COLONIAL OFF-TRACK HANDLE PLUMMETS

According to the Daily Racing Form, Colonial Downs and others, the average daily handle on the 40 live race cards at Colonial Downs plummeted more than 30 percent compared with last year.

Average handle was $780,365 a day during the meet, compared with $1,118,734 during last year's 45-day meet, according to the track's figures. The decline was almost exclusively tied to a 35 percent drop in handle from off-site sources, where handle fell from $960,834 a day last year to $627,850 this year.

Colonial Downs was blacked out on a number of large national account-wagering sites and at the racetracks and offtrack betting locations controlled by Churchill Downs and Magna Entertainment because of a dispute with the site's operators over the requirements of a state law that went into effect July 1, four weeks after Colonial's meet started. That takes such racetracks as Laurel, Gulfstream, Calder, Arligton Park, Santa Anita and Churchill Downs, as well as any OTBs they operate, out of the Colonial Downs wagering system.

In addition, popular ADW platform You Bet also refused to take wagers on Colonial Downs' races. They too publicly claim to be protesting the legislation that requires all licensed ADW companies to pay a 10% source market fee and a 1% Breeders Fund contribution on all wagers placed by their Virginia customers. YouBet contends that their current contract with the Virginia HBPA and Colonial Downs supersedes the new law.

Ontrack, business held even with last year's results, with average handle at $128,141, up 1 percent from last year.

Field size, at 8.93 horses per race, also remained strong, at a track that is known for attracting large fields to its turf races, which represented 72 percent of the races run.

VA-BRED CHARITABLE MAN TOPS JIM DANDY

Peter Pan Stakes (G2) winner Charitable Man, who has not raced since finishing fourth in the Belmont Stakes Gr.I on June 6, returns in the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday. Charitable Man, by Lemon Drop Kid out of Charitabledonation by Saint Ballado, was bred in Virginia by Edward P. Evans.

The field of seven three-year-olds includes the top three finishers from the Dwyer Stakes Gr.II at Belmont Park on July 4 as well as Saratoga Sinner, who has not raced since winning the Holy Bull Stakes Gr.III at Gulfstream Park on January 31.

Owned by William K. Warren Jr. and Suzanne Warren, Charitable Man won his career debut by 11 1/2 lengths at Saratoga last August before winning the Futurity Stakes Gr.II at Belmont.

“Before the Belmont [Stakes], I said I wouldn’t trade places with anyone, and I wouldn’t trade places with anyone now,” said Kiaran McLaughlin, who will saddle Charitable Man and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Flat Bold in the Jim Dandy. “I still like [Charitable Man] a lot. The Belmont was a funny racetrack that day, and the pace scenario turned out different than we thought it would on paper."

Fourteen Travers winners since 1964 have prepped in the Jim Dandy, including Flower Alley (2005), Bernardini (‘06) and Street Sense (‘07).

To see the entries, click here.

QUALITY ROAD UPDATE

Edward P. Evan's Quality Road signaled his readiness for Monday's Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam this morning with a five-furlong work in 59.38 on the main track.

Jockey John Velazquez was aboard for the move, the fastest of 32 at the distance.

The 3-year-old son of Elusive Quality continues to show no signs of the foot problems that kept him out of the Kentucky Derby following his record-setting victory in the Grade 1 Florida Derby for former trainer James Jerkens.

Pletcher plans to use the Amsterdam as a steppingstone to a run in the Travers.

"He's a very good horse, but my biggest concern is he's off a layoff," Pletcher said of the run in the Amsterdam. "Six and a half is probably not his best distance."

TOP OF THE ICEBERG NOT MELTING…YET

With wagering declines and economic woes permeating the sport of Thoroughbred racing, the folks at NYRA were, no doubt, braced for more bad news when Saratoga officially opened yesterday. To add to their apprehension the weather forecast called for rain…

We imagine they were ultimately both surprised and delighted by the crowd of 25,444 and weather that saw sunshine for the first four races.

The crowd of 25,444 that helped track announcer Tom Durkin start the meet with the now traditional “They’re off at Saratoga” first race break call was an increase of 40 percent over last year's crowd of 18,127 (when it rained all day.) The on-track crowd wagered $3,651,221, an increase of 30 percent over last year's $2,813,982. All-sources handle was $14,216,133, an increase of 24 percent over last year's $11,431,845.

There were 96 betting interests on Wednesday's card, compared with 69 betting interests last year when the races were run over a sloppy main track and all five turf races were moved to the main track. Wednesday, only the nightcap was moved from the turf to the dirt because of rain.

The highlight of the day was Hot Dixie Chick's 6 1/4-length romp in the Grade 3, $111,000 Schuylerville Stakes for juvenile fillies. After showing blazing speed in her first two starts - including setting a track record at Churchill Downs for five furlongs - Hot Dixie Chick demonstrated the ability to rate in the Schuylerville.

Hot Dixie Chick (by Dixie Union, out of Above Perfection by Excess (IRE) KY) covered six furlongs in 1:10.18 and returned $5.30 as the favorite.

CALIFORNIA BREAKDOWNS AND TRACK SURFACE UNIFORMITY

There have been six catastrophic breakdowns at Del Mar in the pre-meet training and first six days of live racing. Three occurred during morning training on Polytrack, two happened during races on Polytrack, and one was in a turf race. The fatalities came from six different barns.

Dr. Rick Arthur, the equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board, said while there are not yet studies to scientifically prove it, breakdowns will often cluster at the beginning of a meet because of a change in racetrack surface. Southern California has three different synthetic main tracks. Del Mar has Polytrack, Santa Anita has Pro-Ride, and Hollywood Park (whose meet closed July 19) has Cushion Track. The Cushion Track this year has been playing more like a traditional dirt surface.

"I hate to be anthropomorphic, but think about if you were jogging on the side of the road and then you started jogging on the sand or the beach," Arthur said. "Apparently, you are putting different stresses on different structures when you change surfaces."

