New Kent, Va (July 16, 2024)—Virginia’s breeding program takes center stage at Colonial Downs on
Saturday, July 20 as a quartet of turf races for Virginia-bred or -sired 3-year-olds and up have been drawn.
With two graded stakes victories on his resume, Double B Racing Stables’ Repo Rocks headlines the
added money action, as the 6-year-old looms large in the $125,000 Edward P. Evans Stakes.
Accounting for all legs of the All Stakes 50-cent Middle Pick 4, the stakes action begins in race 4 with the
$125,000 Brookmeade for fillies and mares at 1-1/16 miles, followed by the Edward P. Evans at one mile.
The final two legs include the $125,000 Punch Line and the $125,000 Tyson Gilpin/Glenn Petty, both at
5 1/2 furlongs with the latter of the pair restricted to fillies and mares. Post time for Saturday’s 11-race
program is 1:35 p.m.
Multiple Graded Stakes Winner Repo Rocks Looks Dangerous in the Edward P. Evans
Winner of the Westchester (G3) and the Toboggan (G3), Double B Racing Stables’ Repo Rocks receives
top-billing as the even-money morning line favorite in the $125,000 Edward P. Evans Stakes. The classy
Virginia-bred will have to overcome his 0-for-3 record on turf, as he is tasked with going one mile across
the Secretariat against six older statebreds.
Trained by Rick Dutrow Jr., Repo Rocks has never raced in his home state. The New York shipper’s running
lines are populated with the likes of crème de la crème dirt runners Cody’s Wish, Zandon, and Life is
Good. With more than $800,000 in career earnings, the 6-year-old gelded son of Tapiture will be running
for his 10th win. Ruben Silvera, aboard for Repo Rock’s score in the Westchester (G3) last spring, gets
the call.
Boasting a win in the 2021 Edward P. Evans and a runner-up finish in 2023’s edition, Reiley McDonald’s
Passion Play looks to be one of Repo Rocks’ top rivals on Saturday. Four of the Mary Eppler trainee’s six
wins have come across the local turf. Similar to his last three campaigns, the 8-year-old has been rested
up to target the Colonial Downs meet, as the gelded son of Hold Me Back has not raced since winning
September’s Bert Allen Stakes.
Here is the complete field for the Edward P. Evans Stakes from the rail out with jockey, trainer and
morning line odds: Gettin’downonit (Jevian Toledo, Mark Beecher, 9-2); Practical Sense (Christian
Hiraldo, Michael Jones Jr., 20-1); Fleets Bay (Treylon Albert, Kevin Boniface, 15-1); Hay Chief (Angel Cruz,
Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon, 3-1); Passion Play (Horacio Karamanos, Mary Eppler, 4-1); Spritzer (J.G.
Torrealba, Leanne Hester, 30-1); Repo Rocks (Silvera, Dutrow, 1-1).
Tufani Poised to Turn Tables on Galilei in Brookmeade
The $125,000 Brookmeade Stakes will be a rematch of last year’s exacta as Susan Moulton’s Tufani will
try to turn the tables on Country Life Farm’s Galilei. Two of the top turf routing Virginia-bred or -sired
fillies and mares, they will face four other older distaffers going 1 1/16 miles over the Secretariat Turf
Course.
In 2023’s edition of the Brookmeade, Tufani led through all calls but the one that matters most, as Galilei
ran her down in the final stages. Since then, the Mike Stidham trainee has proven her class beating open
company in the Pago Hop at Fair Grounds. The 4-year-old Distorted humor filly will be rejoined with
jockey Ben Curtis and break from the rail.
Since her score in the 2023 Brookmeade, Galilei has not returned to the winner’s circle for trainer Mike
Trombetta; nonetheless, the 5-year-old Lemon Drop Kid mare with two local wins at the Brookmeade
distance remains dangerous. Trombetta will bring two to the Brookmeade party, as Galilei’s stablemate
Continentalcongres enters off a gate-to-wire win at Laurel Park. The 5-year-old Constitution mare was
made 3-2 in the morning line and attracts the services of Horacio Karamanos, who piloted Galilei to
victory in the 2023 edition.
Here is the complete field for the Brookmeade Stakes from the rail out with jockey, trainer and morning
line odds: Tufani (Curtis, Stidham, 6-5); Surya (Jevian Toledo, Brittany Russell, 5-1); Continentalcongres
(Karamanos, Trombetta, 3-2); Splash of Jack (Trevor McCarthy, Ferris Allen III, 15-1); Ida Boss (Denis
Araujo, W. Robert Bailes, 20-1); Galilei (Mychel Sanchez, Trombetta, 6-1).
