(NEW KENT, VA —- 8/13/19) — Saturday’s card at Colonial Downs is topped by a pair of open stakes – the $100,000 Chesapeake Stakes for older runners on the main track and its turf counterpart, the $75,000 Da Hoss at 5 ½ furlongs on turf. The 10-race program kicks off at 5 PM.
The Chesapeake, carded as race 5, is first up and features a field of six horses headed by Linda Zang’s Lewisfield. The 5-year-old son of Great Notion has won seven of 19 starts including three stakes races, the most recent of which is the $75,000 Not For Love at Laurel in March. Last out, the Jeff Runco trainee ran fifth in the $100,000 Polynesian Stakes at Laurel and before that finished third in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Stakes. Trevor McCarthy has been named to ride.
His main competition could come from Rialto Racing Stables, Southern Springs Stables and Head of Plains Partners’ Petrov. The Flatter 5-year-old has nearly $600,000 in career earnings. Earlier this year, the Ron Moquett-trained horse was second, beaten only a neck in $125,000 Aristides Stakes at Churchill Downs but last out faded to fifth in the $120,000 Kelly’s Landing. Sheldon Russell gets the call here.
Kristin Bolce, Leslie Cummimgs and Valerie Lund’s Mr. Jagermeister brings a strong resume to the Chesapeake. The son of Atta Boy owned the Canterbury Park main track with three straight stakes victories against Minnesota-breds last summer. He has hit the board in all three of his starts this season including an open company tally in a second-level allowance race at Oaklawn Park last out in April. Leandro Goncalves comes in for the mount.
Jacks or Better Farm’s Old Time Revival (Julio Correa), a winner last out in a second-level allowance at Laurel; D Hatman Thoroughbreds’ Sonny Inspired (Feargal Lynch), a multiple state-bred stakes winner with earnings of more than $600,000; and Ragnar Korthase’s Speightsong (J. D. Acosta), a nine-time winner including a score last out at Ellis Park, complete the line-up.
Later in the program a field of 10 will line up for the ninth race, the $75,000 Da Hoss topped by DARRS Inc.’s Extravagant Kid. The Brendan Walsh-trained son of Kiss the Kid invades off a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Highlander Stakes at Woodbine. Before that, the 6-year-old horse won the $120,000 Mighty Beau Stakes at Churchill Downs. Sheldon Russell picks up the mount.
Among those looking for the upset is Tom O’Grady’s Dirty. Runner-up un the $75,000 Ben’s Cat against Maryland-breds at Laurel Park, the Jeremiah Englehart trainee is a four-time winner from 14 starts including a score in the $100,000 King T. Leatherbury Stakes at Laurel in April. His regular rider Jorge Vargas, Jr., will be aboard the 4-year-old son of Maclean’s Music on Saturday.
Another to keep an eye on is Lucky Man Racing’s Justaholic. The 4-year-old Justin Phillip colt is looking for his third straight victory coming in off back-to-back scores over the Monmouth Park turf course including the $78,000 Wolf Hill Stakes last time out. A winner in half of his eight starts, the Tom Clark trainee will be ridden Saturday by Jose Ferrer.
Completing the field for the Da Hoss are: Robert Cline, Stephen Reed, Brett Woodie and Golden Goose Stables’ Event Driven (Dean Sarvis), runner-up in a Thistledown allowance race last time out; Laura McKinney’s Clever Triad (Trevor McCarthy), a three-time winner in 2018; Michael Cox’s Smokin Nitro (Mychel Sanchez), third in the Grade 3 Parx Dash two starts back; Mary Eppler Racing Stables’ Oak Bluff (Horacio Karamanos), solid in the claiming ranks of late; Pewter Stables’ Dubini (J. D. Acosta), runner-up in last year’s $100,000 Laurel Park Dash; Raj Jagnanan’s American Sailor (Rosario Montanez), coming in off three straight starter handicap wins; and Elizabeth Meehan’s Fairweather Friend (Grant Whitacre), runner-up in the $75,000 Senator Robert C. Byrd Memorial Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Saturday’s card also features a pair of steeplechase races at 2 ¼ miles over national fences. The “jump” races go as the first and third races.
