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| COZEGGI WINNING THE AMERICAN DERBY ON SATURDAY (Four Footed Foto) |
Two of Romans’ five ran in the American Derby (Gr. III) at
Arlington on Saturday (July 14) with his Cozzetti coming up the winner. Undefeated Silver Max was scratched and is a
hopeful for the Derby. His other pair,
Dullahan and Finnegans Wake, are both owned by Jerry Crawford’s Donegal Racing
group who captured Colonial’s 2010 Turf Cup and Virginia Derby with Paddy
O’Prado. The former was third in the Kentucky Derby and seventh most recently
in the Belmont, while the latter finished fourth to stablemate Silver Max in
the Grade II American Turf at Churchill May 4th.
Christophe Clemente, who trained ’08 Virginia Derby winner
Gio Ponti, nominated Easy Crossing and Summer Front, both impressive turf
candidates. The first, an English Channel colt, has two wins and three
runner-ups in five turf starts while Summer Front is a perfect 4-for-4 on
grass, scoring most recently in the Grade III Hill Prince Stakes on June 16th.
Graham Motion nominated a trio including Howe Great and
Lucky Chappy, both owned by Team Valor International. They have respective turf
earnings of $227,653 and $154,877. The former was a close second to Summer
Front in the Hill Prince while the latter has been idle since a seventh place
outing in the Grade II UAE Derby in Dubai on March 31st.
Mike Maker nominated Gung Ho, who captured the $150,000
Sunday Silence Stakes at Louisiana Downs last fall, and Morgan’s Guerilla, who
has done well on dirt including a second in the Illinois Derby to Ham Smith’s
Done Talking, who also was nominated.
Todd Pletcher, who has collected Virginia Derby wins with
English Channel in ’05 and Red Giant in ’07, nominated Star Channel, a son of
that ’05 winner.
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| SILVER MAX (Keeneland Photo) |
D. Wayne Lukas nominated Optimizer, who competed in all
three Triple Crown legs this spring, and Skyring who was third in the American
Derby on Saturday.
King Kreesa, on a roll with three turf wins and a runner up
in his last four, was nominated by trainer Jeremiah Englehart. The two most
recent wins have come at Belmont and the prior was at Aqueduct.
The post position draw for next Saturday’s Virginia Derby
will be at Hooter’s Restaurant on West Broad Street in Richmond this Wednesday
July 18th at 1 PM.
The Derby Day card itself includes five stakes and a total
of 14 races beginning at 5 PM. Other stakes include the $150,000 Virginia Oaks
(Gr. III) and a trio of $50,000 stakes – the Kitten’s Joy, Chenery and Tippett.
The quintet will be bundled into an All Stakes, All Turf Pick-5 wager. Post
time for the Derby is 8:38 PM.
All 14 races will be televised live on
HRTV.
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