With a win in the Challedon Stakes July 31 at Pimlico to go with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint on the Preakness Stakes undercard, Mucho has earned 13 MATCH Series points and currently is first in the boys’ sprint division. The five-year-old son of Blame is trained by John Ortiz and has earned over $500,000 in his career.

Mucho has been based at Colonial this summer. While he has yet to race there, he has recorded three works, most recently a bullet half-mile in 46 1/5 seconds August 18. He’s 3-1 on the morning line and will have Reylu Gutierrez in the irons.

His closest pursuer in the MATCH Series is Laki, who has 12 points. Laki is 4-1 on the morning line and will have regular pilot Horacio Karamanos in the irons for trainer Damon Dilodovico. The Maryland-bred gelding is a son of Cuba.

Laki has earned his 12 points the hard way. He’s raced in all three MATCH Series races to date, finishing fifth in the Maryland Sprint, second in the Lite the Fuse, and most recently fourth in the Challedon. Laki won this division in 2019, the last year the Series was contested.

Also here is Whereshetoldmetogo, who’s not far behind the others with five points. The third choice at 7-2, Whereshetoldmetogo has run in only one of the three Series races contested to date. He was third as the favorite in the Challedon, just over a length behind the winner.

A six-year-old with over $630,000 in career earnings, Wheresheltoldmetogo, a Maryland-bred son of El Padrino, will have regular pilot Sheldon Russell in the irons for trainer Brittany Russell.

The 5-2 morning line favorite in the Chesapeake is the Michelle Lovell-trained Just Might. The five-year-old Justin Phillip gelding already owns a win at Colonial Downs, albeit on the turf. Just Might won the August 2 Da Hoss Stakes under jockey Colby Hernandez, who has the return mount.

The Chesapeake is scheduled as the eighth race of the card. One race prior, Never Enough Time (6-1) is the lone entrant in the seven-furlong Seeking the Pearl Stakes to have points in the MATCH Series. The Mike Trombetta trainee, a stakes winner of more than $329,000, beat a salty allowance crew last out in an allowance contest over the strip and has earned five points in the Series by finishing fifth in the Skipat and fourth in the Shine Again, both at Pimlico.

While Never Enough Time, a Maryland-bred Munnings mare, is the third choice on the morning line – and could well go off second choice – the clear favorite in here will be Frank’s Rockette (3-5). The Bill Mott trainee is a three-time graded stakes winner and competed against the boys in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Mott will also send out the favorite in the 1 1/16-mile Love Sign Stakes, Paris Lights, who is 5-2 on the morning line.

The lone Love Sign contender with MATCH Series points is Sweet Sami D (8-1). The Pat McBurney trainee earned her five points by finishing third in the July 4 Caesar’s Wish at Pimlico. Angel Suarez has the mount. With 10 points each, Mrs. Orb and Spice Is Nice top the distaff route division.

Veteran Maryland-bred Cordmaker is the 2-1 morning line favorite in the Victory Gallop, which goes as the fourth race. Victor Carrasco will ride for trainer Rodney Jenkins.

Cordmaker has eight points in the MATCH Series. That leaves him just behind the top pair in the boys’ route division; Harpers First Ride has 11 points and Last Judgment has 10 in a division which has seen just two races contested to date. Cordmaker’s points have come via a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special and a third in the Deputed Testamony, both at Pimlico.

Following Monday’s races, the next stop for the series will be September 18 at Laurel Park, when all four divisions will be contested. The Series concludes December 26 at Laurel.