Mellon Patch’s 2024 Illinois Derby winner Patriot Spirit is set to return to Colonial Downs as the 7-5 morning line favorite for the 1st running of the $100,000 Reigh Count Stakes. Eight older open company males signed on for the seven-furlong dirt sprint, which along with its sister stakes, the $100,000 Love Sign, is slated for Saturday, July 26.
New additions to the 2025 racing calendar, both the Reigh Count and the Love Sign celebrate esteemed Virginia-breds. One of the top racehorses of the 1920s, Reigh Count won the 1928 Kentucky Derby and in 1978 was inducted to the American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame. Bred by Jane Wilbur Clark and raced by her husband, Stephen Clark Jr., Love Sign won three Grade 1 races in the late 1970s while competing against an acclaimed group of fillies and mares.
The Reigh Count is scheduled as race 9 on Saturday, immediately preceded by the Love Sign. First post for the 10-race program is 12:30 p.m. ET.
Exiting a second-place finish in the Knicks Go on the Kentucky Derby 151 undercard, Patriot Spirit has amassed $361,210 in earnings from 13 starts. Trained by Mike Campbell, the 4-year-old Constitution colt is perfect in two local starts, scoring an impressive allowance win as well as having broken his maiden on debut. Mychal Sanchez gets the call and Patriot Spirit will start from post 7.
Chief among his competition is SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, et al.’s Worcester. Since being moved from Bob Baffert’s barn to trainer Brittany Russell ahead of his 4-year-old campaign, the 5-year-old horse has only finished worse than second once from six starts, when the son of Empire Maker ran fifth to Bishops Bay in the Grade 3 Winchester. Winner of the 2025 Frank Y. Whiteley in April at Laurel Park, Worcester will be reunited with Sheldon Russell and leave from post 8.
Here is the complete field for the Reigh Count Stakes from the rail out with jockey, trainer and morning line odds: Inveigled (Ben Curtis, Jane Cibelli, 5-1); Bouncer (Carlos Lopez, Jamie Ness, 6-1); O’Conner Sunset (J.D. Acosta, Mike Jones Jr., 30-1); My Handsome Man (Denis Araujo, Melvin Ovando, 50-1); Celtic Contender (Victor Carrasco, Hamilton Smith, 6-1); Kavod (Axel Concepcion, Joe Sharp, 8-1); Patriot Spirit (Sanchez, Campbell, 7-5); and Worcester (Russell, Russell, 7-2).
The six-furlong Love Sign attracted a competitive field of nine fillies and mares, led by two Rudy Brisset trainees, Motley Crew Stables and September Farm’s Bourbon Breeze and DARRS Inc’s Top Gun Girl.
Tabbed as the 5-2 morning line favorite and 4-1, respectively, Bourbon Breeze and Top Gun Girl are both relatively recent purchases at the claiming box. Exiting a fourth-place finish in the Saylorville at Prairie Meadows, the 4-year-old Bourbon Breeze has been in the best form of her career this spring, winning allowance races at Keeneland and Oaklawn Park. Francisco Arrieta has the call and the four-time winner will leave from post 6.
Making her third start for Brisset, Top Gun Girl was claimed from Wesley Ward’s barn for $80,000 on May 1. In both starts for her new conditioner, the 6-year-old mare by Air Force Blue has finished behind stakes-level winners in Pigalle and Merry Prankster. With a resume that includes three wins and $371,743 in earnings, Top Gun Girl drew post 9 and attracted last year’s local leading rider Ben Curtis
Here is the complete field for the Love Sign Stakes from the rail out with jockey, trainer and morning line odds: Happy Clouds (Denis Araujo, Ryan Gillespie, 20-1); Mosienko (J.D. Acosta, Mike Jones Jr., 20-1); Costa Amalfitana (Johan Rosado, Carlos Munoz, 30-1); Admiral Hopper (Jean Gregor Briceno, Justin Nixon, 15-1); Ms. Bucchero (Fernando Jara, Diane Morici, 7-2); Bourbon Breeze (Arrieta, Brisset, 5-2); Alani (Andy Hernandez, Michael Moore, 3-1); Sunset Express (Alexis Centeno, Joel Campbell, 8-1); and Top Gun Girl (Curtis, Brisset, 4-1).
With a $26,901 carryover in the Late Pick 5 and $1,370 in the Old Dominion 6, the 4-day race week at Colonial Downs kicks off on Wednesday with a first post of 12:30 p.m. ET.
