Five turf stakes showcasing Virginia-bred, -sired and -certified horses attracted large fields for Virginia Champions Day at Colonial Downs on Saturday, Aug. 31. Offering $725,000 in total, the four stakes open to horses in all three categories – the Camptown, Bert Allen, Meadow Stable and Nellie Mae Cox – average 10.5 runners. The Jamestown is solely for Virginia-bred and -sired 2-year-olds. First post on Saturday is 1:30 p.m. ET and the added money events will go as races 5 – 9 on the 10-race program.
Larry Johnson and R. D. M. Racing Stable’s Sail Theseven Seas is the lone filly facing six freshman boys in the $125,000 Jamestown Stakes, a 5½-furlong sprint which kicks off the stakes action.
Sporting two seconds in two starts over dirt, Sail Theseven Seas will make her grass debut in the Jamestown. Trained by Mike Trombetta, the Street Sense filly led late but was run down by Winfinity last out in the Keswick.
Chief among her competition will be Andrew Lavin’s Virginia Fitz. The impressive debut winner led throughout over a yielding turf course beating eight rivals by 2¼ lengths for trainer Susan Cooney.
Looking to defend his crown, Reiley McDonald’s Passion Play leads a field of 11 older males entered in the 1-1/16 miles $150,000 Bert Allen Handicap, carded as race 6.
Not having raced since winning last year’s Bert Allen, Passion Play scored in July’s Edward P. Evans to tally his fifth local win in nine runs. The 8-year-old trained by Mary Eppler has surpassed the half-million earnings mark.
The Edward Evans second- and third-place finishers, Port Lairge Stables and Louisa Stevenson’s Gettin’downonit and Mi Patria Racing and J R Sanchez Racing Stable’s Hay Chief, will both look to turn the tables on Passion Play.
Sean Feld’s Kentucky-bred Evan Harlan poses a threat as the 5-year-old who won at Keeneland in April has shown top form since joining Brendan Walsh’s barn ahead of his 5-year-old campaign.
Madison Avenue Racing and Jagger’s Mystic Seaport will face nine older fillies and mares in the $150,000 Camptown Handicap as she tries to win back-to-back stakes at Colonial Downs. Going 5½ furlongs, the Camptown is slated as race 7.
Having won nine of her last 11 starts, Mystic Seaport’s most recent triumph was in July’s Tyson Gilpin/Glenn Petty Stakes, which she won by three lengths.
Logical rivals to Mystic Seaport include Mens Grille Racing’s Roanan Goddess, a 3-year-old trained by Hamilton Smith who exits an impressive win in the Searching at Laurel Park; second against open company last out in the Andy Guest, Larry Johnson’s Hollywood Walk; and Joel Politi’s homebred Bosserrati, who finished fourth in the Andy Guest for trainer Brittany Russell.
Susan Moulton’s multiple stakes winner Tufani headlines a field of 11 older fillies and mares entered in the 1- 1/16 miles $150,000 Nellie Mae Handicap.
The Distorted Humor filly trained by Mike Stidham won the Brookmeade last out as the 2-5 favorite. Over the winter at Fair Grounds, she took the Pago Hop, beating open company by two lengths.
Chief among her competition are Morgan’s Ford Farm Surya and Country Life Farm’s Galilei, who finished second and third to Tufani, respectively, in the Brookmeade. A fresh face that poses a threat is Brittnee Caballero’s Regalled, who is graded stakes-placed and trained by Sam Davis.
The 2023 winner of the $150,000 Meadow Stable Handicap, Determined Stables and Kingdom Bloodstock’s Determined Kingdom, will face nine rivals as he tries to win back-to-back editions.
With his third-place finish against open company last out in the Van Clief, Determined Kingdom proved again that his 5-year-old form is the best of his career. The Phil Schoenthal trainee won the previous two starts of his campaign, including a repeat victory in the Punch Line.
Ken Ramsey’s last-out winner of the Ben’s Cat Whenigettoheaven looms a logical threat to Determined Kingdom’s second Meadow Stable title.
Virginia Derby Day is Saturday, September 7, which will be the closing day of the 2024 Colonial Downs meet. Six stakes will be on the program led by the Grade 3 $500,000 New Kent County Virginia Derby. Fields will be drawn on Saturday, Aug. 31.
