Saturday March 15 may be Virginia Derby Day, but don’t pass on Friday’s (March 14) card at Colonial Downs which includes a pair of $150,000 Virginia-restricted handicaps — the Stellar Wind, for fillies/mares 4&up, and The Boston, for males 4&up.
The Boston’s 11-horse field includes a million-dollar earning Virginia-certified horse — Book’em Danno — and an almost million dollar earning Virginia-bred — Repo Rocks. The former won the G1 Woody Stephens Stakes at Saratoga last summer and prior to racing, spent his Virginia residency at Gracie Bloodstock in Middleburg. The latter enters the race with a bankroll of $994,246. The 7-year-old Tapiture gelding was bred by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III and won an allowance in New Kent last August. Colonial’s first post Friday is 12:30 PM and The Boston is Race 7 on the card.
Morgan Ford Farms’ Virginia-bred Binnie should attract attention in the Stellar Wind. The 4-year-old Great Notion filly was best in a $87,500 allowance last August in New Kent with Jevian Toldeo up top. The Brittany Russell trainee is 4-for-5 with $145,260 in earnings and will have the services of jockey/husband Sheldon Russell on Friday. The Stellar Wind has an impressive field of 11 and is Race 6 on the card.
Colonial’s first ever 3-day all-dirt meet runs from March 13-15. Eight race cards are programmed Thursday and Friday and a 10-race card is set on Derby Day. Admission is free except March 15 when general admission is $5. Fans are urged to purchase the $5 tickets in advance at colonialdowns.com. They have been selling very rapidly!