Jockey Rosemary Homeister, Jr. refused to let the nearly 100
degree Celsius temperatures get to her on Wednesday as she brought heat to her
competition, bringing home four winners on the nine-race card at Colonial
Downs.
Opening the card on heavy favorite Dancing Tin Man,
Homeister rated the seven year old gelding off the rail and kicked clear in mid
stretch before turning back a game Please the Crowd by a neck. The win was the
first at Colonial Downs for the Michael Pino-trained Dancing Tin Man, who was
claimed from the race by owner Billy Ray White, Jr. and trainer Ferris Allen. Me
Making Money brought up the show in the mile turf race.
Homeister continued riding favorites to the winners’ circle
in the second race with Well La Dee Dah, a three year old trained by Donald
Barr. The filly and Homeister rated early on in the mile turf race before
drawing clear near the sixteenths pole and lasting under a drive to win by a
head over Geraldee. Worthy Intentions ran evenly under Forest Boyce to finish
third.
Without a mount in the third race, Homeister went on to take
the fourth race with Candy Apple. Trained by Butch Silva, the four year old
Forbidden Apple filly was unhurried early and eased three wide around the far
turn to quickly draw clear under a drive. Favorite Bureaucat finished 2 ½ lengths behind in the mile turf race, with
longshot Fin Dasher rallying for the show.
The fifth race brought another favorite to the winners’ circle,
with Homeister riding Meg of My Heart to a one length win over Glittering Fire
and Hey Feathers. After rating early and gaining quickly near the quarter pole,
the three year old filly was steadied near the three sixteenths pole before
closing determinedly to overcome Glittering Fire. The five furlong turf race
was run in a time of 58.93.
A nine-race card is scheduled for Saturday, July 10 at
Colonial Downs, with a first-race post time of 12:55 PM. The featured race, the
$50,000 Punch Line Stakes for Virginia-bred three year olds and up, will go to
post at 4:11 PM.