Fueled by five restricted stakes races and one restricted maiden race, a record sixty-eight Virginia-bred and/or sired horses will be racing on Saturday, July 30 in the Commonwealth Turf Festival run in the memory of Edward P. Evans at Colonial Downs.
The day’s festivities will also include the 2010 Va-bred championship award presentations as well as Evans’ induction into the Virginia Equine Hall of Fame.
Virginia-bred Champion three-year-old filly for 2010, In The Rough tops the card as she returns to run in the $50,000 Brookmeade Stakes presented by TracksideOnRadio.com. Last year, the Stormy Atlantic filly won the listed $125,000 Coconut Grove Stakes at Gulfstream, placed in the $100,000 Little Silvers St. [L] at Monmouth and ran third here in Virginia ain the $150,000 Virginia Oaks Gr.III.
Out of Old Fashion Girl by Arch, In the Rough enters the race off a series of improving performances. In February, George and Lori Hall’s filly finished fourth and then third in allowance races at Gulfstream Park. In Kentucky at Churchill Downs in April she finished a close second in a $53,000 allowance race prior to winning her last start – a $35,000 allowance race at Monmouth Park in June.
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| FRISKY THUNDER (Coady Photography) |
In The Rough was bred by Lazy Lane Farm Farms, Inc., is trained by Belmont Stakes winner Kelly Breen and ridden on Saturday by Angel Serpa.
The likely favorite in the Brookmeade looks to be Lunar Mist. The four-year-old Malibu Moon filly was bred by Chance Farm of Brook and Lindsley Royser of Gordonsville. Out of Misty Rain by Rubiano, Lunar Mist, who races fro Jerry Jamgotchian, won the $75,000 Firecracker Handicap at Mountaineer last time out. Prior to that she ran third in the Great Lady M Stakes at Hollywood Park.
Other Colonial Down vets represented on the card include the stakes winners Bopolene and Frisky Thunder. Track record setter Chedi is also entered in the Daniel Van Clief Stakes.
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| BOPOLENE (Coady Photography) |
Audley Farm in Berryville is represented as the breeder of seven horses entered on Saturday’s ten race card. Larry Johnson, who will be receiving the VTA’s Award of Achievement, bred five of the Va-breds entered.
Wayne and Susie Chatfield-Taylor’s Morgan’s Ford Farm and Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin both bred four horses entered in Commonwealth Turf Festival races while Dr. Sam English and Mede Cahaba Stable and Stud LLC are represented by three each.
The new day of turf racing was the brainchild of Colonial Downs’ racing secretary Tyler Picklesimer and if entries are used as the measuring stick the day is a success before the starting gate opens for the 4:35 pm first race.
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