Colonial Downs Closing Day
Wednesday is closing day for the Colonial Downs 2010 season and should offer plenty of excitement for bettors and fans alike.The jockey title is yet to be decided in the three-way battle between Rosemary Homeister (41 wins), Eric Camacho (40 wins), and Horacio Karamanos (39 wins). Rosie should have an advantage with eight mounts on Wednesday while Karamanos has 5 mounts and Camacho only two.
Wednesday’s nine-race card features the $50K Jamestown Stakes with an evenly matched field of seven Virginia-bred two-year olds going 5 and a half furlongs on the turf. Todd Pletcher enters first-time starter LAST OUT OF PANAMA (3-1 morning line) for Edward Evans and Steve Asmussen enters Vinery Stables’ SECRET RIDE (7/2).
Pletcher and Asmussen are always dangerous in these situations, but I’m leaning toward #2 LATIKA (6-1). Though he hasn’t raced on grass, he won his first and only race, a $21K MSW on Colonial Downs’ dirt track, by over seven lengths. The 2nd place horse in that race (PINK PALLET) came back to win in his next start. PINK PALLET is also entered in this race. If LATIKA doesn’t get pressed hard early, he may win gate to wire.
A contender that might get overlooked by the bettors is #5 SIMMSTOWN (5-1). He was third in his only race, a 12-horse MSW at Churchill Downs, and finished strong despite a troubled trip. The big long shot in this race is #7 VALTER who finished 5th in this only previous start, last Saturday’s $50K Chenery Stakes. This state-bred stakes is a minor class drop despite the unusually quick turnaround. VALTER’s low percentage connections and 5th place finish in the Chenery should assure double digit odds, but he might improve enough off his first start to hit the board at a price.
Good luck!
21 July 2010, 9:45 am
Closing Day already?
I guess Timonium Fair must be looming right around the corner. Oh how time flies.
I’d like to see the fan-friendly Mr. Camacho get it, but should Ms. Homeister come away with the crown I hope someone has the good sense to snap a few pics in the winners circle.
21 July 2010, 10:13 pm
You are right TKS, time does fly.
I would’ve got some pictures of Rosie, who won the title by the way, but didn’t make it out to the track.
To be honest, I have some sour grapes over the outcome of the Jamestown. SIMMSTOWN & GIANT PATRIOT finished 1-2 well ahead of the field, but were both DQ’d and placed last due to veering at the start. I liked SIMMSTOWN when I handicapped the race Tuesday night and even more when he took tons of early cash in the betting. Plus, he looked great in the warm-up. Long story short, I had SIMMSTOWN to win plus the exacta and the DQ left me a little salty. Oh well, sometimes you’re the windshield & sometimes you’re the bug.
22 July 2010, 11:08 am
The DQ of the Jamestown was very strange!
22 July 2010, 10:04 pm
I know Brian, even Joanne Jones on HRTV thought it was a crazy ruling (she must have bet on SIMMSTOWN too!).