The “Festival of Racing” program at Colonial Downs, scheduled for Saturday August 12, features three major graded stakes races — the G1 Arlington Million (Race 10), G1 Beverly D (Race 9) and G2 Secretariat Stakes (Race 8). A total of $2 million in purse monies will be on the line between those three stakes. The first of 11 races is scheduled for 1:30 PM and general admission is free!
(NEW KENT, VA — 8/9/2023) — The second, third and fourth place finishers in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf will square off against each other in a rematch Saturday in the G2, $500,000 Secretariat Stakes at Colonial Downs, a key under card stakes on the 11-race Festival of Racing program which includes the G1 Arlington Million and G1 Beverly D. A field of eight 3-year-olds will compete one mile over the Secretariat Turf Course in the eighth race stakes which is being contested for the first time since 2021.
Godolphin LLC’s Silver Knott was the betting choice in that November “Cup” race at Keeneland where he had a strong runner-up finish to Victoria Road, losing by just a nose. The Lope de Vega colt, who was bred in Great Britain, is fresh off two summer starts at Belmont Park where he was fifth most recently in the G1 Belmont Derby and a close third in the G2 Pennine Ridge Stakes before that. The Charles Appleby trainee has three career wins, all coming at tracks in England. The 3-1 second early choice will be ridden by Jamie Spencer. Overall, Silver Knott has amassed $326,676 in earnings.
Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables and William Strauss’s Nagirroc finished third in last year’s Juvenile Turf and to date this year, has finished second in the G3 Transylvania Stakes, third in the G2 Manila Stakes and in between, authored a track record performance in winning the James W. Murphy Stakes on the Preakness under card at Pimlico. The Lea colt has top-three finishes in all of his eight career starts and has bankrolled $407,550. Flavien Prat, who has ridden Nagirroc in his last four starts, will be in the irons for trainer Graham Motion from post three as the 5-2 early pick.
BBN Racing’s Mo Stash, fourth in the “Cup” — crossing just three lengths behind the winner — has continued his front running form since. The Mo Town colt went gate-to-wire in the G3 Transylvania then came just short in a pair that followed. He was a respectable fourth in the G2 American Turf at Churchill and close second in the American Derby at Ellis Park. Victoria Oliver trains and jockey Florent Geroux will lead from post four. Mo Stash has accumulated $460,375 in earnings.
Spendthrift Farm’s Major Dude, who has won the G2 Penn Mile and G3 Kitten’s Joy Stakes already this year, departs from post six with jockey Tyler Gaffalione. The Todd Pletcher trainee’s 11 career starts are the most of any in the field and his $729,895 in purse winnings are tops. In 2023 alone, the Bolt d’Oro colt has bankrolled $554,645 and has placed in five of six stakes. He took second in the Dania Beach and G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks events and was third in the G2 American Turf. Most recently, Major Dude was fourth in the G3 Manlia at Belmont.
Victory Racing Partners’ More Than Looks will invade New Kent fresh off a 1-1/2 length triumph in the Manila. The More Than Ready colt is 3-for-5 this year — his other two wins include a turf allowance score at Ellis Park and a maiden win at Gulfstream that was taken off the turf. Jose Lezcano will ride for trainer Cherie DeVaux from post seven.
DeVaus also conditions West Point Thoroughbreds and David Ingordo’s Northen Invader who will be ridden by John Velazquez from post five. After a pair of seconds on dirt this spring at Churchill, the Collected colt switched to grass and romped by eight lengths in a July 1 maiden special weight at Belmont.
Rounding out the field are Mastic Beach Racing’s Tee At One and Iapetus Racing and Diamond T Racing’s Gigante, a Virginia-bred son of Not This Time. The former has a pair of wins and seconds from four career starts including a runner-up in the Kent Stakes July 15. Mychel Sanchez will direct the Tunwoo gelding for trainer Diane Morici. The latter was victorious in Colonial’s Kitten’s Joy Stakes in 2022 and he won the Caesar’s Handicap at Horseshoe Indianapolis May 17. Javier Castellano will ride for trainer Steve Asmussen.
General Admission is free every day at Colonial Downs. Limited reserved seating remains available for Saturday and can be purchased at www.colonialdowns.com/racing. If you can’t make it to the races, the entire Colonial Downs Festival of Racing card will be broadcast on FanDuel TV and the FanDuel TV+ app. Live on-site coverage will on begin Thursday with Todd Schrupp, Scott Hazleton and Caton Bredar. Fans can wager on the Colonial Downs Festival of Racing card at wagering outlets throughout the country including www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated.