by Nick Hahn
RACE 1 | ||
6 | FRANCESCO PUNCH | Female amateur rider race carrying 138 lbs for 1&1/16th. “Punch” toned. |
2 | WIDE RECEIVER | |
4 | CITY STRUT | |
RACE 2 | ||
7 | BROKEN TANGO | Five here looking for one more win in the meet but going with one still looking. |
2 | FIVE STAR PRINCE | |
9 | GAS TANK | |
RACE 3 | ||
3 | SAID IN SILENCE | Evans-bred ships in to test turf. Trombetta’s filly is knocking on the door. |
7 | MALIBU MUDSLIDE | |
2 | SUNBAKED | |
RACE 4 | ||
4 | COUSIN BRUCY | Ham Smith’s gelding with a good start prevails here with a similar effort. |
1 | BEN QUICK | |
7 | TAPE DECK | |
RACE 5 | ||
1 | ANYBODYREALLYKNOW | Trombetta having a tough meet may get it all back today. Allen “Cee’s” a start. |
5 | CEE’S MY MAN | |
2 | BOLD HARMONY | |
RACE 6 – The $50,000 Jamestown Stakes | ||
8 | LONG ON VALUE | “Value”, the only winner among 2-year olds, 6 here making 1st start. |
2 | GREEK GOD | |
3 | HONOURABLE | |
RACE 7 – The $50,000 Oakley Stakes | ||
6 | LION DOWN BY ME | Slated 12-horse stake starts off the All Stakes PIC 5. Audley mare seeks #4. |
12 | WARDELLE | |
5 | MISS OIL | |
RACE 8 – The $50,000 Brookmeade Stakes | ||
11 | IN THE ROUGH | “Rough” passed on a New Jersey stake to run here. Twice 2nd in Brookmeade. |
9 | LEDA’S SWAN | |
2 | COBBLEY’S BREEZE | |
RACE 9 – The $50,000 Bert Allen Stakes | ||
2 | DANNHAUSER | Kathleen O’Connell’s first starter of the meet is last year’s Van Clief winner. |
3 | VIRGINIA CAVALIER | |
9 | CLASS BOPPER | |
RACE 10 – The $50,000 Punch Line Stakes | ||
6 | BOLTIN’ OUT | With the summer Boltin’ is having, can’t pick against now. Two Bops here. |
4 | DEPUTY FLING | |
2 | JAKE RATTLE N ROLL | |
RACE 11 | ||
7 | ROXBURY ROCKET | A 1/2 furlong may not be much, but last time it was to “Rocket” now going 5F. |
8 | MY LIL VIRGINIA | |
4 | STEVES LADY |
Nick’s Notes — Nagle knocking ’em out of the park
Thanks to a training hat trick (how rare are those?) on the 4th of July, trainer Reid Nagle’s winning percentage rose to 44%. That’s not in the money, that’s win percentage. Nagle greeted 3 of his 5 starters in the winner’s circle Thursday evening, yet the student that gave him the most heart in the Secretariat Turf stretch was “hard trying” Cryin’ Ryan. Pack a Punch, Queen of Legends and Asian Invasion were his winners with three different jockeys.
“We can place these horses aggressively because we can’t run at the level on the turf anywhere else after the meet,” noted Nagle about Colonial. “The meet sets up well for us. We have a lot of horses.”
Saturday evening, Nagle will saddle Class Gogo and Leda’s Swan in the Brookmeade Stakes.
Nominations for the Virginia Derby are”baby cat” loaded with the progeny of 2004 Virginia Derby winner Kitten’s Joy dominating the list. Admiral Kitten, Amen Kitten, Charming Kitten, Fear the Kitten, Golden Jason, Honor the Kitten, Jump for Kitten and Redwood Kitten wrap the nomination list like an unraveled ball of twine. The list includes Kentucky Derby runner up Golden Soul and Kentucky Derby starter Charming Kitten. Eight of my Turf Ten list found the nomination box.