In the first of the stakes events of the 2024 Colonial Downs meet, Starlight Racing and Mark Grier’s Fulmineo finished best of the field of seven to take the inaugural running of the $125,000 Boston Stakes, a prep race for the Grade 2 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes on Aug.10. Completed in 1:37.10, the Boston was run at one mile across an inner turf course labeled “soft.”

Trained by Arnaud Delacour, Fulmineo was piloted by Victor Carrasco. Winner of the James W. Murphy Stakes, the Maryland-bred son of Bolt d’Oro made the Boston his second stakes victory in a row.

“First of all I want to say thank you to Mr. Delacour and the whole crew,” Carrasco said. “He broke well and the instructions were very simple: to not change his running style. To be honest at the quarter pole I was a little boxed in and I was just waiting because I didn’t want to go around, but as soon as I got him to the outside and got after him, he picked up. Today was the first time I rode him with the blinkers, and he was in the bridle every step of the way.”

Fulmineo’s stablemate Class Photo set the pace, going through the opening calls in 24.61 and 49.10. Having settled near the back of the pack early, Fulmineo was guided forward by Carrasco along the backstretch to have the leaders in his sights turning for home. Tipping out to the outside of fellow late kicker Crystal Quest, Fulmineo out-produced that foe, crossing the finish line 1/2 lengths in front.

Wine Collector ran late for third and after stalking in second throughout, the morning line favorite In a Jam finished fourth.

“Initially we thought that a mile would make sense so we would come back in the Secretariat,” Delacour said. “We’ll map out the plan and make sure he is doing well. I am very happy with how (Fulmineo) is doing, he keeps improving. Victor rode him well.”

Fulmineo paid $4.20, $2.60, and $2.40.

Graded-stakes placed and an entrant in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), Fulmineo now boasts a 10-3-4-1 career record with $254,275 in the bank.

Colonial also hosted two other “preview” stakes for the track’s big day.

In the $125,000 Beverly D. Preview, 1-2 favorite Nadette made short work of her four rivals to win by 4 3/4 lengths under jockey Hector Berrios, who came with the Neil Drysdale trainee from California for the race. A five-year-old French-bred mare, Nadette now has five wins and nearly $330,000 in earnings from 21 career outings. Running time for the 1 1/16 miles on the soft outer turf was 1:45.40.

The $125,000 Million Preview scratched down to just three runners, and that suited Integration just fine. Last year’s Virginia Derby winner, Integration, reunited with jockey Kendrick Carmouche, swept up three wide and drew away to win by more than six lengths at odds of 1-20. Trained by Shug McGaughey for a partnership including West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing LLC, et. al., Integration is now 4-for-7 in his career, including a spotless 3-for-3 mark at Colonial Downs. Running time for the nine furlongs on the inner turf was 1:48.82.

The Colonial Downs Festival of Racing will be held on Saturday, Aug. 10. Seven stakes are scheduled to be contested, including the Grade One Arlington Million, Grade Two $500,00 Beverly D., a Breeders Cup “Win and You’re In” race, and the Grade 2 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes.

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