Determined Kingdom Looks Poised to Continue Punch Line Reign
Determined Stables and Kingdom Bloodstock’s Determined Kingdom returns to Colonial Downs on
Saturday in search of his third straight $125,000 Punch Line Stakes. A field of seven Virginia-bred or
sired 3-year-olds and up enter the 5½-furlong turf sprint.
Having won each of the last two Punch Lines by over five lengths, Determined Kingdom appears poised
to do equivalent damage. The 5-year-old turf sprint specialist trained by Phil Schoenthal exits an
allowance win at Laurel Park. The classy son of Animal Kingdom debuted against local stakes company
in 2021 before going on to win the Jamestown at second asking–the first of four stakes titles on his
resume. Schoenthal calls Victor Carrasco to leg up on the 4-5 morning line favorite.
One of Determined Kingdom’s main rivals is Larry Johnson and Bruce Quade’s Embolden, also trained by
Schonethal. The 7-year-old horse ran second to his stablemate in each of the last two editions. Made 5
2 in the morning line, Embolden draws post 6 and will be piloted by Mychel Sanchez.
Here is the complete field for the Punch Line Stakes from the rail out with jockey, trainer and morning
line odds: Determined Kingdom (Carrasco, Schoenthal, 4-5); Ship the Goods (Orlando Bocachica,
Anthony Farrior, 4-1); King Covee (Forest Boyce, Schoenthal) 12-1); Uncle Andrew (Jose Riquelme, Keith
Dickey, 30-1); E J’s Revenge (Keimar Trotman, Jack Hurley, 20-1); Embolden (Sanchez, Trombetta, 5-2);
Buddy Buddy (Justin Lewis, Timothy Collins, 15-1).
Chambeau and Mystic Seaport Enter Tyson Gilpin/Glenn Petty on Hot Streaks
In search of her third straight $125,000 Tyson Gilpin/Glenn Petty Stakes on Saturday, English Racing
Stables’ Chambeau will square off against six foes, none hotter than Madison Avenue Racing Stable and
Jagger’s Mystic Seaport. Written for Virginia-bred or -sired fillies and mares going 5½ furlongs on the
Secretariat Turf Course, the Tyson Gilpin/Glenn Petty will conclude the All Stakes 50-cent Middle Pick 4.
Although Chambeau didn’t make her first start until her 5-year-old season, her debut was a winning
effort, as she wired the field in the 2022 Tyson Gilpin/Glenn Petty. With the repeat in 2023 and a score
in the Camptown Stakes, the now 7-year-old has won half of her 10 career starts. Previously trained by
Anthony Aguierre, the Karakontie mare is now in the hands of conditioner Ferris Allen III. Chambeau’s
one start with Allen came last November when she ran fourth at Laurel Park. Horacio Karamanos gets
the call.
Since running fifth to Chambeau in the 2023 Tyson Gilpin/Glenn Petty, Mystic Seaport has won eight of
11 races. Claimed from Linda Albert for $16,000 in October, the 4-year-old Midshipman filly is now
trained by Jamie Ness. In search of her first stakes score, Mystic Seaport was made 8-5 in the morning
line and will be guided by Mychel Sanchez from the far outside post.
Here is the complete field for the Tyson Gilpin/Glenn Petty Stakes from the rail out with jockey, trainer
and morning line odds:
Carolina’s Hideaway (no rider named, Susan Cooney, 15-1); Fluorine (Chris
Landeros, Leanne Hester, 20-1); Chambeau (Horacio Karamanos, Ferris Allen III, 6-5); Low Mileage
(Trevor McCarthy, John Salzman Jr., 10-1); Mollie Tapper (Jevian Toledo, Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon, 12
1); Chickahominy (Forest Boyce, Karen Dennehy Godsey, 5-1); Mystic Seaport (Mychel Sanchez, Jamie
Ness, 8-5).
Virginia focused action continues on Saturday, August 3 with a pair of 2-year-old races for Virginia
restricted runners – the $150,000 Hickory Tree and its sister race the $150,000 Keswick. Both races will
be contested at 5½ furlongs on the dirt. Commonwealth Champions Day is scheduled for Saturday,
August 31 and is highlighted by a quintet of turf races saluting Virginia runners: the $125,000 Jamestown
is for Virginia-bred or -sired 2-year-olds going 5½ furlongs while the remaining four events are for
Virginia-restricted horses – the $150,000 Meadow Stable for older horses at 5½ furlongs and its female
companion race the $150,000 Camptown; and the $150,000 Bert Allen and its filly and mare counterpart,
the $150,000 Nellie Fox, both at 1 1/16 miles.
