The following appeared in The Racing Biz, by Nick Hahn

Whether run at Colonial Downs or Laurel, repeat Virginia-bred stakes winners are common, which is why year after year, past stakes winners come back to compete.

Not so today, however.

On Saturday afternoon as part of Laurel Park’s “Class on the Grass,” defending stakes winners found it difficult to find their way back to the winner’s circle.

Tiz Our Time won the biggest race of her career Saturday by capturing the $75,000 White Oak Farm Stakes, part of the Maryland-Virginia Breeders’ Day festivities at Laurel Park.

Tiz Our Time won the second annual White Oak Farm Stakes June 24th at Laurel. photo courtesy of Jim McCue.

The 5 year old daughter of Tiz Wonderful broke her maiden February 1st at Charles Town courtesy of a disqualification that saw her get bumped up from second to… Continue reading →

Special Envoy (#4 outside) edged Rose Brier (#3 inside) in a thriller Saturday in the $75,000 Edward Evans Stakes at Laurel Park. This was the first of four turf stakes on the program for Virginia-bred or sired horses.

Special Envoy (outside) battles with Rose Brier (inside) in the $75,000 Edward Evans Stakes. photo by Jim McCue.

A year ago in the same event, Rose Brier got the best of Special Envoy by a length but the tables turned… Continue reading →

Most of the Virginia-bred focus Saturday will be at Laurel Park, where a four pack of $75,000 stakes will be contested, but two Virginia-bred horses are competing in a pair of elite races elsewhere on Saturday.

Long On Value won the Jamestown Stakes at Colonial Downs in 2013. Courtesy of Coady Photography.

This piece appeared on The Racing Biz website and was written by Frank Vespe. Listen to The Racing Biz radio Saturday mornings on Richmond’s ESPN 950-AM from 10-11 AM..

A pair of graded stakes winners, multi-millionaire Ben’s Cat and hard-hitting middle-distance star Rose Brier, headline Saturday’s day of six restricted stakes at Laurel Park.

Four of the six — the Edward P. Evans (race 3), Nellie Mae Cox (race 5), White Oak Farm (race 8), and M. Tyson Gilpin… Continue reading →

Virginia Breeders’ Day will feature a four pack of $75,000 Virginia-bred turf stakes — the second editions of the Edward Evans, Nellie Mae Cox and White Oak Farm Stakes, and the inaugural Tyson Gilpin Stakes. A pair of 5 1/2 furlong maiden turf sprints for Virginia-breds will also be carded — one for colts and another for fillies/mares.

Early nominations to all four turf stakes are strong. 28 horses… Continue reading →

TORONTO, June 11—Queen Del Valle, invading from south of the border, took over from front-running Will She in late stretch and prevailed by a half-length length in Sunday’s $100,000 Alywow Stakes at Woodbine.

The final time for the Alywow, a six-furlong turf race for 3-year-old fillies, was a track-record 1:12.93 on a firm course.

Toronto Ont June 11, 2017 Woodbine Racetrack.Alywow Stakes, Queen Del Valle Jockey Edgar Zayas,owner Big Lick Farm and trainer Reid Nagle.WEG/michael burns photo

Queen Del Valle… Continue reading →

A Virginia-owned filly captured a stakes north of the border and five Virginia-breds got to the winners circle on a successful Belmont Stakes weekend for horses/connections with Commonwealth ties. Six different tracks were represented courtesy of those successes.

Queen Del Valle, trained by Reid Nagle and owned by his Big Lick Farm in Charlottesville, was best in the $105,000 Alywow Stakes June 11th at Woodbine. The 3 year old Kentucky-bred filly remained perfect in four starts… Continue reading →

At its Tuesday June 6th meeting, the Virginia Racing Commission approved the HBPA’s request to fund a series of races that will be contested in Maryland and West Virginia this year. Three showcase race days at Laurel will feature a slate of Virginia-bred turf stakes while ten individual restricted races will be contested at either Laurel or Charles Town from July through November.

Rose Brier is shown winning the 2016 Bert Allen Stakes for… Continue reading →

The following was submitted by Nick Hahn of The Racing Biz.

 Virginia-bred female turf sprinter Rapid Rhythm takes her first try in graded stakes company in Thursday’s $250,000 Intercontinental Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park, part of massive weekend of stakes races.

Bred by Lazy Lane farm in Upperville, VA, the five-year-old mare has won 8 of her 20 lifetime starts largely on the turf.   After winning the $60,000 Oakley Stakes at Laurel Park last September, Rapid Rhythm… Continue reading →