Determined Kingdom takes fourth Punch Line as Trombetta grabs three victories
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Determined Kingdom won his fourth Punch Line Stakes on Saturday at Colonial Downs, overwhelming four Virginia-bred rivals for his seventh career victory in his home state. Trainer Michael Trombetta dominated the card with three stakes victories, but the 7-year-old gelding was easily his most predictable winner.
Since 2022 rain has been the only force capable of stopping Determined Kingdom in the $125,000 Punch Line, as the gelding had to scratch when the state-restricted race was moved to dirt last year. When conditions have held, he has been undeniable.
“When he was still alive, [owner/breeder Larry Johnson] bought him out of the sale at Keeneland with the idea that it would just strengthen his hand for this Colonial meet down here,“ Trombetta said. “It was such a disappointment when they took it off the turf last year. It was just bad circumstances. It's all starting to come back around for him now.”
Last month, the Virginia-bred snapped an eight-race losing streak when he won a $125,000 allowance at Saratoga, stalking from a far outside post and holding by a head. Jockey Mychel Sanchez didn’t take any chances in the Punch Line, sending him straight to the lead through an opening quarter-mile in 21.57 seconds.
“I don't think [Sanchez] wanted to have any headaches in his way,” Trombetta said.
Gramp’s Legacy, Crossingthechannel, and Karma’s Inthehouse all scratched from the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for Virginia-bred or -sired runners, making the pacesetter’s job easier in a shortened field. Sanchez, who won two stakes on Saturday for Trombetta, could not have had a more straightforward task.
War Humor, a last-out stakes winner trained by Robert Bailes, made a brief challenge for the lead on the far turn, but Determined Kingdom easily turned him away and kicked clear in the stretch. The heavy favorite won by two lengths, completing the 5 1/2-furlong distance in 1:01.67 and paying $3 to win.
Saxton, who Trombetta suspected might be a front-running rival, stalked in third and rallied to take second for Brittany Russell. He finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of War Humor, who might have lost late ground as a result of his early move on the leader.
With proven form at Saratoga and Colonial throughout his career, Trombetta said he will consider several spots for Determined Kingdom next month. In the midst of his cold streak last year, the gelding managed to finish third in the Grade 2 Troy in New York, and the trainer said it would be hard to ignore this year’s edition on Aug. 9.
Glenn Petty Stakes
Noquestionaboutit might not have been Trombetta’s flashiest stakes winner on Saturday, but the 4-year-old filly made the most of a perfect trip to win the $125,000 Glenn Petty Stakes. It was her first victory since taking the same 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint last year.
“She had been training lights out,” Trombetta said. “She's never looked better physically. She looks great and she certainly didn't disappoint.”
In her belated 4-year-old debut last month, Noquestionaboutit finished third in a second-level allowance at Laurel Park, which proved to be a useful prep for her return to Virginia-restricted stakes company on Saturday. Bang Bang Fury scratched, leaving a field of five statebred fillies and mares.
Jockey Jorge Ruiz made good use of the 6-5 favorite’s tactical speed and settled into second behind front-runner Quadra through an opening quarter-mile in 23.24 seconds. Sporting Lady joined Noquestionaboutit on the far turn to apply pressure to the early leader, but she and Quadra both faded well before the wire.
“[Ruiz] gets along good with her and she seems to always run pretty hard for him,” Trombetta said.
After dispatching her two early rivals through a quickened half-mile in 45.81, Noquestionaboutit was left alone out front and merely had to hold off two closers, the Karen Dennehy-trained mare Chickahominy and Carolina Sun, a 35-1 longshot trained by Susan Cooney.
Both late contenders made a race of it in the final furlong, but Noquestionaboutit easily held clear by three-quarters of a length. She ran the 5 1/2-furlong distance in 1:03.16 and paid $4.60 to win.
Chickahominy finished three-quarters of a length over Carolina Sun, who nipped Sporting Lady to take third by a half-length.
In three career starts at Colonial, Noquestionaboutit has now earned two statebred fillies-restricted stakes victories and will likely return to the turf in Virginia in similar company next month.
Star de Naskra Stakes
Trombetta’s favorites on the Colonial turf ran about as well as he could have hoped, but the trainer admitted he was surprised when Pont Aven sweetened his day on dirt in the $125,000 Star de Naskra Stakes. The 7-1 outsider took a massive step forward and dug in late to hold off Close the Gate by a nose.
