Don't overlook this first-time starter

Tuxedo Park is a first-time starter in the $50,000 Jamestown at Colonial Downs Tuesday, but he has the connections to pull off a win in the six-furlong race for Virginia-bred and -sired 2-year-olds. His trainer, Hamilton Smith, was the second-leading trainer at Colonial through Friday, only one win behind Ferris Allen III. Smith is winning at a 20-percent clip with first-time starters this year and thinks Tuxedo Park has a shot to up that percentage.

"He has been working really well," Smith said. "We have schooled him well and he looks to be at a spot where he can run his race. I am sure he will give a good account of himself."

Smith had been hoping to get Tuxedo Park a race before the stakes, but the colt got sick.

"I had several horses come down with colds earlier in the summer and he was one of them," Smith said. "We wanted to get another race into him before this one, but we couldn't because of that."

Rosemary Homeister Jr., the leading rider at Colonial, will ride Tuxedo Park, a Gilded Time colt owned by Bill Backer. She and Smith are winning at a 27 percent rate at Colonial the last two years.

"She is a good, smart rider," Smith said. "She always rides well for me."

Smith has a Housebuster half-brother to Tuxedo Park named Porcupine who runs long, but Smith thinks Tuxedo Park has enough speed to get up at six furlongs.

"He doesn't have a lot of early speed so I expect him to be mid-pack early and then hopefully he will make a big run in the stretch," Smith said.

Toccet's Charm comes into Jamestown off 1 3/4-length win at Delaware Park June 22. Trained by Ken Furlong, Toccet's Charm came from off the pace in that 4 1/2-furlong race. Toccet's Charm raced with Lasix in that race after fading in his first out May 20. Malcolm Hamilton will ride for the first time.