Arthur noted that in 2006, the last year Del Mar had a dirt surface, during the first week of the meet there were five racing fatalities on the main track, one on the turf during a race, and one on the turf during training.

"There were three fatalities on the main track for the entire rest of the meet and one on the turf," Arthur said. "The rest during that time were training fatalities."

Altogether, Del Mar had 18 fatalities during the 2006 meet, one of the factors that led to the CHRB mandate that major California tracks install synthetic surfaces.

"In the 1980s, the HBPA funded a survey that had good data," said Arthur. "It showed that the first two weeks of meets were when most fatalities occurred. That was back when the Southern California dirt tracks were very different from each other. The way I interpret the data, horses had to adjust to the new track. That was never confirmed. It is simply a hypothesis."

Del Mar also historically has a high number of horses working on its track daily during the meeting because the off-site stabling is located 100 miles north at either Santa Anita or Hollywood. Over the opening weekend of July 25-26, 195 horses worked on the main track on Saturday and 204 worked over the surface on Sunday.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

HASKELL PREP. Rachel Alexandra gallop on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga in preperation for this weekend's Haskell at Monmouth Park.

(Photo by Skip Dickstein/Albany Times Union)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 2

JAMES MARVIN. Gold Trippi (by Trippi, out of Christmas Gold by Slew o’ Gold FL) with Cornelio Velasquez aboard, left, passes Pyro with John Velazquez aboard to win the $75,000 James Marvin Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY, Wednesday, July 29, 2009.

PICTURE OF THE DAY 3

GRADUATION. In this photo provided by Benoit Photo, Wolf Tail (by Strive Out, out of Bright Sunday by Dynaformer CA) and jockey Joel Rosario, outside, hold off Grace Upon Grace with jockey Victor Espinoza, inside, to win the $100,000 Graduation Stakes, Wednesday, July 29, 2009, at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

“SARATOGA OF THE NORTH” OPENS TODAY

Every now and then that “Saratoga of the South” moniker raises its ugly head during a conversation about Colonial Downs. I call it ugly because ever since Joe DeFrancis mentioned those words, back in the mid-1990s before a single application had been filed, it seems the notion has caused controversy and frequently held a negative connotation for some horsemen and breeders.

His point was simply to create at Colonial Downs (as he envisioned it) a summer stop on a bigger circuit that would feature quality racing – just as Saratoga does for NYRA, and Del Mar and Keeneland do for California and Kentucky. DeFrancis’ optimism was fueled by a population in Maryland churning out $400 million a year in pari-mutuel wagers and the simple reality of Virginia being a larger and wealthier state.

While Colonial Downs ultimately built a great facility (regardless of the location which is debated to this day for a variety of reasons), everybody overestimated the impact of pari-mutuel wagering on Virginia while drastically underestimating how hard it would be to build a state-wide distribution network thanks to those pesky local referendums.

In 1995, it wasn’t illogical on DeFrancis’ part to look at a state of 6.6 million and presume it could generate as much in wagers as its neighbor to the north generated from 5 million people. If Virginia were generating $400 million a year in wagers on Thoroughbred racing, and not $100 million from nine OTBs and another $40 million from ADW, the races at Colonial Downs might more closely resemble those at Saratoga – or more likely a combination of the two places. How you close the gap in ages – Saratoga will run its 141st race meet this year while Colonial Downs just concluded its 13th – is another question all together.

What DeFrancis didn’t recognize – probably, because he’d not spent sufficient quality time at Saratoga – was that such a place can’t be duplicated. Start your day at Oklahoma with some jump trainers, then go to breakfast at the Reading Room or hit the Spring Street Deli for an egg sandwich and a Daily Racing Form. Follow that up with a stroll downtown for some shopping and an art gallery or two.

Head over to Fasig-Tipton for lunch and some casual yearling viewing from the bar (no tire kicking, please). From there you can walk to the track or you can ride your bike over and watch and wager from the backside (if you have a license or really fast bike), you can go casual to the grandstand or wander about in the “backyard” under the trees adjacent to the paddock.

The third option is to get dressed up just a bit and find a seat in a crowded box with like-minded horsemen or racing fans. You can dine there, but who wants to start the day of racing by burning a huge tip to get a table?

After the races, pick a bar for happy hour and have the post race “Coulda, woulda, shoulda” debriefing on the day’s wagering. Go home to freshen up – if it’s really hot jump in somebody’s pool as you walk home (doesn’t have to be your pool. Just jump in with your clothes on and make a hasty retreat – not that I’ve ever done anything like that).

That evening, go to the yearling sales for awhile and if that’s not your cup of tea head out to one of the many nice restaurants including the one at the Saratoga Harness. After dinner go the Parting Glass for your jump jock fix and some darts and then get your sale results and night cap at Siros (remember to bring your wallet, and if you can pull it off “somebody else’s” wallet!).

Repeat until you are either exhausted or broke or both.

That’s why Colonial Downs can never be the Saratoga of the South.

Your options in New Kent are severly limited. Go to the races. Go to Dairy Queen. Repeat.

And then there’s the racing…

When the starting gate opens today for the first race, the granddam of American horseracing will launch its 141st season. It is the greatest race meet in America. Don’t let any hard boots or Del Mar advocates tell you anything different.

Over the course of its 36-day meet, with live racing daily except Tuesdays, Saratoga Race will offer $25 million in purses – tops in the nation – and 34 graded stakes, highlighted by the 140th running of the Gr.I $1 million Shadwell Travers Stakes on Aug. 29.

Both Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird have the “Mid-Summer Derby” penciled in on their schedules, but Preakness heroine Rachel Alexandra may well be eyeing a rematch with the boys in the 1¼-mile race if she doesn’t go in the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama the previous week.