“That was a pleasant surprise,” Trombetta said. “He ran against bears on Preakness weekend and everything that could have went wrong in the short field did. He lost ground. It just didn't work out. [Mychel Sanchez] did an excellent job with him today.
Dismissed by bettors after a distant finish in the $100,000 Sir Barton at Laurel Park in May, Pont Aven seemed to benefit from class relief in the Star de Naskra, one of two dirt stakes on Saturday for 3-year-olds bred or sired in Virginia or Maryland. The colt has now won 3 of 4 starts since March, when he earned his maiden victory on the sixth attempt.
Most of the strong finishers in the seven-furlong sprint came from behind, thanks in part to State Conceal, an 18-1 longshot who hustled to a large early lead and completed the opening quarter-mile in 22.51 seconds. He blew through a half-mile in 45.20 before fading, taking stalking contenders Top Manipulator and Tartabull back with him.
When the top flight melted down in front of him, Pont Aven suddenly found himself in a prime position to win on the far turn. In his first stakes score of the day, Sanchez guided the Maryland-bred from eighth to sixth to fourth and then leapt into the lead at the top of the stretch.
Close the Gate, the 5-2 second choice launched a similar bid from sixth, and at the sixteenth pole Trombetta said he thought the gelding was going to beat him. The John Salzman Jr. trainee finished second or third in five of his last six starts entering the Star de Naskra, but it didn’t look like he was going to be denied at Colonial.
Then, with a great deal of stubbornness and deft handling from Sanchez, Pont Aven moved out to directly challenge Close the Gate and dug in, refusing to let the stakes-placed gelding past. Fiercely determined and familiar with the winner’s circle, he never deferred and won by a nose, completing the seven-furlong sprint in 1:21.86 and paying $16.80 to win.
“He just kept fighting and digging,” Trombetta said. “Mychel’s a super strong finisher, so he was able to hold him off. On numbers and form, I thought that [Close the Gate] was certainly the horse to beat in the race.”
Close the Gate finished 3 1/4 lengths clear of Magic Wallet, a 3-year-old colt trained by Kieron Magee.
Miss Disco
Trombetta had a chance at sweeping all four stakes at Colonial, but Irish Jig immediately spoiled his bid when she flew up the rail to win the $125,000 Miss Disco. Trainer Kelly Deiter pushed her a step too far at Saratoga last month, but she seemed right at home in her first state-restricted stakes victory in a thrilling photo finish on Saturday.
In May, the 3-year-old filly turned heads in the Mid-Atlantic when she won a maiden special weight at Delaware Park by 8 1/4 lengths, earning an 83 Beyer Speed Figure. Deiter entered her in the $175,000 Jersey Girl at Saratoga next time out, but the competition was too tough and she faded back to a 12 3/4-length defeat.
The shortened field of five Maryland-bred 3-year-old fillies might not have been as tough as open company in New York, but Irish Jig still had several serious rivals to handle at Colonial.
Just Philtored and Slewperstitus, familiar rivals as juveniles, were meeting for the first time as 3-year-olds, and bettors expected the two to renew their rivalry for a victory. Irish Jig went off as the 5-1 fourth choice he paid $12 to win.
Just Philtored, who won two stakes at Colonial for Trombetta last year, went to the early lead under Sanchez, breezing through the opening quarter-mile in 22.96 seconds. Irish Jig and jockey Sonny Leon stalked in third while Slewperstitus sat in fifth before unleashing a bid on the far turn.
Slewperstitus’s move for the lead was so strong that she momentarily overtook Irish Jig for second while gunning for the leader. The Robert Bailes-trained filly finished second behind Just Philtored in all three of her stakes victories last year, but with all the momentum down the center of the track, it seemed like she might finally exact some revenge.
Slewperstitus and Jevian Toledo successfully completed their move on the Trombetta-trained pacesetter, but their triumph was short-lived. After rallying hard to get in front, the even-money favorite was powerless and hardly aware when Irish Jig and Leon unleashed a belated bid on the rail.
After the race, Trombetta said Irish Jig’s four-pound weight allowance on her more seasoned rivals might have made a difference. Every inch ended up counting, and in a tight three-horse finish, Irish Jig did just enough to deny Slewperstitus by a nose. She completed the seven-furlong sprint in 1:21.99.
Just Philtored finished third by a neck, just behind Slewperstitus for the first time in her career.
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