Friday (November 3rd) may be the Breeders’ Cup kickoff day, but there is a great $30,000 Virginia-bred allowance race at Laurel just before the “Cup” races kick off at Del Mar. This is part of the new “sprinkled” program introduced recently by the HBPA & VTA that offer Virginia-bred or sired horses a chance to compete in restricted races throughout the year at tracks in in Maryland or West Virginia.

The Phil Schoenthal trained River Deep is 2-1 early favorite among ten horses entered in the one mile turf race, which  goes off at 4:30 PM. The 3 year old Arch colt collected a maiden special weight triumph October 23rd at Laurel and has now bankrolled over $50,000 from six starts. River Deep was bred by Morgan’s Ford Farm & F and F Stable.

The Scott Lake trained Galaxy Express is the next choice at 3-1. The 3 year old Cosa Vera colt has a pair of seconds & thirds from ten starts this year, good for $23,805 in earnings. He was bred by Lady Olivia at North Cliff.

Mr. Magician, owned and bred by Larry Johnson, was best in a $22,000 waiver claiming race at Laurel August 19th. Photo by Jim McCue.

The entry of Mr. Magician and On the Wings Of, both bred by Larry Johnson, is the third pick at 7-2. The former is a 5 year old Street Magician gelding and the latter is a 3 year old Bodemeister colt. The Mike Trombetta trainees offer a varied of experience. Mr. Magician has 26 starts and $83,430 in earnings while On the Wings Of has only four career starts.

Jump Ship, a 5 year old Jump Start gelding, is 6-1 early. Bred by Althea Richards, the six digit earner ($106,218) has competed in a trio of recent Virginia-bred stakes races. Jump Ship finished 4th in this year’s Hansel, 4th in this year’s Edward Evans and 2nd in last year’s Bert Allen Stakes. He has made 30 career starts.

Bourbon and Beer was the best of 10 horses in a maiden claimer at Laurel December 16th. Photo by Jim McCue.

Bourbon and Beer is 10-1 and ships into Laurel on a nice roll. The 4 year old Pioneerof the Nile gelding has been either first or second in each of his last five starts at Penn National. He was bred by Sam English II and is trained by Hugh McMahon.

Fly E Dubai, who finished third in this year’s Punch Line Stakes, is 12-1. Bred by Carlos Moore & Gillian Gordon Moore, the 3 year old E Dubai gelding will be making his 12th start of 2017.

Trustifarian, bred by the Run Aweigh Stable, broke his maiden June 24th in a Virginia-bred race at laurel. Photo by Jim McCue.

Trustifarian, 15-1 early, is a 3 year old Albert the Great gelding. He won his first start June 24th in a Virginia-bred maiden special weight race at Laurel. He was bred by the Run Aweigh Stable and is trained by Patrick Neusch.

Dream of Peace and Virginia Royal round out the field of ten. The former is a 3 year old Cosa Vera gelding who was bred by Lady Olivia at North Cliff and the latter is a 7 year old Inner Harbour gelding who was bred by John Sellers. Both breeders also own their horses. They are 20-1 and 30-1 on the morning line respectively.

Virginia-bred and connected horses are sure to have an impact on this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup Championships at Del Mar, where 13 “Cup” races are scheduled between Friday and Saturday. The Distaff, Juvenile Turf, Sprint and Turf will have the Commonwealth represented well.

Virginia-bred Stellar Wind will conclude a spectacular racing career Friday in the $2 Million Distaff. She will face 7 other elite fillies and mares in the 9th race at 7:35 PM. Stellar Wind will be ridden by Victor Espinoza and is the early 5-2 favorite. The 5 year old Curlin mare will seek redemption for a loss in last year’s Distaff, the only blemish in her six most recent Grade I starts. She prevailed this year in the Clement Hirsch, Beholder Mile and Apple Blossom Handicap and in 2016’s Zenyatta and Clement Hirsch Stakes. She enters the Distaff with career earnings of $2,233,200 from 15 starts. Stellar Wind is out of the Malibu Moon mare, Evening Star, and was bred by Peggy Augustus’ Keswick Stables & Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Inc.

Hronis Racing’s Stellar Wind and jockey Victor Espinoza, outside, outleg Beholder (GaryStevens), inside, to win the Grade I, $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes, Saturday, October 1, 2016 at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia CA.
© BENOIT PHOTO

Catholic Boy is a 2 year old Kentucky-bred that is trained by Jonathan Thomas, son of Virginia Equine Alliance’s Track Superintendent, John Dale Thomas. The More Than Ready colt will compete Friday in the $1 Million Juvenile Turf, scheduled as the 8th race at 6:50 PM. He enters the race 2-for-2 in his young career and comes in fresh off a triumph in the Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga. Catholic Boy, who is out of Song of Bernadette by Bernardini,  previously broke his maiden July 20th at Gulfstream. He is 12-1 early and will face a full field of freshmen.

Catholic Boy won his first graded stakes at Saratoga August 30th.

Sadler’s Joy is owned and bred by Lauren and Rene Woolcott of Woodslane Farm in The Plains, Virginia. The talented 4 year old son of Kitten’s Joy will compete in Saturday’s $4 Million Longines Turf, the 11th race on the card at 7:37 PM. The stakes will immediately precede the $6 Million Classic. Sadler’s Joy is 12-1 early and will face 13 other foes on grass. Just over two months ago, he authored a thrilling last to first stretch drive comeback to capture the Grade I Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga. Most recently, he finished fourth in the Grade I Joe Hirsch Turf Classic September 30th at Belmont. Sadler’s Joy has earned $882,480 this year and $1,027,968 in his career. He is a Kentucky-bred and is out of the Dynaformer mare, Dynaire.

The gang from Woodslane farm cheered Sadler’s Joy to victory in the Grade I Sword Dancer from the Ponies & Pints OTB in downtown Richmond.

Drefong was the 2016 Eclipse Award Champion Sprinter and seeks to score back-to-back wins in the $1.5 Million Twin Spires Sprint.

Drefong, co-bred by Virginia Anthony Warrender, won the Grade I Forego at Saratoga August 26th. Photo courtesy of NYRA.

Ten horses will go to post in Race 8 Saturday at 5:37 PM, and Drefong is the 5-2 favorite. Virginia Anthony Warrender co-bred the 4 year old Gio Ponti colt, who has bankrolled over $1.5 million from only 8 starts. In addition to last year’s “Cup” victory, he has earned Grade I triumphs at Saratoga in the Forego Stakes this year and in the King’s Bishop last year. The Bob Baffert trainee is out of Eltimaas by Ghostzapper.