For the first time ever, a Virginia-bred horse captured the Grade II, $400,000 Commonwealth Derby ironically, in a year the race was held outside of Virginia at Laurel Park in Maryland. The stakes was sponsored by the Virginia Equine Alliance.

One Go All Go, sent off at 35-1, pulled a stunning gate to wire upset in which jockey Ronald Hisby earned his first ever stakes win. The victory also gave trainer Pavel Matejka and McLean, Virginia based breeder Albert Coppola their biggest career victories too.  Most of the public’s attention was on Force The Pass, a million dollar earning horse who was sent off as the 2-5 betting choice. The Alan Goldberg trainee was two starts removed from winning the Grade I Belmont Derby.

One Go All Go broke cleanly from post six and led by a two length margin at each respective quarter fraction. He stayed along the rail throughout the 1 1/8 miles turf contest and in deep stretch, faced challenges outside from fast closing runner-up Fundamental, Force The Pass and Great Dancer. The 3 year old Fairbanks colt held on though and crossed in 1:48.35, one full length over Fundamental. The winning bay colt, out of Ashleigh Run, by Marquetry, is owned by the Preston Stables, LLC and Prestonwood Racing, LLC

The winner was making his sixth career start and despite his modest lifetime bankroll of $37,565, came into the Derby fresh off his only appearance in 2015  — an allowance race at Indiana Downs on August 21st where he won but was disqualified. “We were looking to race again in a Indiana stakes race, but the horse ended up needing a little more time between starts so we opted for this,” said trainer Pavel Matejka, a Slovakian native. “The horse had a pair of dirt starts last fall and he just didn’t show the ability on that surface, so we switched him over to grass for the Indiana start.”

Breeder Albert Coppola’s earlier brush with fame came in 1982 when his father’s horse Runaway Groom won the Travers Stakes and in doing so, beat the respective Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont winners that year, all of whom competed in the Travers. “My father purchased him as yearling,” said Coppola, “So he didn’t breed him. That’s what makes today’s win so special. It’s very surprising and gratifying to know we bred the winner of the Commonwealth Derby.”

Coppola’s Drumlanrig farm is in Upperville and is part of a neighborhood where Scottish named farms prevail. “We’ve had the lineage of that horse on our farm on the mother’s side for three generations now,” added Coppola.

One Go All Go coming down the lane

Jockey, Ronald Hisby enjoys his first stakes win

The Virginia Equine Alliance sponsored Saturday’s $250,000 Colonial Cup (Gr. II) and Mr. Speaker, one of two million dollar-plus earners in the field of seven, surged past Cut To Order and Legendary in the stretch to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

The 4 year old Pulpit colt, trained by Claude “Shug” McGaughey, sat third through much of the 1 1/8 miles race before making his move. By the top of the stretch, he was a head better than runner-up Legendary and took off from there.

“I was in a nice position and the horse just fired,” said rider Jose Ortiz describing the stretch move. “The pace was a little bit slow but I was sitting right behind the leaders so it worked out perfectly.” The winner crossed in 1:47.77.

Mr. Speaker, winner of the 2014 Belmont Derby, went through a string of races where he got “sidetracked”, as Assistant Trainer Robbie Medina described. “He hasn’t finished well since then but we’re pleased with how he’s been racing of late, especially in his last three races. You’d never know it from the past performance lines, but he could have won all three. That’s why we didn’t go off as the favorite today”.

“We thought about staying in Canada after his most recent Woodbine start, but saw this race on the calendar, was familiar with the turf at Laurel, and thought this would be the right place for him”, added Medina. Mr. Speaker, owned and bred by Phipps Stable of Kentucky, now has 5 wins from 13 turf starts

Up With Birds, the high money earner entering the race with $1,463,189, was favored but never emerged from mid-pack and finished fourth. Legendary, with regular Sheldon Russell up, ran second throughout the race and El Jefe Grande finished third.