The stakes calendar has been rearranged from last year so there is at least one Grade 1 race every Saturday, beginning with the Aug. 1, $500,000 Diana for fillies and mares going nine furlongs on the turf.

Simply put, that schedule is going to be hard to duplicate in the South or anywhere else!

100% BONUS UPDATE

According to our records, 552 Va-breds ran during the Colonial Downs' meet as opposed to 613 last year. This year's met was five days shorter. When comparing "apples to apples" through 40 days of 2008, 503 Virginia-breds ran during the same time period.

This year the 100% winner's bonus paid out $447,270 to 62 winners. Without the $10,000 per race cap, the Fund would have paid out $497,370. The average award was $7,214. Had we not had the cap, the average would have been $8,020.

Last year there were 73 winners – remember there were 5 more days of racing – who won 100% bonuses equaling $704,390 or $9.649 avg. The 40 day number for 2008 was $604,925 in bonuses won for 63 winners - an average of $9,601.

In 2008, the 100% Bonus Program payable to sixth, the stakes purses and restricted race purses depleted the Fund, so this year we estimated that $500,000 would cover the bonus program which would leave us money for year end awards.

As bad as our estimate was last year, this year's was extremely accurate.

Remember, these are early numbers and various adjustments could change them before they are finalized. For example, there is an appeal pending that could impact one $10,000 bonus, etc...

HUGE AND TOCCET’S CHARM WIN COLONIAL DOWNS STAKES

Virginia-breds Huge and Toccet’s Charm picked up resume building wins during the final week of live racing at Colonial Downs.

The Sissy Woolums is an overnight stake open to Virginia-bred, South Carolina-breds and horses sired by stallions donated to the Mid-South Stallion Auction. The $30,000 race was run over the outer turf at a distance of 5.5 furlongs.

Huge, a three-year-old Virginia-bred filly by Meadowlake, out of Wonders Delight by Icecapade, seized the lead in the upper stretch and prevailed by ¾ of a length from Lawrence McDade’s Angel IB. Bill Backer’s Pillow Pal, trained by Diana McClure, was third.

Huge is owned by Hidden Point Farm and trained by John Salzman, Jr. She was sold as a yearling by her breeder, Wayne and Susie Chatfield-Taylor’s Morgan Ford Farm at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale for $20,000.

She broker her maiden at Laurel last September and has now won three races from thirteen starts and has total career earnings of $74,475. She was stakes placed beaten a head in the $50,000 Marshua Stakes at Laurel earlier this year.

Toccet’s Charm, by Toccet out of Ruler’s Charm by Cape Town was a 2008 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic bargain selling from breeder Audley Farm’s consignment for $16,000. For owners Paul Trapani and Lynda Furlong, Toccet’s Dream has made but three starts, winning two.

The Virginia-bred gelding finished sixth in his debut at Delaware Park before breaking his maiden there in June. He was near the pace early in the $50,000 Jamestown and then drew clear late under pressure to defeat David A. Ross’ Argent Affair and Audley Farm’s I’m Unforgettable.

Toccet’s Dream now has career earnings of $44,150.

ROSS, SMITH, HOMEISTER WIN TITLES

Colonial Downs’ 40-day summer race meet came to a close Tuesday night as leading trainer, owner, jockey, and apprentice rider were all awarded for their successes.

After a tight battle between trainers Hamilton Smith (pictured) and Ferris Allen, III for leading trainer, Smith walked away with the sixth leading title of his career. With 26 winners in 118 starters, Smith’s horses earned $500,725 during the meet. The two trainers have become regulars on the leader board for Colonial Downs, tying one another for the top spot in 1998.

Virginia owner David Ross once again dominated at Colonial Downs, earning his fifth straight leading owner title with 11 wins from 42 starts. His checkered maroon and white silks became a familiar site in the winners’ circle. Mrs. Arturo Peralta-Ramos finished second in the standings, with 7 wins from 22 starts.

Leading jockey for the season, Rosemary Homeister, Jr., booted home 50 winners and became the second leading female rider in history, with 2,138 wins, in the process. Her mounts earned over $675,000 as she rode them in the money 56% of the time.

Second in the standings behind Homeister was young rider Sheldon Russell, who earned the title of leading apprentice rider. Crossing the line first on 36 of his 221 mounts (25 of those wins with his ‘bug’ status), Russell has much to look forward to in the promising career ahead of him.

COUPLE WEDS AT COLONIAL DOWNS

Nice exacta.

Hey, why not?

The winning couple in Colonial Downs’ “Race to the Altar” promotion exchanged wedding vows Saturday in the winners circle at Colonial Downs after the frist race. Will Brizendine Jr. and Ashley Carson said their “I Do’s” between races. New Kent County Sheriff “Wakie” Howard conducted the wedding ceremony.

Readers of richmond.com and the Richmond Times Dispatch voted on every aspect of the lucky couple’s wedding.

A READER REACHES OUT TO THE GRADED STAKES COMMITTEE

July 29, 2009

The American Graded Stakes Committee
Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association
P.O. Box 910668
Lexington, KY 40591-0668

Hey this is Gio Ponti - that's me on the left in the photo.

Boy am I tired. That's what happens when you win a Gr.I turf race (the Man O War) against five other Gr.I turf winners. These class divisions on the turf are really steep! It was my third Gr.I win in a row so I'm on a bit of a roll.

At least Court Vision didn't show up. We've been beating each other up for a year now and I'll give him credit for thumping me in the Gr.I Hollywood Derby last fall. Who knows, maybe we will renew acquaintances in the Breeders Cup this fall. Also, I really feel bad about Sailor's Cap. He passed away just after beating Kip Deville on the turf in a Gr.I - that is no easy thing to do. Sailor's Cap was coming into his own and I would have enjoyed the challenge.

