The stakes quintet will be run consecutively between races
five thru nine, and kicks off with the 5 ½ furlong Jamestown for two year olds.
Mike Trombetta, who captured last year’s Jamestown with Harbingerofthings, has
the early 6-5 favorite with A Lover’s Question. One of only two fillies in the
ten horse field, she is fresh off a dominating maiden special weight victory
over the Colonial turf July 6th. Stephanie Nixon’s Vestry, with a second and
third this meet, is the second early choice.
Wardelle is the early 3-1
pick in the Oakley Stakes for fillies and mares, three and up. The 6
year old Toccet filly has primarily raced at Monmouth the past two years but
did capture an allowance turf sprint at Colonial opening day last summer.
Leading rider Sheldon Russell has the mount atop second choice Seaside, who was
third in the 2011 Oakley. Third choice Miss Oil finished one notch respectively
behind Wardelle and Seaside in each of their ’11 Colonial outings.
Embarr, In The Rough and Cobbleys’ Breeze, the top three
finishers in last year’s Brookemeade Stakes, will square off again one year
later. Embarr is a 4 year old Susan Cooney trainee that has collected a pair of
wins over the Pimlico turf in her last trio of outs and is the second early
choice. Morning line favorite though is Atlantic Tap, who switched over to
grass two starts ago and found instant success in an Arlington allowance.
Horacio Karamanos will ride for trainer Wayne Catalano in the one mile filly
and mare stakes.
Jake Rattle N Roll, who was second in the last two Punch
Line editions, is favored in the Bert Allen Stakes. The 7 year old Bop gelding
has a pair of tight runner-up finishes this meet at the Allen’s 5 ½ furlong
distance. Staged Affair, who beat Jake in the ’12 Punch Line by a nose, is
second choice. Giant Patriot and Romans Reward, third and fourth in the same
stakes, are in this field as well.
The final Virginia-bred offering is the Daniel Van Clief
Stakes and the ’12 version will pit last year’s top three finishers against
each other. Silver Tie Affair, who won the ’11 Van Clief by one length, is
second favorite and is coming off a fifth place finish in the $500,000 Colonial
Turf Cup June 16th. Chedi and Powder Mountain, runners-up last year, are 15-1
and 7-2 respectively. Early favorite is Kathleen O’Connell’s Dannhauser, who was
fourth most recently in Colonial’s Da Hoss Stakes June 16th.
Post time on Friday is 7:00 PM. The evening will also
feature the presentation of the awards to the 2011 Virginia-bred Champions.
The summer season concludes on Saturday with a
twelve race program beginning at 6 PM.
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