Fasig-Tipton heads to Timonium, Maryland from Saratoga to continue with yearlings in the sales ring. This is a one day sale that will begin at 11:00AM on Tuesday, October 1st.
See the file below for all Virginia-Bred and Virginia-Certified horses listed in the sale.
It was a season with beautiful clear skies, the occasional summer storm, and the adventurous goose who bravely wandered to the track during training. We had wiener dog races, a county fair, a golf tournament, and most of all, exciting racing!
With all that behind us, it is not the only thing we said “farewell” to when the last horse crossed the finish line on Saturday, September 7, 2024. It was a farewell to the GIII Virginia Derby as we have known it traditionally run on the renown Secretariat Turf Course. On August 11th, at the Colonial Downs Festival of racing, Governor Glen Youngkin announced that the Virginia Derby would be one of the qualifying races on the road to the Kentucky Derby. It is scheduled to now be run on the dirt course at nine furlongs on March 15th, pending approval by the VRC and VHBPA.
The evening before the final running of the turf version of the Virginia Derby, Churchill Downs, Inc and the Virginia Thoroughbred Association hosted an elegant reception at The Jefferson Hotel commemorating this race Virginians and horsemen throughout the country have come to know and celebrate.
Guests included Virginia Johnson, co-author of Virginia Horse Racing: Triumphs of the Turf, Matt Lohr, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, and a special appearance by historical actors from St. John’s church portraying prominent Virginians President George Washington, Martha Washington, President Thomas Jefferson, and Governor Patrick Henry who all enjoyed mingling with the partygoers. Many connections to the horses running on Virginia Derby Day were in attendance along with representatives of the Commonwealth’s Legislature as well as the many supporters from all stakeholders who have been such a big part of Virginia’s successful horse industry. The food and ambiance represented all things Virginian with dogwood branches, magnolia leaves, ham biscuits, chicken with waffles (a southern favorite), fried green tomatoes, oysters, shrimp, and crab cakes.
As the temperature cools and the leaves begin to change, the atmosphere may quiet down at Colonial Downs, but we are all looking forward to our first Road to the Derby prep race in Virginia in the spring.
Made the top two choices in the morning line, Deterministic and Grand Mo the First headline a competitive field of 12 entered in the Grade 3 $500,000 New Kent County Virginia Derby, one of six turf stakes on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Colonial Downs. Both qualified for Kentucky Derby 150, and both have transitioned to grass for the second half of their 3-year-old campaigns.
The local derby, at 1-1/8 miles over the Secretariat Turf Course, is scheduled as race 10 of the 12-race New Kent County Virginia Derby Day program, which is seeded with $1.3 million in stakes purses. Next year, as a 50-point race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the Virginia Derby will transition to the dirt track and be held on March 15, 2025, anchoring a new spring meet at Colonial Downs.
After running fifth in the Peter Pan (G3), St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker, and Vicarage Stable’s Deterministic has run twice on the lawn. The Gotham (G3) winner trained by Christophe Clement rallied to finish ¾ lengths shy of Neat for a second-place finish in the Manila (G3). One of three Virginia Derby entrants who exit the Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1), including Fulmineo and Izzy d’Oro, Deterministic again demonstrated his ability to produce a late bid on the grass to finish third. Tabbed as the 3-1 morning line favorite, the Liam’s Map colt will receive the services of Manny Franco.
When the connections of Deterministic decided not to run in Kentucky Derby 150, it opened a spot in the starting gates for Granpollo Stable’s Grand Mo the First, who had earned his qualifying points running third in both the Florida Derby (G1) and Tampa Bay Derby (G3). After his Run for the Roses, trainer Victor Barbosa Jr. returned the Uncle Mo colt to the turf for his next start, and Grand Mo the First triumphed in the Bear’s Den at Gulfstream Park in August. Paco Lopez gets the call aboard the 4-1 second choice in the morning line.
Two up-and-comers who add to the intrigue in the Virginia Derby include Belladonna Racing, Peachtree Stable, Twin Brook Stables and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Zverev, who finished three lengths back last out in the Hall of Fame (G2) at Saratoga for Cherie DeVaux and 100% Racing Stable’s Herchee, who is a perfect two-for-two for trainer Helen Pitts.
Here is the complete field for the $500,000 Virginia Derby (G3) from the rail out with jockey, trainer and morning line: Herchee (Edgar Morales, Pitts, 5-1); Grand Mo the First (Lopez, Barbosa Jr., 4-1); Deterministic (Franco, Clement, 3-1); Izzy d’Oro (David Cohen, Blake Kelly, 30-1); Frontline Warrior (Vincent Cheminaud, Shug McGaughey, 30-1); In a Jam (Mychel Sanchez, Mark Casse, 6-1); Desvio (Ben Curtis, Madison Meyers, 8-1); Massif (Sheldon Russell, Brittany Russell, 30-1); Echo Lane (Antonio Gallardo, Rohan Crichton, 15-1); Oscar’s World (Martin Garcia, Brian Lynch, 12-1); Fulmineo (Victor Carrasco, Arnaud Delacour, 15-1); Zverev (Jorge Ruiz, DeVaux, 10-1).
