A field of ten three year old fillies drew in to the
$150,000 Virginia Oaks (Gr. III) to be run on Saturday, July 17 at Colonial
Downs.
Check the Label, a three year old Stormin’ Fever filly
trained by Graham Motion, looks to be tough competition breaking from the
eighth post. With nearly $255,000 to her resume, Check the Label finished on
the board in the Caressing Handicap, Sweetest Chant, and Coconut Grove Stakes.
Most recently, she took the Grade III Appalachian before winning the Grade II
Sands Point at Belmont
by 1 ½ lengths. The filly has been on the board in seven of eleven starts.
Breaking from the inside post with Kent Desormeaux up is
Jungle Tale, a Jonathan Sheppard-trained Lion Heart filly who has finished off
the board twice in seven starts and has earned over $100,000 lifetime. After
breaking her maiden on third asking, Jungle Tale went on to run second in the
Grade III Natalma Stakes at Woodbine and fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Fillies Turf. Most recently, she has finished third in two allowance tries at
Churchill Downs.
Martita Sangrita, a Johar filly owned by Lael Stables and
trained by Michael Matz, will break from the second post. The filly ran sixth
in her first stakes try, the Caressing Handicap, after breaking her maiden and
again ran sixth in the Coconut Grove Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
She most recently won an allowance race prior to running fourth in the Grade
III Boiling Springs Stakes at Monmouth. Martita Sangrita, who has earned over
$70,000 lifetime, will be ridden by Javier Castellano.
Midway Holiday, who will
break from the third post with Victor Lebron up, has earned nearly $100,000 in
just five lifetime starts. After breaking her maiden and winning an allowance,
the three year old Harlan’s Holiday filly ran
fifth in the Mardi Gras Stakes before running third in the Grade III
Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway. Most recently, she won an allowance at Churchill
Downs in mid-June by 4 ¾ lengths.
With over $130,000 earnings, the Kelly Breen-trained In the
Rough also adds competition to the field. After breaking her maiden, the Stormy
Atlantic filly found her next win in the Coconut Grove Stakes before running a
disappointing seventh in the Grade III Herecomesthebride Stakes. In the Rough
has since finished fourth in the Boynton Beach
and second in the Little Silver Stakes before running ninth in the Grade III
Boiling Springs at Belmont.
Chris DeCarlo will have the mount.
Rounding out the ten-horse field are Another Smokey, Kilmore Quay, Frances Gardner, Distorted Promise,
and Morekissesforpatti. The $150,000 Virginia Derby is the eleventh race on
Saturday’s stakes-filled card, and will go to post at 5:20 PM.