Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile race at Colonial Downs attracted ten 3-year-olds and provides the winner 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby
The field is set for the first-ever Kentucky Derby qualifying race at Colonial Downs as the $500,000 Virginia Derby attracted a field of ten 3-year-olds, led by the Sunland Park Derby (L) winner Getaway Car.
The centerpiece of a special three-day meet beginning Thursday, the 1 1/8-mile Virginia Derby will be held on Saturday together with the 1 1/16-miles $250,000 Virginia Oaks. The winning horse in each race will receive 50 points toward the Kentucky Derby (G1) or the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), respectively. The second- through fifth-place finishers will earn 25-15-10-5 points on a sliding scale.
The Virginia Derby is scheduled as Race 9 and the Virginia Oaks, Race 8.
Trained by Bob Baffert and owned by a large partnership that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, and others, Getaway Car has already racked up 36 Derby qualifying points. Making his sophomore debut last out in the Sunland Park Derby, the front-running Getaway Car was headed by Caldera at the top of the stretch but battled back to win by a bob at the wire. The Curlin colt’s first stakes success came at second asking with a win in the Best Pal (G3) at Del Mar last summer. Tabbed as the 9-5 favorite in the morning line, Getaway Car drew post 6 and attracted the services of Irad Ortiz Jr.
Trainer Brad Cox will ship two colts to Colonial, both owned by CHC & WinStar Farm. Of the pair, the undefeated John Hancock was installed as the 3-1 second choice in the line. The son of Constitution proved himself in his first Derby prep, wiring the field last out in the Sam F. Davis (L) Feb. 8 at Tampa Bay Downs. Mike Smith has the call aboard the colt. Stablemate Rapture will be reunited with Flavien Prat, who was on board the son of Uncle Mo for his maiden-breaking 6½-length score at Oaklawn Park.
Coming off a year where he saddled both the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks winner, trainer Kenny McPeek entered Render Judgment in the Virginia Derby. Earning 4 qualifying points as a juvenile with a third in the Gun Runner (L) at Fair Grounds and a fifth in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs, Render Judgment was not able to add to his total in his lone start as a sophomore, where he ran eighth in the Risen Star (G2) Feb. 15 at Fair Grounds. Owned by Baccari Racing Stable, Dream Walkin Farms, MJM Racing, and Rocket Ship Racing, the Blame colt drew post 9 and will be piloted by Brian Hernandez, Jr.
Bred in Virginia, On Your Left Racing’s accomplished Omaha Omaha will ship in from Laurel Park for his first start in his home state. Trained by Michael Gorham, the homebred has racked up 11 Derby points by running third in the Withers (L) and second in the Jerome, both at Aqueduct.
Other contenders include BC Stables’ American Promise, who grabbed 5 points for D. Wayne Lukas last out in the Risen Star, and Greenwell Thoroughbreds’ Authentic Gallop, who exits a blinkers-off allowance victory at Oaklawn Park for trainer Tom Amoss.
Following is the field for the Virginia Derby from the rail out (with jockey, trainer, morning-line odds):
Calling Card (Luan Machado, Mike Maker, 15-1)
John Hancock (Mike Smith, Brad Cox, 3-1)
American Promise (Nik Juarez, D. Wayne Lukas, 12-1)
Omaha Omaha (Raul Mena, Michael Gorham, 10-1)
Studlydoright (Xavier Perez, John Robb, 15-1)
Getaway Car (Irad Ortiz Jr., Bob Baffert, 9-5)
Rapture (Flavien Prat, Brad Cox, 5-1)
Authentic Gallop (Javier Castellano, Tom Amoss, 10-1)
Render Judgement (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 12-1)
Georgia Magic (Sheldon Russsell, Ray Handal, 30-1)