Pixelate Tops Colonial's Buckland Stakes

A trio of open turf stakes highlight the July 26 11-race card at Colonial Downs as the New Kent, Va., track ushers in week two of its summer racing season on the heels of a record-breaking handle during opening week. For the opening race week that ran July 19-21, Colonial handled a combined $7,100,435.  

The $150,000 Buckland Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf, attracted a 10-horse field, eight of which have earned $190,000 or more. The $100,000 Andy Guest Stakes for fillies and mares 3 and up lured a dozen entrants and the $100,000 Da Hoss Stakes has an impressive seven-horse field of 3-year-olds and up. The final pair will be contested at 5 1/2 furlongs on the outer turf.

Godolphin's Pixelate , with wins last year in the Del Mar Derby (G2T) and Woodchopper Stakes and most recently in the June 13 Prince George's County Stakes, is the 7-2 morning-line choice in the Buckland. The 4-year-old City Zip colt also finished a respectable fifth—beaten three lengths—in the Jan. 23 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T). The Kentucky homebred has a 5-6-3 from 18 starts with $493,350 in earnings. Pixelate is trained by Michael Stidham and will be ridden by Joe Bravo from post 7.

WSS Racing and Hooties Racing's Mr Dumas , next at 4-1 on the morning line, has been idle since last October when he was best in a Keeneland grass allowance. The 5-year-old son of Majesticperfection  also prevailed in a 2020 Churchill Downs allowance and finished a close second in the Bernard Baruch Handicap (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course last July. He captured the Commonwealth Turf Stakes (G3T) as a 3-year-old. The John Ortiz trainee has accumulated $358,479 in earnings from 14 starts. He will be ridden by Julian Pimentel from post 6.

Blackout Racing and Mike Farrar's Megacity , third morning-line choice at 9-2, is fresh off a pair of turf allowance optional claiming wins at Belmont Park and Monmouth Park. The Michael Tomlinson trainee was bred in Kentucky by Virginian Maggie Bryant, who recently passed away. Joe Rocco Jr. will be in the irons from post 5.

Entries: Buckland S.

Colonial Downs, Monday, July 26, 2021, Race 8

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• Inner turf
• $150,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:01 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Kentucky Ghost (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	124	Victoria H. Oliver	10/1
2	2Eons (KY)	Mychel J. Sanchez	122	Arnaud Delacour	10/1
3	3Fear the Deer (KY)	Horacio Karamanos	122	Lilli Kurtinecz	20/1
4	4Talk Or Listen (IRE)	Daniel Centeno	122	Arnaud Delacour	5/1
5	5Megacity (KY)	Joseph Rocco, Jr.	124	Michael A. Tomlinson	9/2
6	6Mr Dumas (KY)	Julian Pimentel	122	John Alexander Ortiz	4/1
7	7Pixelate (KY)	Joe Bravo	124	Michael Stidham	7/2
8	8Split the Wickets (KY)	Adam Beschizza	122	Thomas L. Van Berg	8/1
9	9Current (KY)	Tomas B. Mejia	122	James Bentley Begg	10/1
10	10Cannon's Roar (MD)	Paco Lopez	122	Dale Capuano	15/1

Team Valor International's Beantown Baby , looking for her fourth straight win, headlines the Andy Guest Stakes field as the 2-1 morning-line favorite. The 5-year-old Artie Schiller  mare returns to Virginia after recent convincing turf sprint wins at Delaware Park and Pimlico Race Course for trainer Arnaud Delacour. Mychel Sanchez, who partnered with Beantown Baby for her most recent triumph, retains the mount from post 7.

John Kerber, Iveta Kerber, and Jon Lapczenski's Ain't No Elmers  is second choice at 4-1 and is fresh off an impressive gate-to-wire performance in a Churchill allowance optional claiming contest. The 4-year-old Goldencents   filly, runner-up in the 2020 Miss Preakness Stakes (G3), has made only one previous start on the turf in 13 starts, finishing a narrow third in an Ellis Park allowance optional claimer last July. Ain't No Elmers is trained by Bret Calhoun and will be ridden by Adam Beschizza from post 8.

Entries: Andy Guest S.

Colonial Downs, Monday, July 26, 2021, Race 7

• STK
• 5 1/2f
• Outer turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:33 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Dendrobia (MD)	Forest Boyce	122	Timothy L. Keefe	10/1
2	2So Gracious (KY)	Sheldon Russell	122	Brittany T. Russell	12/1
3	3Dannyhill (KY)	Heriberto Figueroa	118	Carlos Munoz	20/1
4	4Moanas Power (FL)	Tomas B. Mejia	118	Carlos Munoz	20/1
5	5Lovielee (FL)	Charles C. Lopez	122	Abraham Gardea	20/1
6	6Violenza (KY)	Chris Landeros	122	Ian R. Wilkes	5/1
7	7Beantown Baby (FL)	Mychel J. Sanchez	122	Arnaud Delacour	2/1
8	8Ain't No Elmers (KY)	Adam Beschizza	122	W. Bret Calhoun	4/1
9	9Hydra (FL)	Paco Lopez	122	Kelly Rubley	6/1
10	10Mudslide Wicked (KY)	Maria Rosana Scaldaferri	122	Maria Ines Mejia	20/1
11	11Mastering Bela (KY)	Victor Rosales	118	Carlos Munoz	20/1
12	12Mucha Mezquina (KY)	Jevian Toledo	122	Mark V. Salvaggio	10/1

Six of the seven Da Hoss Stakes entrants have a bankroll of $220,000-plus including Michelle Lovell and Griffon Farms' Just Might , the 9-5 morning-line favorite. The 5-year-old Justin Phillip  gelding won the June 5 Mighty Beau Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs last out and earlier this year powered to a five-length win in the Colonel Power Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. In 2020, Just Might was stakes placed in a pair of graded stakes—the Woodford Presented by TVG (G2T) and the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Presented by Sysco (G2T). In all, he has bankrolled $400,309. Colby Hernandez will ride from post 5.

Ed and Susie Orr's Virginia-bred Boldor , conditioned by Steve Asmussen, is the second choice at 7-2. The 5-year-old Munnings   gelding prevailed in Oaklawn Park's King Cotton Stakes and the Sam's Town Stakes at Delta Downs earlier this year on the dirt in back-to-back starts. Jockey Sheldon Russell gets the call Monday from post 2.

Jim and Susan Hill's Holiday Stone , top money earner in the field with $521,159, is the third early pick at 9-2. The 7-year-old Harlan's Holiday horse has had at least one turf allowance victory each season since 2018. Feargal Lynch will ride from post 4 for trainer George Weaver.  

Entries: Da Hoss S.

Colonial Downs, Monday, July 26, 2021, Race 4

• STK
• 5 1/2f
• Outer turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 3:09 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Uncle Roamie (PA)	Carlos Montalvo	122	Lawrence M. Smith	20/1
2	2Boldor (VA)	Sheldon Russell	126	Steven M. Asmussen	7/2
3	3Mai Ty One On (FL)	Mychel J. Sanchez	122	Jane Cibelli	5/1
4	4Holiday Stone (KY)	Feargal Lynch	124	George Weaver	9/2
5	5Just Might (KY)	Colby J. Hernandez	126	Michelle Lovell	9/5
6	6Francatelli (KY)	Charlie Marquez	122	Cathal A. Lynch	5/1
7	7Love You Much (MD)	Horacio Karamanos	122	A. Ferris Allen, III	12/1