Colonial Downs Kicks Off With Record Opening Day Handle
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Photo: Coady Photography
Passion Play wins the Bert Allen Stakes at Colonial Downs
Colonial Downs kicked off its 2021 racing season July 19 with a record opening day handle of $2.66 million, spurred by a four-pack of $100,000 Virginia-restricted turf stakes races, and the return of fans to the New Kent, Va., track now in its third year under ownership of the Colonial Downs Group.
"We would like to thank the horsemen, our fans on and off site, and our team for starting the meet on the right foot," said John Marshall, executive vice president of operations for the Colonial Downs Group. "What a delight it was to see 2,500 fans at Colonial Downs on a Monday afternoon with such enthusiasm. We appreciate our fans for urging a new all-time Colonial Downs all-source handle opening day record. Looking at today's card, Colonial Downs has arrived at a whole new level."
Colonial's all-time leading rider Horacio Karamanos reached the winners circle three times Monday, including a gate-to-wire victory atop Reiley McDonald's Passion Play ($17.20) in the 1 1/16-mile Bert Allen Stakes for 3-year-olds and up. The 5-year-old Hold Me Back gelding set fractions of :23.03, :47.56, and 1:10.63 before finishing in a final time of 1:41.73 on the firm course. He won by two lengths over Forloveofcountry , who had a three-race win streak snapped. It was another six lengths back to Point of Grace in third. Favorite Chess Chief was fourth.
"I expected someone else to go to the front, but when my horse broke out of the gate and took the lead, I tried to control the pace and at the half-mile mark, knew I had plenty of horse left," said Karamanos, who also won aboard Cavalier Cupid and My Sweet Story . "I'm so happy to come here and win this much. This is like my home. I broke records here and feel so happy when I'm back at Colonial Downs."
Trained by Mary Eppler, Passion Play pushed his bankroll to $197,947. His record stands at 3-3-4 from 20 starts.
Mr. and Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III bred Passion Play in Virginia out of the Not For Love mare Stylish Affair, dam of black-type placed winners Drop Dead Red and Hold Me Black , both full siblings to Passion Play. McDonald's Athens Woods purchased Passion Play for $25,000 from Eaton Sales' consignment to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Gordon Keys' homebred Grateful Bred ($6.20) gave Middleburg, Va.-based trainer Madison Myers her first stakes win in the 5 1/2-furlong Meadow Stable Stakes for 3-year-olds and up. The 5-year-old Great Notion gelding sat just off the pace under Jevian Toledo, following fractions of :21.30 and :44.04. He raced three-wide around the turn, took the lead at the top of the stretch, and crossed the line 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Sky's Not Falling for a final time of 1:02.45. Flank Speed completed the trifecta.
"It's pretty important and exciting to get my first stakes win," said Myers. "I can't thank Mr. Keys enough for giving me a chance with a horse like this. We only have a handful of horses, so for him to leave him with me and let us go down this route is very special. He won a Maryland-bred allowance four weeks and this was the goal, so we worked him once in between."
Myers added that winning in Virginia made it an extra special win.
"The horse is Maryland-bred and Virginia-certified, and we want to support both programs. We moved to Virginia 8 1/2 years ago, bought a house, and just had a baby, so we're pretty settled here now."
Grateful Bred, out of the Malibu Moon mare Malibu Moment, has a 4-1-0 record from eight starts and earnings of $159,765.
Newtown Anner Stud Farm's Tasting the Stars ($8.00) earned her third stakes win in the black-type Nellie Mae Cox, for fillies and mares 3 and up at a mile, with Feargal Lynch in the irons. The 5-year-old Bodemeister mare was sixth early as fractions went in :23.31 and :46.44, fifth as six furlongs went in 1:10.75, launched an inside bid turning for home, and won by 2 1/4 lengths. Final time was 1:35.40. Fionnbharr rallied for second and Urban Fairytale was third.
Tasting the Stars, trained by John Kimmel, has won five of seven starts and has earned $204,600.
Bred in Virginia by Audley Farm Equine, Tasting the Stars is out of the grade 3-winning Awesome Again mare Pink Champagne , also dam of 2012 Bert Allen runner-up Dom . Newtown Anner, with Sallusto and Albina as agent, purchased Tasting the Stars for $140,000 from Audley Farm Equine's consignment to the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale.
Big Lick Farm's Puppymonkeybaby ($50.40) prevailed in the 5 1/2-furlong M. Tyson Gilpin Stakes for fillies and mares 3 and up, and gave trainer Sarah Nagle her second win of the day. The 3-year-old Hit It a Bomb filly was making just her third lifetime start. Ridden by Toledo, she was ninth through a :21.18 quarter-mile and sixth through a :44.03 half-mile. She accelerated down the lane and won by three-quarters of a lengths in a final time of 1:02.81. Envied was edged out to finish second and Door Buster was third.
Puppymonkeybaby has now won her last two races from three career starts and has earned $78,300. Bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm, the filly is out of the stakes-placed Officer mare Officer's Holiday . She was a $13,000 purchase by Big Lick Farm out of Summerfield's consignment to the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sales Winter Mixed Sale.
Video: Nellie Mae Cox S. (BT)
Video: Bert Allen S.
Video: Meadow Stable S.