You know, now that I think about it, we all started to come into our own after running at a little track in Virginia called Colonial Downs. Sailor's Cap won the Colonial Turf cup (Court Vision got fourth) and I joined the party for the Virginia Derby. That's me and Court Vision on the inside.

Here's the order of finish from the 2008 Virginia Derby:

1) Gio Ponti
2) Court Vision
3) Sailor's Cap

Is there any other sequence of races on this continent that produces this many Gr.I winners where neither race has Gr.I status? One of my fans (see below) would like to know the answer. It's a legitimate question because we aren't just competitive in these Gr.I's, we are winning them.

Even when I look at the Breeder's Cup Juvenile Turf, I don't see too many horses from that race that go on to win all these Gr.I stake races. Maybe the Virginia Derby should be a Breeder's Cup race and the BCJT should be a Gr.II? I guess that wouldn't work with the whole 3yr/2yr thing and the Virginia Derby being run in the summer. I guess that is a silly suggestion.

In the meantime, you should consider moving the Virginia Derby to Grade I status.

Best, Gio Ponti via Rudy Richichi, 519 Colony Trail, Lanexa, VA 23089

P.S.: Also please not the two words that were not used in the creation of this letter – “English” and "Channel."

TWO INTERSTING BLOOD HORSE/FINAL TURNS

In case you missed these...

In recent issues, these two Final Turn columns have addressed issues relevant to Virginia racing. In the first, owner Nick Ben-Mier talks about losing Colonial Turf Cup winner Sailor’s Cap just after he won the Poker Handicap Gr.III at Belmont Park.

In the other, Evan Hammonds address the sticky subject of less racing…

PICTURE OF THE DAY

CHESAPEAKE. King Leatherbury’s homebred Ah Day, by Malibu Moon, out of Endette by Thirty Eight Paces, wins the $50,000 Chesapeake Stakes at Colonial Downs, July 27, 2009.

(Photo by Jeff Coady/Coady Photography)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 2

CALIFORNIA DREAMING. In this photo released by Benoit Photo, Moore Racing's Dewey's Special (7) and jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. overpower the rest of the field in the stretch for victory in the California Dreamin' Handicap on Sunday, July 26, 2009, in Del Mar, Calif.

PICTURE OF THE DAY 3

LAP FOAL. This foal in Oregon decided to get as close to mom as possible right after he was born back in April.

WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?

THE DAILY RACING FORM: For the record, I visited Colonial Downs on Saturday and was able to buy a Racing Form…which was nice. I don't know what that means in the grand scheme of things, but I was happy to see it and to pay $7 for it...All in all, we had a great day, and everybody we dealt with on the front side expressed regret over the meeting coming to an end.

THE VTA BOARD: Yesterday, the VTA Board of Directors approved the slate which was presented by the member-elected Nominating Committee for the new board.

The process works like this – like other equine organizations in the state such as the Virginia Horse Show Association, the VTA members vote on who will serve on the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee then asks for volunteers to serve or the names of people who would be well suited to serve.

We went to the elected Nominating Committee format one election ago for the simple reason that we could not get any new people elected to the board. The way it was designed previously, the incumbents were re-elected every election and the only way a new board member found his/her way to Warrenton was when someone retired or died.

That didn’t make much sense, so we changed it up.

Recently, the members elected the Nominating Committee. After a subscribed period of time where the members were encouraged to contact Nominating Committeee members, the committee then met and decided how to proceed. Their two options were to create a slate with more candidates than seats which would then require the members to vote again, or they could create a slate for a exact number of seats they wanted to fill which removes the need to eliminate qualified candidates via another vote. The committee chose the latter approach naming 21 people for 21 seats on the board.

The Nominating Committee consisted of three current VTA board members and three current non-board members. The Nominating Committee that was elected by the entire VTA membership was Debbie Easter (chairman, after receiving the most votes), Anne Poulson, Wayne Chatfield-Taylor from the board, and Nellie Mae Cox, Mark Deane and Reynolds Cowles from the membership at large.

The Nominating Committee was faced with a difficult task as many more volunteers and viable candidates were offered than there was room to accommodate.

As far as the VTA staff was concerned, we asked the Nominating Committee to choose potential directors who consistently bred horses and who would be motivated to help us move the industry forward. No staff members attended the Nominating Committee meeting, nor did any of us have any futher input with the committee members on the subject. I was particlularly sensitive to this issue as I did not want anyone to think the staff had "over influenced" the process by lobbying the committee members. Frankly, considering the strong personalities on the committee, I don't believe they would have listened had we tried!

The Nominating Committee spent a great deal of time sorting this out and eventually settled on a slate of candidates while producing a list of potential committee members they believed would be good future candidates.

The new board of the VTA will look like this:

RETURNING: Bob Bouse, Donna Dennehy, Jill Gordon-Moore, Carol Holden, Joan Jones, Tommy Lee Jones, Louisa Lenehan, Jim Morris, Ernie Oare, Jim Peterson and Anne Poulson.

NEW: Bill Backer, Chris Baker, Dr. Tim Casey, Jim Falk, Dr. E.C. “Pug” Hart, Leanne Hester, Brooke Royster, Mignon Smith and Dr. Jens Von Leppel.

Backer operates Smitten Farm and just recently won his second Virginia Oaks, Baker manages Edward P. Evans Spring Hill Farm, Dr. Casey has been breeding and racing in Virginia and West Virginia for many years, Jim Falk is an attorney who owns and breeds, Pug Hart and his wife Susie are commercial breeders at South Gate Farm, Leanne Hester owns, breeds, trains and stands a stallion, Brooke Royster and his wife Lindsley breed at Chance Farm, Mignon C. Smith operates the multi-faceted Mede Cahaba Stable & Stud, LLC and Dr. Von Leppel manages Audley Farm.

While everyone who volunteered to serve wasn’t chosen, we hope they you all be willing to be part of the committee system that we utilize to tackle various projects. Please know we appreciate your dedication and interest in what we are trying to accomplish.