Mr. Speaker wins the 2015 Commonwealth Turf Cup                                                                   Jim McCue Photo

Nick’s Picks for Commonwealth Derby day

(Warrenton, VA — 9/18/15) —- The inaugural running of the Virginia Downs thoroughbred race day at Great Meadow will go to post Sunday September 20th at 2:00 PM and will feature six turf races, $150,000 in purse monies, pari-mutuel wagering and a former Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes horse. The event is being sponsored by the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) and all admission/tailgating monies will benefit the Fauquier SPCA.

A pair of $30,000 allowance races are co-featured and have been carded as the respective third and sixth races at a distance of 1 1/4 miles. Euro Power, based on two recent turf victories, is the early 5-2 favorite in the fillies and mares race while Renown, with experience in turf allowances at Delaware Park, is 9-5 choice in the male counterpart.

Euro Power is the leading turf money earner in the ladies field of ten with over $68,000. The 7 year old mare is coming off a neck triumph at Laurel Park August 15th and a 1 1/4 length win at Penn National July 10th. Both were solid come from behind efforts at the 1 1/16th miles distance in $7500 and $13,000 claiming company. Watch This Cat, a Jonathan Thomas trainee, ships south after a pair of starts at Woodbine. The 3 year old filly has been racing in tough company, including a Grade III stakes in Canada. She had a nice score at Tampa Bay Downs in January, rallying late to win a maiden special weight race.

Renown, with only four lifetime starts, is the least experienced starter in the ten horse field of males. Bred in Great Britain, the 4 year old gelding connected in his first start, a maiden special weight score in Ireland, and has recent 4th and 5th place finishes at Delaware. Out Of The Fire, a 6 year old English Channel gelding with the most experience of the entrants, is the 5-2 second choice. He has a pair of respectable third place finishes in allowance company at Penn National and has 12 “in the money” finishes in 27 career outs. Plated, third pick at 6-1, is the highest money winner with $131,445, but $90,000-plus of that has been from dirt efforts.

The highest profile horse on the Virginia Downs card easily is Mr. Hot Stuff, who competed in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 2009, and took third in that year’s Santa Anita Derby and Sham Stakes prior to those Triple Crown races. In 2010, after 13 straight losses, the horse was sold and new trainer Jack Fisher switched him to steeplechase racing. The handsome 9 year old son of Tiznow took to hurdles and in 2013, won the Grade I, A.P. Smith Memorial at Saratoga. He has been on the board in all three starts this year including a Grade III steeplechase stakes and most recently, a solid third in a 1 1/2 mile flat race at Suffolk Downs. He is the even money early choice in Sunday’s $25,000 fifth race allowance. Annawon, with $132,461 in turf earnings, is second choice for trainer/owner Linda Gaudet. The 8 year old Smart Strike gelding has been consistent in 2015 and reached the winner’s circle twice this spring at Pimlico.

The kickoff race, a maiden starter allowance race for $15,000, is restricted to Virginia-bred and sired horses. Celtic Lord, a 3 year old Saraha Heat gelding bred by Phil Cassidy, is the 2-1 morning line pick. With only a trio of life starts, Celtic Lord lost by a nose in his best effort to date, a maiden claimer on the dirt at Monmouth August 23rd. Malibu Dreamer, a 3 year old Malibu Moon colt, is second choice. Bred by James Carter and trained by Russell Haynes, Malibu Dreamer has raced primarily at Churchill and Gulfstream. Lilith Boucher’s entry of Class Classic and Mushroom King make up the third selection at 5-1. Interestingly, the former has competed exclusively in jump races since 2012 while the latter has been in four sprint races in the last ten months. Sunday’s distance is 1 1/8 miles.

The other two Virginia Downs races are for maidens at 1 1/8 miles. The program’s second race, which has Ice Women favored at 2-1, is for fillies and mares, while the fourth race, where Golden Rum has 5-2 early status, is for colts and geldings. Edgar Prado guided Ice Women to a nice third place finish in a Gulfstream turf sprint September 3rd while Golden Rum was runner-up in a maiden special weight event at Great Meadow during the Virginia Gold Cup day on May 2nd.

