Cash Is King and LC Racing’s Carmelina and Ray Pennington III’s King Kontie are respective early favorites in co-featured $150,000 dirt sprint stakes for Virginia-Restricted 2-year-old horses Saturday (August 5) at Colonial Downs. The former heads a field of 11 in the Keswick Stakes for fillies while the latter heads a field of eight in the Hickory Tree for males. The pair will be contested as races 6 and 7 at the five-furlong distance.
Carmelina is a Robert Reid Jr. trainee who is fresh off a fifth place finish in the Grade 3 Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga July 13. The Maximus Mischief filly dominated though by 5-3/4 lengths in a maiden special weight at Parx Jun 18 in her only other start. Carmelina, 5-2 early will leave from post ten with Mychel Sanchez up.
Ultra Championship Racing’s Ran Out of Trainer is the second choice, based off a gate-to-wire effort July 6 at Charles Town where she crossed 6-1/4 lengths the best in her sole career outing. The daughter of Tonalist is trained by Anthony Farrior and will be ridden by Horacio Karamanos from post seven.
Trainer John Robb has two entered in the stakes. No Guts No Glory Farm’s Remember Me and Super C Racing’s Buckin’ Great — both coming off dirt wins at Laurel — will depart from posts three and six with Jose Betancourt and Xavier Perez in the irons respectively.
King Kontie impressed opening week at Colonial Downs with a gate-to-wire maiden special weight triumph. The Karakontie gelding took an eight length lead into the head of the stretch and crossed 5-3/4 lengths in front. Jockey Fredy Peltroche is back on top and will lead King Kontie from the inside post.
Robert Klimasewski and Tammy Klimasewski’s Going Up is the second early pick. The Mineshaft gelding reached the winners circle May 31 in his career bow at Presque Isle and most recently, took a respectable third in the Victoria Stakes at Woodbine. Ronald Dale Allen Jr. will ride for trainer Ron Potts from post three.