p.m. – Arlington Million Stakes
Santin won the 2022 Arlington Million on an immature turf course that probably didn't give closers much of a chance, but the 5-year-old by Distorted Humor hasn't done much since. Atone won the G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January, then regressed in two starts, the most recent when fifth after setting the pace in the G3 Dinner Party at Pimlico on May 20. Adhamo won the G1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park in 2022 but hasn't started since a poor showing last October in the G1 Turf Classic at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet. Set Piece is going in good form at age 7 for Brad Cox and has recorded 12 wins in 28 starts.
7:45 p.m. – Sorrento Stakes
Three of the eight 2-year-old fillies in this six-furlong race come out of a July 22 maiden race at Del Mar won narrowly by Dua, who battled for the lead throughout and prevailed by a half length. The daughter of Arrogate is trained by Bob Baffert and will be ridden by leading rider Juan Hernandez. Ur in Trouble finished in a dead-heat for second, with Feisty Mitole very close to making it a three-way tie. Both of those fillies are back to take another run at Dua. The morning line favorite is Benedetta, who was never seriously threatened winning her debut at Los Alamitos by three lengths for Simon Callaghan on July 8.
9:15 p.m. – Yellow Ribbon Handicap
Trainer Phil D'Amato sent out the first four finishers in the G2 Eddie Read Stakes on turf earlier in the Del Mar meet, so you'd better take a look at the trio of fillies and mares he's entered inthe Yellow Ribbon going 1 1/16 miles on the Jimmy Durante grass course. School Dance, one of the three D'Amato runners, is looking for her first stakes triumph but was a good second to the Yellow Ribbon's 5-2 morning line favorite, Closing Remarks, in the G2 Royal Heroine at Santa Anita in April. The latter filly, a California-bred by Vronsky, drew the inside post in a field of seven and will have Umberto Rispoli in the saddle for trainer Carla Gaines. Irish-bred Spirit And Glory ships west for trainer Robert Falcone Jr. and will have turf specialist Hector Berrios in the saddle.
Sunday
6:30 p.m. – Best Pal Stakes
Bob Baffert dominates California's 2-year-old male dirt division and has two of the five entries in the Best Pal, including the Good Magic colt Muth, who earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure winning his debut at Santa Anita June 18. Baffert's other runner is Prince of Monaco, who was the 1-20 favorite against three others in a July 9 maiden race at Los Alamitos that he won by eight lengths. Juan Hernandez rode both but will be aboard Muth on Sunday, with Flavien Prat coming in from Saratoga to ride the Speightstown colt Prince of Monaco. Both were pricey auction purchases, Muth costing $2 million at the OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training and Prince of Monaco a $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling buy.
8:30 a.m. – Longacres Mile
Slew's Tiz Whiz won the 2022 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs from the rail post in a field of 12 but will break post nine in a field of 10 this year, and that's a tall order for the 9-5 favorite. Zestful chased Slew's Tiz Whiz in a sprint prep for this race, but the Justin Evans-trained veteran figures to improve around two turns. Joe Bravo makes his Emerald Downs debut to ride Five Star General for trainer Grant Forster, a Pacific Northwest native who would like nothing more than to win this race for a second time. Five Star General ran third last year for trainer Doris Harwood, then was transferred to Kentucky-based Forster, who has transformed the horse from a closing sprinter to a front-running route horse. The Distorted Humor 7-year-old comes off a solid second to Trademark in a Horseshoe Indianapolis stakes.
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