Not to be overshadowed by the Breeders’ Cup Championships last weekend, a pair of Virginia-breds scored impressive wins at Belmont — Just Call Kenny on Halloween Day in an $85,000 allowance race, and Invite in a $75,000 maiden special weight score on October 29th.
The former was bred by Althea Richards and is a 4 year old Jump Start colt out of the Green Dancer mare, Green Jeans. Just Call Kenny rallied from fifth at the half to beat a handful of foes in the 1 1/16 miles race and crossed in 1:41.87, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Day of Fury. Abel Castellano rode for conditioner Patrick McBurney.
Bred by Robin Richards, Just Call Kenny was the Grand Champion of the 2012 Virginia-bred Yearling Futurity.
The latter, a 2 year old Include filly, came four wide from fourth with one quarter to go, got to the front then held off Majesticconfection at the wire by a half length. Invite, who was bred by The Morgan’s Ford Farm and is trained by Bill Mott, finished in 1:42.34 and collected $45,000 for the upset victory. She is out of the Tobasco Cat mare, Cat Alert.
The Morgan’s Ford Farm collected another win the day prior, when 2 year old filly Occasionally was victorious in a one mile, $28,500 maiden special weight race at Penn National. Bred in partnership with the Tiznow Syndicate, Occasionally raced second in the five horse field and surged down the stretch to just edge Miss Coco by one-half length in 1:42.72. The Michael Trombetta trainee is by Tiznow out of the Kris S mare, Never a No Hitter.
Two horses bred by the Lazy Lane Farms had scores this past week. Hunterwood connected in a $10,000 claiming race at Zia Park on Tuesday while Born to Serve won a $17,000 maiden claimer at Del Mar’s fall meet last Thursday. Hunterwood completed the one mile and 70 yard race in 1:43.80, winning by two lengths as betting choice in a large ten horse field. The 4 year old gelding is by Hansel out of Rixa, by Polish Navy. Born to Serve went gate to wire, and after leading by only a head at the top of the stretch, fought back to win by 1 1/4 lengths lover a stubborn Dirt in Your Face. The 4 year old Colonel John gelding is out of the Two Punch mare, Night Breeze.
Other Virginia-breds to reach the winners circle were Dancing Wish in a $14,000 seven furlong claimer at Charles Town (bred by Darlene Bowlin), Just Funnin’ Ya in a $10,000, 4 1/2 furlong filly/mare claimer at Charles Town (bred by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin) and an aptly named 4 year old colt named Voter Turnout that won during “Election Day” week in a $14,000, 5 1/2 furlong sprint at Gulfstream Park West (bred by Carlos S.E. Moore & Gillian Gordon-Moore.
Stellar Wind (outside) duels with Stopchargingmaria in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The Virginia-bred was a neck shy at the wire.
Besides Virginia-breds Stellar Wind (2nd in the $2,000,000 Distaff) and Valid (5th in the $1,000,000 Dirt Mile) that ran in last weekend’s Breeders’ Cup Championships, honorable mentions go to a pair that ran at Keeneland on “Cup” weekend — Code West, who was 8th in the Grade II Hagyard Fayette Stakes, and One Go All Go, who finished 4th in a $100,000 under card stakes.
Bred by Albert Coppola, One Go All Go returns to the winners circle at Laurel September 19th after winning the 2015 Grade II, Commonwealth Derby. Jockey Ron Higsby directed the effort.