VA-BRED WINS PA STAKE

A mere head separated Braeburn Farm’s homebred Virginia-bred Frisky Thunder from Cherokee Artist when the former crossed the finish line first in the $100,000 Leeward Steakes at Presque Isle Sunday evening.

Frisky Thunder (Pictured right at CLN) and jockey Erick Rodriguez got the best of Cherokee Artist under Harry Vega with Xela and John McKee back in third. Crimson Comic was another half-length back in fourth. Only two lengths separated the first six horses in the seven horse field.

Frisky Thunder, a 5-year-old mare, was kept just off the early pace before rallying in the stretch and taking the lead late. Trained by Tim Keefe, Frisky Thunder was the longest shot on the board at 19-1 and returned $41.80 to win.

The final time for the mile race over the Tapeta surface was 1.37.73.

Frisky Thunder, is by Thunder Rumble, out of Port St. Mary by Seattle Slew.

CHANCE FARM WINS FUTURITY BONUS

The Virginia Breeder’s Fund’s Yearling Futurity features a $15,000 purse. The first $10,000 is awarded at the event, and the final $5,000 is awarded to the top-four Virginia-bred earners at the end of their three-year-old racing year.

The 2006 VBF Futurity results have been tabulated and Brook and Lindsley Royster’s Chance Farm won the top prized of $3,000 for Delta Weekend.

Delta Weekend, by Jump Start, out of Misty Rain by Rubiano was fifth in the filly division of the Furturity which was judged by Maryland-based trainer Anne Merryman. She was sold at the Keenland September Yearling Sale for $27,000 and resold at the Ocala Select Sale of Two-Year-Olds for $100,000 prior to starting her racing career.

Delta Weekend, ran twice at two at Saratoga and Belmont, finishing third on one occasion. She broke her maiden on October 24, 2008 at Belmont Park following a second and third in her two previous starts at the New York track.

At the end of her sophomore campaign, Delta Weekend had won $47,680 from nine starts with one win, one second and two thirds. In 2009, the Virginia-bred has run four times with one win for additional earnings of $13,240 and she now has career earnings of $60,920.

The Royster’s earned the $3,000 first prize bonus based on Delta Weekend’s $47,680 earnings at the end of her three-year-old year. The Roysters then kindly donated the money back to Virginia Breeders Fund as a sponsorship for VBF Awards Day on Colonial Turf Cup Day at Colonial Downs back in late June.

Futurity Grand Champion Cumberland who was bred by Nellie Mae Cox earned the second place bonus of $1,000 based on his $45,010 in earnings through his sophomore campaign.

The colt by Salt Lake, out of Flying Ylanda by Launch A Dream was purchased by a Virginia-based partnership at the 2006 Eastern Fall Yearling Sale at Timonium for $110,000. The colt then did not reach his reserve as a two-year-old and ultimately raced for Charlottesville-based Wahoo Stable.

Cumberland broke his maiden at second asking at Delaware Park in September of his two-year-old year. After winning ht emaiden event by seven and on-half lengths he went on to capture a starter allowance at Delaware and a $27,000 allowance race at Charles Town. At the end of his two-year-old campaign, Cumberland had made four starts and won three times for earnings of $44,760.

Unfortunately for Cumberland’s connections, the handsome colt would make but two starts at three finishing out of the money on each occasion including a start in the $60,000 John D. Marsh Stakes at Colonial Downs. He concluded his racing career with $45,010 in his bankroll.

Mignon C. Smith’s Mede Cahaba Stable and Stud LLC’s homebred Class Real Rock finished fourth in the 2006 colt class of the VBF Yearling futurity and would go on to be a steeplechase stakes winner.

The son of Smith’s sire Rock Point, out of Class Reality by Class Secret, he made four failed attempts to break his maiden as a two-year-old at Laurel Park and Colonial Downs.

At three, Class Real Rock ran second in a maiden claiming event at Colonial Downs before breaking his maiden over jumps in the $50,000 Gladstone Stakes at Far Hills. At the end of his sophomore campaign, he had $38,830 in qualified earnings.

Eighth in the 2006 colt class was Marjorie Flowers and Deborah Kinney’s colt by Black Tie Affair (IRE) out of Stormy Nation by Storm Boot. Named Only by Invitation, the gelding did not start at two, but earned $33,520 as a three-year-old from six starts with one win, two seconds and one third.

Only by Invitation was second in his debut at Charles Town, third in his second start at Colonial before running second again at the New Kent track. The fourth start at Colonial was the charm as Only by Invitation won the $30,000 maiden claiming event by one and one-quarter lengths.

Only by Invitation has won $6,652 racing as a four-year-old in 2009 and now has $40,172 in career earnings.

QUALITY ROAD UPDATE

Florida Derby (G1) winner Quality Road will make his next start in the $150,000 Amsterdam Stakes (G2) on August 3 at Saratoga Race Course with a possible start in the Shadwell Travers Stakes (G1) to follow later in the month.

The Edward P. Evans homebred Elusive Quality colt has been sidelined since he was taken off the Triple Crown trail following the Florida Derby with a pair of quarter cracks. Quality Road won the Florida Derby by 1¾ lengths on March 28 at Gulfstream Park.
Quality Road breezed five furlongs in :59.88 on Thursday at Belmont Park. It was the second fastest of 32 timed workouts at the distance.

“I got him a little faster but I thought it went well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I was glad to get the work in between rains. He’ll most likely work again on Wednesday up at Saratoga.”

Quality Road could make his next start following the 6½-furlong Amsterdam in the $1-million Travers on August 29 at Saratoga.

“After speaking with Mr. Evans, the Travers will be strongly considered,” Pletcher said. “If we can prepare him the way we’d like to prepare him, that will be our main goal.”

