by Nick Hahn
| RACE 1 | ||
| 9 | MAGICAL MERRY | How does McMahon have only 1 win in the meet? Gets it done here with a mare dropping from 16000. |
| 6 | HARBOR FOX | |
| 11 | WILD HEIR CAT | |
| RACE 2 | ||
| 6 | BUCARAMANGA | Red Giant sires a filly stretching out to a mile getting bug weight. Boyce back aboard Moran mount. |
| 4 | TETON JACKSON | |
| 8 | MEANT EVERY TEAR | |
| RACE 3 | ||
| 6 | TOUCH THE LIGHT | “Touch’s” last start was at a 1 & 1/4 mile in the Charles Town bull ring. Sounds like a CNL winner to me. |
| 11 | ADIRONDACK FOREST | |
| 9 | MARQ YOUR BIBLE | |
| RACE 4 | ||
| 9 | SALLY OH SALLY | Which KDG filly wins here? Both solid seconds at CNL this summer but “Sally” also has a win. |
| 6 | CEE’S FAST | |
| 3 | PIONEER ZEPHYR | |
| RACE 5 | ||
| 1 | MARRIAGE FEVER | Hams’ been waiting for the right start. Gets it finally here with a solid working 4-year old. “Arkle” gets “K”. |
| 4 | ARKLE PARK | |
| 6 | VESTRY | |
| RACE 6 | ||
| 1 | SOUTHERN REGION | Tough coupled entry for McMahon especially at CNL. It’s my pick but price may not make it my bet. |
| 6 | SUMMER HUSTLER | |
| 9 | BERT B DON | |
| RACE 7 | ||
| 2 | SOUTHERNBELLESHELL | Not a big fan of 1st timers but McCutchen’s two-year old is sired by Monarchos & has some morning punch. |
| 5 | EBONY WINGS | |
| 1 | SEA BUBBLE | |
| RACE 8 | ||
| 9 | PRINCE TOGIAK | Good CNL race with 11 starters & the favorite 4-1. Three have wins. Crocker even a chance here. |
| 8 | WHISKEY KEG | |
| 10 | SUMMER IN GIZA | |
| RACE 9 | ||
| 10 | STAR LEEN | Another McCutchen filly looking good in the am but Allen shortens for Karamanos return mount. |
| 1 | COWGIRL MAGIC | |
| 3 | MOVEINIT | |
Nick’s Notes
Opening weekend, we labeled Ashland as the center of the “equiverse” when trainers Stephanie Nixon and Karen Dennehy Godsey represented central Hanover County well in winning several races. Nixon’s Boltin’ Out won yet again at Colonial since early June. KDG now has three wins in the meet. Boltin’ Out, Jason Cole’s Choir of Angels and the Smithwick’s Coturnix are the only multiple winners of the meet so far.
However, horsemen that work in the shadow of Jefferson’s roost surrounding Charlottesville are also having outstanding meets. Trainer Reid Nagle is capturing wins at a 38% rate, going 5 for 13 in the meet, while Patrick Neusch has conditioned 3 of his 5 starters to winning performances. Charlottesville based owners PTK and Big Lick Farm are both tied with 5 wins in the meet. Looks like several of the different Virginias are doing well in the meet.
With nine days of racing left, jockey Horacio Karamanos has the lead in the riding standings by wins and earnings. “Special K’s” 14 wins are three better than Richard Monterrey and four ahead of Xavier Perez and Sheldon Russell.
“Mikelewisjazz” leads the colonialturfchallenge with 9 days left with $260.10 in earnings. “New Kent Nick” is 729th with a mere $91.00, yet good enough to make the top 24%.
