It’s another summer weekend and that means another round of excellent stakes races for Virginia residents to wager that feature both thoroughbreds and standardbreds.
Saturday stakes highlights include the Whitney Stakes and Test Stakes at Saratoga, the West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park, graded stakes at both Del Mar and Ellis Park and arguably harness racing’s biggest annual event — Hambletonian Day at The Meadowlands.
Rose Brier gets the best of Special Envoy again in the June 25th Edward P. Evans Stakes at Pimlico. Photo by Jim McCue.
The most intriguing race from a Virginia perspective is one that pits 2015 Virginia-bred 3 Year Old Colt champion One Go All Go against Rose Brier, who most recently won the Edward P. Evans Stakes at Pimlico June 25th. The former was bred by Albert Coppola and the latter was bred by William Backer. They will compete in the $100,000 West Virginia House of Delegates Cup Stakes in Mountaineer’s 9th race at 5:48 PM. It is part of their biggest day of the year which features 8 other stakes including the $750,000, Grade II West Virginia Derby. That main event will go off at 5:21 PM as the 8th race.
Virginia-bred One Go All Go wins the $400,000 Commonwealth Derby (Gr. II) Sept. 19th at Laurel. Photo by Jim McCue.
Code West, another Virginia-bred, has entered the $175,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap on Saturday. The 6 year old is 9-2 early and that major race has been carded as the 6th at 8:10 PM.
Saratoga’s Whitney and Test stakes are both Grade I’s and have been a staple of the “Spa’s” first Saturday in August. The Whitney has a 6 horse field, headlined by 3-5 early favorite Frosted, and is the 10th race. The Test has an 8 horse field is the 8th on the program. Respective post times are 6:18 PM and 5:02 PM.
Ned Evans-bred Code West shown winning the Governor’s Stake at Remington Park. Photo Courtesy Dustin Orona Photography.
The $1,000,000 Hambletonian Trot headlines a blockbuster afternoon card of harness racing at The Meadowlands. Races 8 and 9 will serve as “Hambo” eliminations and the final is the 13th race at 5:11 PM. The card includes 9 other stakes including the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, $350,000 Peter Haughton Memorial, $350,000 Jim Doherty Memorial, $320,000 Cane Pace and $300,000 John Cashman Memorial.
Virginia residents can wager all the action on line via one of three sites — TVG.com, TwinSpires.com and XPressBet.com.