NEW N.C. FANS FOR COLONIAL DOWNS

Our “Google Alert” for Colonial Downs turned up this blog entry. Looks like CLN has some new fans…

I officially completed this Thing to Do when I was in Miami in January 2007. After I swam with dolphins, I went up I-95 to Gulfstream Park and bet on a few races. It only took the window lady yelling at me once to figure out how to place a bet and I played it safe, placing only small bets. I bet on several races, choosing based on which names I liked, and didn’t win all day. Even though I never won, I really got bit by the gambling bug! Luckily for me, there aren’t any tracks in North Carolina or else I may be in the poor house.

Fast forward two years later and I finally got to Colonial Downs last Saturday, which is “only” 2.5 hours up I-95. Ever since I went to Gulfstream and discovered that Colonial Downs was kinda nearby, I’ve been wanting to go. And what better time to go than during the Virginia Derby?

To read the entire post, click here.

VIRGINIA-BRED WINNERS

Apromisebytomorrow (f, 6yo), Ball's Bluff - Apromiseisapromise by All Done John. B - Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc. Delaware Park, 7 /26/2009, clmg, winner’s share of purse: $7,800, 5 f, 1:00.13.

Blues Approval (f, 6yo), With Approval - Dream The Blues by Cure The Blues. B - Earl Thompson & Louise Thompson. Colonial Downs, 7 /26/2009, clmg, winner’s share of purse: $14,616, 8 f, 1:39.02.

Christmas Spirit (f, 5yo), Ball's Bluff - Christmas Magic by Chromite. B - Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc. Colonial Downs, 7 /20/2009, mdn sp wgt, winner’s share of purse: $13,340, 8 f, 1:41.17.

Diamond Fanatic (g, 4yo), Diamond - Valcrest by Val De L'Orne (FR). B - Iselin C. Oliver III. Colonial Downs, 7 /21/2009, clmg, winner’s share of purse: $9,976, 5 f, 0:58.28. ($1,900, yrlg, 2006, ftmoct)

Frisky Thunder (g, 5yo), Thunder Rumble - Port St. Mary (GB) by Seattle Slew. B - Braeburn Farm Corp. PID, 7 /26/2009, stk hcp, winner’s share of purse: $60,000, 8 f, 1:37.73.

Guided Halo (f, 5yo), Hay Halo - Park Guide by Northern Park. B - Barbara H. Du Pont.Colonial Downs, 7 /21/2009, mdn clmg, winner’s share of purse: $8,816, 8 f, 1:38.38. ($4,500, yrlg, 2005, ftmoct)

High Stakes Silver (c, 4yo), Silver Deputy - Mather Miss by Black Tie Affair (IRE). B - Audley Farm. Del Mar, 7 /22/2009, clmg, winner’s share of purse: $12,000, 8 f, 1:38.53. ($125,000, yrlg, 2006, keesep)

Hollys Song (f, 3yo), Civilisation - Demoness by Demons Begone. B - Clyde L. Miles Jr.Charles Town, 7 /23/2009, clmg, winner’s share of purse: $9,000, 4.5 f, 0:52.91.

Huge (f, 3yo), Meadowlake - Wonders Delight by Icecapade. B - Morgan's Ford Farm.Colonial Downs, 7 /25/2009, stk hcp, winner’s share of purse: $17,400, 5.5 f, 1:03.04. ($20,000, yrlg, 2007, ftmoct)

Like Parker Dreamt (g, 3yo), Parker's Storm Cat - Bullet Assault by Assault Landing. B - Eric A Rizer & Nancy M Rizer. Charles Town, 7 /23/2009, mdn clmg, winner’s share of purse: $9,000, 4.5 f, 0:52.20.

Martins Point (g, 6yo), Sea Salute - Latori by Unaccounted For. B - Hayes Donna M.Colonial Downs, 7 /20/2009, clmg, winner’s share of purse: $9,976, 8 f, 1:39.84.

Mediman (f, 5yo), Twining - Media Mania by Deputy Minister. B - Carlos S. E. Moore & Gillian Gordon-Moore. Delaware Park, 7 /21/2009, clmg, winner’s share of purse: $7,800, 6 f, 1:13.14. ($7,500, yrlg, 2005, ftmoct)

Mexicali Missile (g, 3yo), Golden Missile - Mexicali Rose by El Gran Senor. B - Backer William M. Colonial Downs, 7 /24/2009, clmg, winner’s share of purse: $9,976, 8.5 f, 1:45.19.

Pulverizer (c, 4yo), Volponi - Als Delight by Wayne County (IRE). B - Concepts Unlimited. Charles Town, 7 /23/2009, clmg, winner’s share of purse: $5,400, 6.5 f, 1:20.44.

Purrfect Smoke (f, 3yo), Smoke Glacken - Sure Can Purr by Tale Of The Cat. B - David A. Ross. Colonial Downs, 7 /24/2009, clmg, winner’s share of purse: $10,556, 6.5 f, 1:17.32.

Social Register (f, 4yo), Hussonet - Patelin's Legacy by Cherokee Colony. B - Iselin C. Oliver Mrs. III. Colonial Downs, 7 /24/2009, mdn clmg, winner’s share of purse: $11,136, 5.5 f, 1:06.14.

Stormin Jerry (c, 2yo), Stormin Fever - Grinamic by Grindstone. B - Paisley Eugenia D.Colonial Downs, 7 /25/2009, mdn clmg, winner’s share of purse: $13,456, 5.5 f, 1:06.80. ($4,500, wnlg, 2007, ftmdec)

Victor's Cry (c, 4yo), Street Cry (IRE) - Short Time by Clever Trick. B - Legacy Farm. Del Mar, 7 /25/2009, alwc, winner’s share of purse: $39,000, 8 f, 1:34.21. ($150,000, yrlg, 2006, ftkjul)

Zip The Lip (c, 4yo), City Zip - Southern Cure by Cure The Blues. B - South Gate.Charles Town, 7 /22/2009, clmg, winner’s share of purse: $9,000, 4.5 f, 0:52.57. ($15,000, yrlg, 2006, ftkfeb; $4,700, yrlg, 2006, ftmoct)

PICTURE OF THE DAY

AUGUST BIRD. In this photo provided by Equi-Photo, Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird, ridden by Kent Desormeaux gallops at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. on Sunday, July 26, 2009.

