Virginia connected horses will be well represented this Saturday (January 28th) at Gulfstream Park, which hosts the inaugural running of the $12 million Pegasus World Cup that afternoon. There are 12 races on the card, which begins at 11:30 AM. The Pegasus itself is at 5:40 PM, and will be broadcast live on NBC from 4:30 – 6:00 PM.
Virginia-bred Long On Value, with career earnings of $679,486, is slated to compete in the $125,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint Stakes. The 6 year old Value Plus horse was bred by Snow Lantern Thoroughbreds and has 7 wins from 25 lifetime starts. The Bill Mott trainee is out of the Orientate mare, Long Message.
Long On Value wins the Jamestown Stakes at Colonial Downs in 2013. Photo by Coady Photography.
Virginia-bred Homespun Hero will appear in the day’s kickoff race. The 4 year old Hard Spun colt is trained by Michael Maker and is owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey. Out of the First Samurai mare, Nicky’s Way, Homespun Hero will compete in an allowance optional claiming event with a purse of $58,000. He was bred by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin and brings a bankroll of $93,600 into the race from a dozen starts.
Homespun Hero is shown working out in fall, 2015. Courtesy of Barclay Tagg website. Michael Maker now trains the 3 year old son of Hard Spun.
Virginian Rene and Lauren Woolcott, who own and operate Woodslane Farm in Middleburg, have a pair of horses entered as well — Sadler’s Joy and Lunaire. Both are out of the Dynaformer mare, Dynaire, and were bred in Kentucky but raised in Virginia. The former will compete in the $125,000 W.L. McKnight Handicap (Gr. 3), where he is set to depart from post position 11 in a field of 12. The 4 year old Kitten’s Joy colt has won three straight races and heads into his first stakes action with nice momentum. The streak began with a maiden special weight triumph August 22nd at Saratoga and was followed with allowance wins at Belmont (September 24th) and at Aqueduct (November 9th).
Lauren Woolcott at Woodslane Farm, where she and husband Rene raised Tonalist. Photo courtesy of the Woolcott’s.
Lunaire, a three year old son of Malibu Moon, has a second and third from a trio of life starts. He will face 13 other foes in a $56,000 maiden special weight test. The Thomas Albertrani trainee competes in the 8th race.
Virginia race fans can wager the day’s action via TVG, XPressBet and NYRABets, and at the two new Richmond area Off Track Betting Centers. Breakers Sports Grille is in the west end area and Ponies & Pints is in downtown’s Shockoe Bottom neighborhood. Both are in full service restaurants complete with a large bar.