Carnival Colors moves forward at longer distance of Virginia Oaks

NEW KENT, Virginia – Colonial Downs is conducting a race meet this season for the first time in six years, but it feels like nothing has changed for the jockey Forest Boyce.

Boyce won her first graded stakes here in 2013 when she guided Nellie Cashman to victory in the Virginia Oaks, and Saturday night at the new Colonial Downs was old hat for Boyce as she piloted Carnival Colors to a 1 1/4-length victory.

Stalking the pace while rating along the inside behind a moderate tempo, Carnival Colors came outside in upper stretch, collared Ionic inside the furlong grounds, and had plenty left to hold off a late run from Mercilla.

“I wanted to bide her time and thankfully I had plenty of horse to finish with,” said Boyce, who also rode Onus to victory in 2015 when the race was run at Laurel Park and called the Commonwealth Oaks.

It was, however, Boyce’s first ride on Carnival Colors and first wearing the famous blue silks of Godolphin, and Carnival Colors ($17.20) ran the best race of her life for trainer Mike Stidham, who won two stakes and three races on the Saturday card.

A close second in the Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes at 2, Carnival Colors, a daughter of Distorted Humor and Carnival Court, by Street Sense, scored a solid Laurel allowance-race win in her 3-year-old debut, then went to Woodbine and was a somewhat one-paced fourth in the July 20 Ontario Colleen. That race was a one-turn mile in which Carnival Colors dropped too far off the pace, and Stidham though the Virginia Oaks might better suit her.

“The mile and an eighth, she broke well this time and put herself in the race, and that made all the difference,” he said. “She was out the back door the last time and never really had a chance. If you look at her 2-year-old form, she really showed a lot of talent. This was easily her best.”

Tasting the Stars, the Stidham-trained 5-2 favorite, had a start-and-stop trip and checked in sixth. The closest filly to Carnival Colors at the wire was Mercilla, who had good early and middle position before, jockey Trevor McCarthy said, dropping the bit at the half-mile pole. Mercilla picked it up again when Solar Kitten, who would finish third, came alongside her on the far turn, but though she finished well it was too late to catch Carnival Colors.

Carnival Colors stopped the timer in 1:48.83 for the nine furlongs over a fast, firm, turf course that her jockey surely was pleased to be riding again.