Delacour's turfers loom large in Virginia-bred stakes

Laurel Park will hold its third and final Virginia-bred or -sired stakes day of the season Sunday. It is possible the four races will be run at Colonial Downs next year if the track hosts its first Thoroughbred meet since 2013, as hoped.

Sunday’s $75,000 stakes are scheduled for turf, although there is a 50 percent chance of on-and-off rain and drizzle, according to Accuweather. The weather is forecast to be on the cooler side, with temperatures topping out in the mid-60s.

The Brookmeade and Bert Allen will be run at 1 1/8 miles, with the Brookmeade restricted to fillies and mares. Similarly, the Punch Line and Oakley are 5 1/2-furlong sprints, with the Oakley for females. The Jamestown, a 5 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-olds, was scheduled but not used.

The first Virginia-restricted stakes day of the summer was June 23. The second was Aug. 4, but the races were taken off the turf. For handicapping purposes, June 23 obviously is the more useful day.

Owners Bert and Diana Firestone and trainer Arnaud Delacour hold a strong hand in the distance stakes on Sunday. They have Special Envoy in the Allen and Armoire and Well Blessed in the Brookmeade. The Firestones bred all three horses in Virginia.

A year ago, Special Envoy pulled off a Virginia-registered stakes triple by winning the Edward Evans, Hansel, and Bert Allen at Laurel. In June, he began his 7-year-old campaign by finishing second to the past-class runner Sticksstatelydude in the Evans. He was entered in the Hansel but was scratched when the race was moved to the main track.

Special Envoy tuned up for the Allen by finishing seventh in the Grade 3 Red Bank at Monmouth Park on Sept. 1. He will be a solid favorite Sunday.

In Special Envoy’s absence, River Deep won the off-the-turf Hansel by 7 1/4 lengths for trainer Phil Schoenthal. He is 3 for 6 on turf, and Special Envoy’s top challenger. He most recently closed significant ground to finish fourth in the $75,000 Coalition Stakes at Timonium going 6 1/2 furlongs.

Delacour will add blinkers to the equipment of 5-year-old Armoire, the expected top choice in the Brookmeade. She rallied from off the pace to win the Nellie Mae Cox at Laurel in June. She prepped for this race with a sixth-place effort in the Grade 3 Violet at Monmouth on Sept. 1.

Well Blessed went 3 for 6 in 2017 but has not performed well in her two starts this year, finishing seventh in the Cox and eighth in the off-the-turf Camptown at 5 1/2 furlongs. It is not impossible she wakes up Sunday while stretching back out in distance.

Paulita, whom Delacour trains for Hat Creek Racing, won the off-the-turf William M. Backer from just off the pace going a mile. The Backer was the 3-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy’s first stakes start. She has since finished third in a first-level optional claimer at Monmouth.

The Punch Line has a wide-open field of 11 turf sprinters. Elusive Mischief will be making his first start against Virginia-registered competition and his first start for trainer Ian Wilkes.

Elusive Mischief won a first-level optional claimer over Tapeta at Woodbine two starts back and then was third against open company on turf in the Charlie Barley.

Determined Vision led throughout the White Oak Farm in June for Schoenthal. He has since finished second in the off-the-turf Meadow Stable and fourth in a Charles Town allowance.

Homespun Hero won the Meadow Stable but has yet to hit the board in four turf tries. He finished fifth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, in the White Oak Farm.

It’s hard not to root for 11-year-old Two Notch Road, who won the Punch Line in 2014 and 2015, the White Oak Farm in 2016, and the Meadow Stable in 2017. Owned and trained by Glenn Thompson, Two Notch Road is winless in three starts this season but has won a race each year from 2014 through 2017. His remaining chances are dwindling.

Altamura, a 3-year-old filly based at Churchill Downs with Wayne Catalano, has shipped in to win both the M. Tyson Gilpin in June and the off-the-turf Camptown in August. She will need an alert start from post 1 in the Oakley.

Altamura tuned up for her stakes double by winning a restricted maiden race at Laurel eight days prior to the Gilpin. While she is the horse to beat Sunday, she may not be that much better than her rivals.

Front-running Virginia Fable was only beaten a head by Altamura in the Gilpin. Up Hill Battle rallied from several lengths back to be third and was only beaten a neck. Late-running What the Beep also has a chance in this eight-horse field.