PICTURE OF THE DAY 2

EDDIE READ. In this photo provided by Benoit Photo, Global Hunter and jockey Corey Nakatani, left, make the turn for home with Monterey Jazz with jockey Tyler Baze, right, go on to win the Grade I, $350,000 Eddie Read Stakes horse races, Saturday, July 25, 2009, at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

VIRGINIA-OWNED FILLY WINS GR.I C.C.A. OAKS

Mrs. C.W. “Carter” McNeely was looking to build her broodmare band. After years of running her own farm and serving successfully as bloodstock manager for Eldon Equine, former VTA president Debbie Easter was starting her won independent bloodstock agency business. The Charlottesville-based horsewomen had known one another for many years.

It seems like it would be a perfect match. Saturday, after McNeely’s Funny Moon charged down the stretch to capture the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks Gr.I by a neck, it was very apparent just how perfect the match really is. It comes as no surprise to those who know Easter who has consistently made money and won races for her clients over the years

Easter purchased two fillies for McNeely at the 2007 Saratoga yearling sale. Funny Moon, by Malibu Moon out of Fun Crowd by Easy Goer, cost $175,000, and Saturday she became a first class broodmare while repaying her purchase price with the $180,000 winner’s share of the C.C.A. Oaks’ purse.

For years, Easter and trainer Randy Miles (both pictured below at the 2006 Colonial Turf Cup) have been in the pinhooking business together. McNeely sent Funny Moon to Miles for her early training, and Miles was the first to note her talent.

“Randy and Christophe have always told us she was very talented, and now she has proved it,” Easter said.

The filly was scheduled to make her first start at Saratoga last summer, but an injury set her back. She debuted in Florida this year, running second in a maiden race at Gulfstream Park. She came back a month later, and broke her maiden at the Florida track and followed that up with a May allowance win at Belmont Park.

Encouraged by her allowance win, her connections opted to run her in the Gr.I Mother Goose. It turned out to be the only poor performance of her now six race career.
Although she encountered traffic trouble in the Acorn, trainer Clement was surprised when she packed it in and faded to eighth, “I was very disappointed in her performance in the Acorn. We loved the filly beforehand and it's still a bit of a puzzle why she ran so badly that day, but it doesn't matter anymore, she's a Grade 1 winner now.”

Funny Moon came back to win another allowance at Belmont – this time by 8 ¼ lengths over the Fourth of July weekend. That victory set her up for the win in the C.C.A. Oaks.

On Saturday, the Malibu Moon filly rallied from the far outside entering the stretch, well clear of traffic, and she steamrolled through the stretch, passing six opponents in the final quarter-mile to prevail by a neck. Jockey Alan Garcia said her positioning on the final turn was not entirely by design.

"At the three-eighths pole, she didn't want to make the turn, she wanted to keep going straight,” Garcia said. “I tried to correct her because she was getting green at the top of the stretch. I saw I had a little filly left and all the time I was hitting her, she was giving me more. My filly, she gave me the best she had."

Funny Moon accelerated gamely after switching leads and closed steadily in the stretch. She powered to the lead in the closing strides and held off runner-up Don’t Forget Gil for her first career stakes win.

Just one-half length separated second place finisher Don’t Forget, Wynning Ride, Edward P. Evans’ Virginia-bred Casanova Move and fifth-place finisher and race favorite Livin Lovin.

Funny Moon finished second in her career debut in February before posting a pair of convincing victories, the first at a mile at Gulfstream Park and the second in a one-mile allowance race at Belmont. She was steadied with about a half-mile remaining in the Acorn and faded badly, but Funny Moon rebounded with an 8 1/4-length romp in an optional claiming race on July 3 at Belmont in her final prep for the Coaching Club American Oaks.

Out of the unraced Easy Goer mare Fun Crowd, Funny Moon is a half sister to multiple stakes winner Throng. She improved to four wins in six starts and boosted her earnings to $265,900.

The other Saratoga purchase from that year, West Court, is racing for McNeely under the care of Clement. While she has yet to break her maiden, her connections remain optimistic about her potential on the grass.

On winning a Gr.I stake with a yearling purchased for a client and friend, Easter said, “It’s a blast!”

To see a replay of the race, click here.

STRIKE THE TIGER STRIKES AGAIN

By Mike Farrell/Daily Racing Form

The globetrotting Strike the Tiger (pictured here at Royal Ascot - black and gold silks) made another successful stop on his world tour in the $50,000 Stakes for 2-year-olds on the turf at Colonial Downs.

The unbeaten colt is 3 for 3 in a career that started at Churchill Downs. The next stop was England for a successful assault on Royal Ascot, capturing the Windsor Castle Stakes at 33-1 for trainer Wesley Ward.

Back in the States, the price was only 6-5 in the Chenery but the result was the same.

With Ariel Smith aboard, Strike the Tiger shot right to the front and was in command throughout. He finished a convincing 3 1/4-length winner over Red Rally with Clever Ralph third.

The time was 1:03.74 for the 5 1/2 furlongs on the firm course.

In the $50,000 Tippett Stakes, the companion event for 2-year-old fillies, Oceans of Honey ($16.60) was also a front-running winner.

She employed the same tactics as in her debut on the main track at Suffolk Downs.

Jorge Rivera was aboard for trainer Odin Londono Jr. as Ocean of Honey ran the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:05.11, beating Taking a Chance by a half-length with Maddie's Odyssey third.

