The third annual Virginia-Bred Stakes Day at Laurel Racecourse takes place this Saturday, September 24th and will feature eight turf stakes — a trio of graded events that were previously held at Colonial Downs, and a five-pack of $60,000 stakes races for Virginia-bred horses.
The Punch Line is first of the five scheduled on Saturday and features a seven horse field at 5 1/2 furlongs. Two Notch Road, winner of both the 2014 and 2015 Punch Line editions, will go for a three-peat in the program’s third race. The Glenn Thompson trainee also captured the White Oak Stakes during spring’s Virginia-bred stakes event at Pimlico June 25th. The 9 year old Partner’s Hero gelding was bred by James Hackman and will be ridden by Daniel Centeno. Two Notch Road enters the stakes with $465,503 in career earnings.
The Brookmeade is for fillies and mares who will compete 1 1/16th miles in the fourth race. A field of ten will go to post including the Lilith Boucher trained Complete St., who captured the 2015 edition. Bred by Mede Cahaba Stable & Stud, LLC, the 6 year old St. Averil mare finished fifth in June’s Nellie Mae Cox Stakes at Pimlico. Forest Boyce will be up top Saturday.
An eleven horse field of two-year-olds will go to the gate and vie 5 1/2 furlongs in the Jamestown Stakes, which has been carded as the eighth race. Recent first time winner CB Bodemester earned a maiden special weight score at Timonium September 2nd. The son of Bodemeister is owned by Charles Biggs and was bred by S. Barton, Inc.
2015 Jamestown Stakes winner Away We Go will compete in the Oakley Stakes for fillies and mares, age three and up. Another field of eleven will battle in Laurel’s ninth race. Owned and bred by the Niecewonder Stable, the filly is trained by Rodney Jenkins and is by Tizway. Awake The Day, a close second to Exaggerated in the Oakley a year ago, is back in again.
Rose Brier goes for a three-peat in the Bert Allen Stakes, tenth race on the Commonwealth themed card. The 7 year old Mizzen Mast gelding will challenge eight others at 1 1/16th miles distance. Bred by William Backer, Rose Brier won the ’14 and ’15 editions and captured the Edward Evans Stakes earlier this summer at Pimlico. The Jane Cibelli comes into the race with $442,726 in earnings.