2014 Blame colt out of Aristra

Hip # 773 is a Blame colt out of Aristra who is 1/2 sister to the dams of Hymn Book, Datalink and Strike the Bell.

 The colt was bred by Mr. & Mrs C. Oliver Iselin, III.

2014 Union Rags % Maid of Heaven

The Iselin’s second yearling of the day, hip #970, is a filly by Union Rags out of Maid of Heaven.

Maid of Heaven is a grade 3 placed earner of $158,602.

2014 Mizzen Mast colt out of Mystic Miracle (GB)

Hip #1005 is out of Mystic Miracle (GB) from the family of European Gr. 1 winners Medicean & Starscope.

This colt was sired by Mizzen Mast.

Is this really the Fabio of horses? Decide for yourself in person Sunday afternoon at Great Meadow as Mr. Hot Stuff, a handsome 9 year son of Tiznow, headlines a field in the co-featured $25,000 allowance race. It’s all part of the inaugural Virginia Downs thoroughbred racing event complete with tailgating & wagering! Details are at www.virginiaequinealliance.com.

06 April 2013: Mr. Hot Stuff and Sean Flanagan win the training flat race at the Dogwood Classic at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va. Mr. Hot Stuff is owned by Mrs. S.K. Johnston, Jr and trained by Jack Fisher (Susan M. Carter/Eclipse Sportswire)

By the way, Mr. Hot Stuff has credentials that bear his name — he was 3rd in the ’09 Santa Anita Derby and competed in that year’s Kentucky Derby & Belmont Stakes! A year later, his flat racing career fizzled, but thanks to steeplechase trainer Jack Fisher, he went on to thrive over jumps and entering Sunday’s 1 1/2 mile allowance race (5th race), has a bankroll of over $408,000. Mr. Hot Stuff has quite a following on social media and is having quite a 2015 campaign too. He is fresh off a 3rd at Suffolk Downs last month in a 1 1/2 mile flat race and earlier this year, took a close 2nd in the Grade I Iroquois Stakes (over hurdles) and captured a Grade III jump stakes race

Sunday’s Virginia Downs racing event features 6 flat races including the co-featured 3rd race allowance, with a purse of $30,000. Two horses that seem to stand out in the 10 horse field are Watch This Cat, a 3-year-old John Thomas trainee that scored a maiden special weight victory on the grass at Tampa Bay Downs this winter, and Euro Power, a 7 year old mare with claiming race wins this summer at Laurel and Penn National.

General admission carload passes are $30 in advance or at the Great Meadow entrance on Sunday. Attendees are encouraged to bring picnic supplies, beverages, a blanket and chairs. There will be wagering on all six races. More details are at www.virginiaequinealliance.com

Below is Larry Johnson’s Quality Road filly out of Sincerely. The filly is a 1/2 sister to multiple grade II winner Silver Edition and Sincerely herself is a past winner of the Delaware Oaks.

Hip# 615 2014 filly out of Sincerely by Quality Road

Hip number 628 is the second foal out of Snow Top Mountain, a grade I placed earner of $525,303. The filly is by Medaglia d’Oro and was bred by Audley Farm.

Hipe # 628 2014 filly out of Snow Top Mountain by Medaglia
d’Oro

Click Here for the Sunday’s entries; GREAT MEADOW OVERNIGHT 9-20

The Virginia Racing Commission (VRC) met on Wednesday September 9th and took action on several fronts that completed the approval process for all planned fall events sponsored by the Virginia Equine Alliance.

First on the agenda was a limited license application for the October fall harness race meet at the Oak Ridge Estate in Arrington, Virginia. The VEA made two site visits to the property with VRC staff, and based on Executive Secretary Bernie Hettel’s blessing, the application passed unanimously.