"I knew she had a lot of speed and I just tried to keep her as calm as I could," Rivera said. "I knew what I had under me and used the same strategy as at Suffolk."

CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT A SUCCESS

The early returns on the Shannon Campbell and Disabled Jockeys’ Fund Benefit Golf Tournament show $8,150 in the bank and more to come. The tournament, which was organized by the Virginia H.B.P.A. with Stephanie Nixon (here with Frank Petremalo and Jarrod Nixon) leading the charge, was once again a great day of fun with 15 teams and 51 players competing – both all time highs.

The tournament was held on Wednesday at Royal New Kent Golf Club adjacent to Colonial Downs. The team from Sandy Valley Farm captained by Doug Cox (below, 2nd from left) won first prize with an impressive 57(-15) on the par 72 links style layout. The VTA team was fourth after losing the third place tie-breaker at 61 (-11).

There is still time to send a donation: Golf Benefit c/o F. Petramalo, 38

Garrett Street, Warrenton, VA 20186












Geovany Garcia and Jessica Lindsey.















Donna Dennehy tees off.

The view of Colonial from off the #14 green.

VTA President Donna Dennehy, Rob Bailes, Steve Dennehy.













Listen up, there are actually rules.











Casey.

A GOOD QUESTION ANSWERED

Frank Petramalo’s article for the September Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred will be a Q&A about the 2009 Colonial Downs’ meet. We don’t want to scoop the magazine, but we know we will hear this question much sooner than later, so here’s a preview and some additional comments:

Question: Why weren’t there more overnight races for Virginia breds?

Answer: Racing Secretary Tyler Picklesimer wrote twenty races restricted to Virginia breds, including maiden and claiming races on the turf and dirt, both short and long. Only four of the races, all for maidens, attracted sufficient entries (between 9 and 13) to be carded. The other races drew from zero to six entries and were not used.

In addition to the four overnights for maidens seven stakes races for Virginia breds were carded.

This is a question we get every year, and the answer is very consistent. There is a sufficient number of Va-breds to fill some maiden races, but not enough to fill overnight races, and the issue isn’t the Racing Secretary or the condition book it’s the paltry number of Virginia-bred foals born in 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, etc...

In addition, one has to remember that the 100% Owners Bonus and the restricted race programs run at slightly cross purposes. The 100% Bonus motivates owners/trainers to run in open company where there earning power is much greater. The dilemma becomes “Do I want more money against more competition in the open race or less money against less competition in the restricted race?”

The answer has been pretty consistently “more and more.” This was particularly true last year when the 100% bonus was applied to the purses for first through six.

At the end of the day, everybody wants a race for their horse, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Everybody’s gotta eat! But, unfortunately with a foal population running between 350 to 300 a year for the various crops of Virginia-breds racing at Colonial Downs, there are simply not enough horses to fill overnight races.

We’ve been trying since 1997…we couldn’t do it then (’97, ’98 and ’99) when I was in the racing office every day, and it looks like they still can’t get it done now…

COLONIAL DOWNS ON THE DRF PROBLEM

Colonial Downs' president Ian Steward sent this along after reading the post earlier in the week about the lack of Daily Racing Forms at Colonial Downs.

I read with interest your comments on the Daily Racing Form (“DRF”). The DRF has been a challenge for Colonial Downs for many years. The problem is logistical. The DRF is printed in New York and then placed on a bus to Washington DC. In Washington, the DRF is transferred to another bus for delivery in Richmond. Attached is an email from a DRF executive earlier this year that details the problem with this method much more eloquently than I can.

From: Daily Racing Form 1957351
To: Greyhound Package Express

You’re killing me and my customers with your absolutely horrid service out of the DC terminal. On a daily basis we ship two shipments from the DC terminal one to Richmond VA the other to Tri State Racetrack in WVA. These shipments should go out 7 days a week.

We make the delivery to the terminal and 5 days out of 7 they never make it to their destination on time, if at all. My driver that makes the delivery to the DC terminal has on numerous occasions found the previous days shipment in the same spot where he dropped it the day before. He has told your people at the terminal of this and basically they don't give a damn!

DRF is not a nickel and dime customer, we use Greyhound extensively in the Mid West and Florida.

It has come to the point where my customers think that DRF is the problem…we’re not, it’s Greyhound that can not manage daily shipments out of the DC terminal.
In the past 30 days you have missed the WVA shipment 22 times!

Several years ago we suggested to the DRF that they send us the DRF electronically and we would print it here. They were not interested in pursuing that idea.

I believe that consistency for our customers is important. The DRF’s delivery method is very unreliable. Our customers became very frustrated because they would never know from day to day whether the DRF would be there. Therefore, we stopped attempting to receive the DRF by bus and instead we invested in kiosks at each of our OTBs and the track which print the DRF past performances as well as other handicapping information. However, they do not print the articles. The kiosks are very reliable and never miss the bus.

I am sure someone will ask why we don’t have a delivery system that picks the DRF up at the bus station in Washington. We are very familiar with this as for several years we attempted to move the DRF from the Richmond bus station to our OTBs around the state using a courier service. This truly is cost prohibitive. While some may believe we should spare no expense to provide the DRF to those that want it, the delivered cost of the DRF approaches $15 per copy just to move it from Washington to Richmond. Given that I do not believe we could pass this additional cost along to the customer, at our profit margins it means that it takes the first $110 of handle just to pay for the additional delivery cost.

This doesn’t make sense.

As an aside, we did try to bring in a few DRFs for Virginia Derby Day and I believe they are still somewhere out on I-95. I recognize that the DRF is very important to some customers. We have not been able to find a consistent, reliable and reasonably cost effective delivery method to provide it. We are certainly open to suggestions. In the mean time, the kiosks provide a very reliable source for the DRF past performances. – Ian Stewart.

In a recent follow-up conversation, Colonial Downs’ management team is trying to find a way to skin this cat on Turf Cup day and Virginia Derby day.