Trainer Mike Trombetta and owner Larry Johnson scored the natural double on Commonwealth Champions Day at Colonial Downs, as Hollywood Walk grabbed her first stakes score in the $150,000 Camptown and Sky’s Not Falling took the $150,000 Bert Allen Handicap.
The connections were a nose away from a third score, as the filly Sail Theseven Seas finished second to War Humor in the $125,000 Jamestown, the opening handicap of five for Virginia-bred, -sired and -certified horses. The Camptown, Bert Allen, $150,000 Meadow Stable and $150,000 Nellie Mae Cox brought together Thoroughbreds from all three categories; the Jamestown, Virginia-bred and -sired 2-year-olds.
“You hope to have a day like this,” Johnson said. “You look at the form and you think ‘we could win a few races.’ It doesn’t always turn out that way. The 2-year-old (Sail Theseven Seas), it was her first time on the grass. She was a little green into the stretch and it cost her. The other two (Hollywood Walk and Sky’s Not Falling) ran terrific. They’re all doing really well. I’ve had 10 or 11 seconds this meet, so it’s nice to get a couple firsts.”
Rallying up the rail down the stretch, Hollywood Walk seized the lead with a furlong to go and had just enough left in the tanks to win the 5½-furlong Camptown Handicap by a neck over Mystic Seaport. The 5 year-old Animal Kingdom mare was piloted by Horacio Karamanos.
“I was stuck for a moment in the middle of the turn waiting for someone to move,” Karamanos said. “I saw a hole split to get out, then dropped back inside. It was a perfect trip. I got lucky but it turned out to be a good decision to wait.”
“Karamanos, he likes to win,” Johnson said. “He made a difference in that race. I thought she was going to get stuck, but he dives down to the rail and wins the race. We’ve been trying to get a stake win for her. She’s a half to Mindframe. She’s a really nice filly and just tries every time.”
Larry Johnson and R.D.M. Racing Stable’s Sky’s Not Falling seized command early and ran away from the field late to take the 1 1/16 miles Bert Allen Handicap by three lengths in gate-to-wire fashion. Piloted by Antonio Gallardo, the 6-year-old gelded son of Seville (Ger) was sent off as the 8-5 favorite.
“I saw today there was no speed in the race,” Gallardo said. “Whatever is for free is for free. I didn’t want to rush him but he broke sharp, felt comfortable on the lead, nice and relaxed, and I think that’s why he finished strong.”
In the 5 ½ – furlong Jamestown Stakes, Eric Rizer’s maiden War Humor ran down Virginia Fitz and survived a photo finish over the lone filly Sail Theseven Seas to win by a nose.
Trained by Ollie Figgins and piloted by Forest Boyce, the son of Mosler was sent off at 13-1.
“He’s just improved every race, just figuring out how to run, to be honest,” Figgins said. “Honestly I think the horses he ran against are pretty legit horses. Most likely the Maryland Million (will be next for him), he’s Maryland sired.”
“I thought he ran great,” Boyce said. “Ollie does an incredible job. I thought we were sitting a great trip. He finished strong. Luckily we held on. I realized after the wire (Sail Theseven Seas was coming late). I didn’t think they were getting there. She must have been closing pretty strong.”
WInning her second stake of the 2024 meet, Susan Moulton’s Tufani sat a perfect pocket trip and tipped out in the stretch to score in the Nellie Mae Cox Handicap by two lengths. Earlier in the meet, Tufani took the Brookmeade in a similar dominant fashion.
In the familiar hands of Ben Curtis, the Mike Stidham trainee was sent off as the 3-5 favorite.
“She’s really matured and blossomed since her winter at Fair Grounds,” Curtis said. “She’s very professional and easy to ride. Before we wouldn’t dream to put her up behind the speed. On paper there wasn’t any speed. The way it transpired, they walked the dog on the lead there. It just shows how good she is that she was able to overcome it. Another step forward, another nice prize for the owner, so a good day all around.”
Repeating in the 5½-furlong Meadow Stable Handicap, Determined Stables and Kingdom Bloodstock’s Determined Kingdom fought off Whenigettoheaven to win by ¾-lengths. Along with the Punch Line, the Phil Schoenthal trainee racked up two local stakes, both for the second time.
Determined Kingdom also finished an impressive third against open company in the Van Clief with Victor Carrasco in the irons for all three local stakes.
“He’s a great horse and he has proven that he can run against anybody,” Carrasco said. “I want to thank Phil (Schoenthal) for trusting me and giving very clear instructions. He said ‘whatever you do, just make sure you don’t get boxed in.’ Determined Kingdom came out of there running. I tried my best to stay outside to make sure (Whenigettoheaven) either had to use too much trying to get in front of me or he
had to drop in behind me. It worked out.”
New Kent County 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. First post on Saturday is 1:00 p.m. ET.
Colonial Downs has added an extra day of live racing on Wednesday, Sept. 4, serving as a make-up day for the card lost on Friday, July 12. First post is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. ET. Wednesday will kick-off a four-day race week to close the 2024 meet. Post time for Friday’s card has been moved up to 3:00 p.m. ET.