During the approval process of minutes from the July 29th VRC meeting, Commissioner Van Clief asked for a status update on four stakes that the VEA hoped would be held this fall during the Laurel fall meet (in order to maintain the graded status of all). The four include a pair of Grade II’s — the Commonwealth Derby & Turf Cup, and a pair of Grade III’s — the Commonwealth Oaks and The All Along. HBPA Executive Director Frank Petramala confirmed that the first pair will be contested as planned on Saturday September 19th, and the Oaks will be held in conjunction with Virginia-bred Stakes Day at Laurel the following Saturday, September 26th. The All Along will not be held this year.

Other agenda items passed unanimously — approval of the HBPA and Virginia Gold Cup contract, the VEA contract with the Virginia Harness Horsemen’s Association (VHHA), and approval of officials at the Virginia Downs event at Great Meadow (September 20th), the Oak Ridge harness meet (on Oct. 10/11 & 17/18) and the International Gold Cup (Oct. 24).

The final action item, which also passed unanimously, was approval of the standardbred expenditures from the 2015 Virginia Breeders Fund. A total of $80,000 (down from $220,000 in 2014) is available to apply toward the eight Virginia-bred stakes that make up “$320,000 Champions” Day at Oak Ridge on Oct. 18.

The public comment period and commissioner’s comments generated more discussion though than any other part of Wednesday’s meeting. Colonial Downs President Stan Guidroz mentioned that recent lease negotiations with the VEA were not successful and the property in New Kent can only sit idle for so long before alternative use measures are discussed. He asked the VRC to initiate a subcommittee where different, if not final options could be explored. He noted that if the Racing Commission wants s track in New Kent, it then needs to help Colonial Downs stabilize operations and cash flow as it works to rebuild the business. Mr. Guidroz said that if Colonial Downs puts up $1 million, he would request the VRC to redirect funds for live racing expenses and purses.

Part of a revised reopening plan would would feature an open backstretch for 8 weeks and 4 high days of higher end racing (though not exclusively high end) to include the Derby and Turf Cup (one weekend in August & another in September). This option had not been discussed prior to Wednesday’s VRC meeting. The Old Dominion Horsemen’s group would be the majority horsemen’s group which in turn could get the satellite wagering facilities up and running. Frank Petramala commented afterwards that it could be illegal if the VRC worked on a contract between Colonial Downs and the Old Dominion group. Commissioner Van Clief, in his closing comments, asked both parties (VEA & Colonial) to keep the door open for potential future negotiations.

Commissioner Miller, in his closing comments, revealed figures from a “2016 Projected Figures” report he asked VRC staff to compile prior to the meeting. Three different scenarios were addressed:

*Continuation in current mode, with ADW revenues coming in from current licensees (TVG, XpessBet, Twin Spires)
*Colonial Downs added to the mix (as a licensee) with EZ Horseplay & two EZ Horseplay Wagering Centers
*Colonial Downs added to the mix (as a licensee) in a larger role with EZ Horseplay, two Satellite Wagering facilities (SWF), and a limited live meet in New Kent.

In Commission Miller’s opinion, the third option seemed most beneficial to all parties that would benefit including the VRC, New Kent County, localities that hosted SWF’s, Virginia Tech, Virginia Horse Center, Virginia Horse Industry Board, VTA, Virginia Breeders’ Fund, purses, VEA, Colonial Downs and ADW providers. he added that more “give” was needed from all concerned moving forward.

Commission Reynolds, in his closing comments, suggested scheduling a work session to review all three scenarios in the VRC staff report. VEA President Jeb Hannum noted the following year’s projected figures may be moot at this point since Twin Spires has not made payments to the VEA for two straight months. Mr. Hannum asked for the VRC to step in and help resolve the matter.

The next VRC meeting is scheduled for Wednesday October 14th, with a location and time to be announced soon.

The first Virginia Bred yearling goes through the ring during Keeneland’s second session. Hip # 258, a Birdstone colt out of Evening Star, is a half sister to Stellar Wind.  Stellar Wind has won 4 out of her 5 lifetime starts including the grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and most recently the grade 3 Torrey Pines stakes. Both Stellar Wind and this Birdstone colt were bred by Peggy Augustus’ Keswick Stables.

Bo Bromagen, agent purchased Hip number 258 for $190,000