7/16 (CNL): VA Derby (G2), VA Oaks (G3), Kitten's Joy, Tippett, Chenery
 

4th (6:15) Chenery S.

5 1/2 Furlongs (Turf) | Open | 2 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $50,000

1 Ancil Garcia Alan 114 L
2 Varborough Prado E S 114 L
3 Play Eighteen Franklin M 114 Blk-On L
4 Curfew Tower Torres F C 114 L
5 Oil Rig Delgado A 114 L
6 Distinctly Donovan Lezcano J 114 Blk-On L
7 Jonmil Johnny Leparoux J R 114 L
8 Major Magic Garcia Luis 114 L
9 Our Half Camacho E 114 L
10 Lemon Juice Colon L H 114 L
11 Getupwiththesun Ho C 114 L



5th (6:40) Tippett S.

5 1/2 Furlongs (Turf) | Fillies | 2 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $50,000

1 Jazil's Song Prado E S 114 L
2 Hannah's Holiday Torres F C 114 L
3 Embracing Hearts Delgado A 114 L
4 Make Em See Red Vail J S 114 FTL
5 Putthebabiesdown Albarado R J 114
6 Softly Lit Rook S 114 L
7 Doe Colon L H 114 L
8 Dynavixen Boucher R 114
9 Catching Reys Leparoux J R 114 L
10 Permanent Wave Franklin M 114
11 Singing in Key Camacho E 114 L
12 Promise Me Nakatani C S 114 L



6th (7:05) Kitten's Joy S.

1 1/16 Miles (Turf) | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $50,000

1 Metra's Rogue Vail J S 112 L
2 Cherokee Artist Leparoux J R 118 L
3 Blazen Lezcano J 120 L
4 Baletti Nakatani C S 122 L
5 Action Andy Clemente A 118 L
6 Vanquisher Prado E S 122 L
7 Romp (ARG) Castellano A Jr 118 L
8 Pick Four Garcia Luis 112 L
9 Rules of Honor Solis A 118 L
10 Court Band Lopez C E Jr 118 L
11 Lonely Whistle Boyce F 118 L



7th (7:30) Virginia Oaks (G3)

1 1/8 Miles (Turf) | Fillies | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $150,000

1 Sassy's Dream Garcia Alan 116 L
2 Summer Savory Desormeaux K J 116 L
3 Mystical Star Lezcano J 116 L
4 Dynamic Holiday Leparoux J R 122 L
5 Wyomia Lenclud F 116 L
6 Pink Pallet Prado E S 116 L
7 Smart Sting Solis A 116
8 Excited Velazquez J R 116 L



8th (8:05) Virginia Derby (G2)

1 1/4 Miles (Turf) | Open | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $600,000

1 Callingahardten Desormeaux K J 117 L
2 Air Support Solis A 123 L
3 Newsdad Garcia Alan 117 L
4 Street Game Prado E S 119 L
5 Casino Host Decarlo C P 117 L
6 Thirtyfirststreet Landeros C 117 L
7 Banned Lezcano J 123 L
8 Crimson China Leparoux J R 119 L
9 The Waco Kid Galviz W 117 L
10 King Congie Velazquez J R 117 L
11 Benergy Nakatani C S 117 L
12 Watch Me Go Garcia Luis 117 L

What a solid race the VA Derby is. Looking for Street Game to show he's the best 3 year old turfer in the country.

Funny enough, I thought it was the field for the Blue Grass until I reallized Brilliant Speed wasn't in there.

You can have Street Game and his off-turf score. Banned might have run in the 2000 Guineas if Ken McPeek or Wesley Ward trained him.

FTFY.

Apparently you missed Noble's Promise last year at Ascot. He only beat the 2000 Guineas winner, who subsequently knocked off the French Zenyatta, Goldikova. He also would have hit the board if there were less horses in the race.

As Noble's Promise clearly cannot hang with the best sprinters in the land, I fully expect him to be a force once he's returned to his rightful place, the turf mile division.

Don't they run the Queen Elizabeth II at Ascot? Food for thought.

Anyways, I have Banned placed somewhere between Manila and Honor Glide in my personal pantheon of top 3yo turf horses. Street Game is a poor man's Solar Splendor.

I'm not as high on Banned as others are. I thought his win Derby day was impressive visually but not nearly as impressive as many made it out to be. I wish I could get into it further, but DRF is down, again, so I'll check back in later.

You having problems with Formulator?

I think that's fair and reasonable. They could be the third best US horses behind Twirling Candy.

One of the main concerns with Banned is that he tends to make early moves and then pays for it down the lane. That wasn't the case in the American Turf, where Gomez had him well out of it, and it wasn't an issue in the Jefferson cup with only 4 runners.

Not sure what the course will be like at Colonial, but isn't Street Game's big effort last out a bit tempered by the yielding conditions?

As Col. Kilgore might say:

'Candy don't turf!

Actually, he does.

No arguement from me regarding Street Game. He has to prove that effort wasn't him handling the course better than everyone else and I'm a bit biased because he's a NY Bred. I just see him as a horse that is getting better and I think (hope) he's as good as I think he might be. Of course, he could also run 8th with the way I've been going lately.

It's not that I don't think Banned is good. But people were calling him the best American turf horse we have after the American Turf. I think he ran well, but was the beneficiary of an intelligent ride from Gomez as you mentioned.

Either way it's a race I'm excited to see, which doesn't happen as much nowadays as it should.

Off and on all day.

A broken water main on the turf course yesterday forced all the races to dirt last night.

Really like Jazil's Song in the Tippett provided Prado doesn't freak out.

I do think he's close to the top if not at the top. It's always tough to rate a 3yo turfer over elders, for example two of the most dominant US 3yo turfers in the last 10 years (Kitten's Joy and Artie Schiller) both lost in the BC. That being said, there are very few I'd take head to head against him right now at the middle distances. Does he want to go 12F? Not sure yet.

I think he'd be an also ran against Gio Ponti (at what seems like 85-90% of his old self), Courageous Cat or Get Stormy.

I just think his American is VERY overrated. If he proves me wrong on Saturday, I'll be here to admit it.

Yeah I'd probably take Get Stormy at 8-9F despite the loss last out at MTH, obviously he has the speed advantage, and he's always been a favorite of mine; not sure about CC yet, that field he beat in the Shoe was pretty bad and he got a great trip behind a rank leader setting moderate early fractions. Gio Ponti at 100% would be an easy choice but like you said he's probably 85% now. Watch Banned's last race, even though it's only 4 horses he looked superb doing it.

Caracortado and Victor's Cry, while not world-beaters, are pretty steady horses with some quality. They at least stack up to horses like Doubles Partner, Smart Bid, Court Vision, etc.

Not to mention, Courageous Cat himself was a top class 3yo turf horse that got Goldikova's scraps in the 2009 BC Mile.

Banned looks like the best horse but i would never make a big bet on any horse Lezcano is on. Last year at Saratoga he rode like an apprentice at Suffolk Downs.

Is HRTV or TVG showing any/all of these races? Couldn't find any indication on their websites.