Just Might has speed to lead in Da Hoss Stakes
Da Hoss twice won the Breeders’ Cup Mile, and now Colonial Downs has carded a stakes race named after him two weeks in a row.
The first try at running the Da Hoss, on July 26, didn’t work out well at all. Heavy storms swamped Colonial Downs early in the card, and the track was forced to wait a couple hours for the weather to pass before it could resume racing. Colonial had to cancel two races, including the $100,000 Da Hoss, but the 5 1/2-furlong turf dash is back with the same principal players Monday. The card also includes a pair of 2-year-old grass-sprint stakes originally scheduled for Monday.
Just Might is the 9-5 morning-line favorite and will be tough if he can shake loose on the lead, his favored racing position. Just Might notched a 101 Beyer Speed Figure in an off-turf Fair Grounds stakes earlier this year, caught courses with some give while running below his best form in April at Keeneland and Churchill, and was back on his game June 5 with a front-running turf-sprint score at Churchill. Trainer Michelle Lovell, stabled for the first time at Colonial and having a good meet, has worked Just Might twice over the local grass course.
“He seemed to get over it fine,” Lovell said. “I’m looking forward to a very good race from him. He’s doing great.”
Regular rider Colby Hernandez has the mount. Just Might prefers to lead but is drawn inside a main pace rival, Francatelli.
“I know there are a couple other horses with speed, but if he breaks well, we don’t ever take anything away from him,” Lovell said.
A 4-year-old, Francatelli is a horse with room to improve, and he’s already very good. A five-time winner last year, he finished second to the strong turf sprinter Completed Pass in his 2021 debut before encountering trouble that cost him any chance of winning at Monmouth last out.
“He’s a big, big horse, and you don’t expect them to be five-eighths turf horses, but lo and behold, that’s what he is,” trainer Cal Lynch said. “He’s just very talented. He got a little unlucky at Monmouth, got chopped up pretty bad, but he’s come back and trained really well with a couple really good works.”
Francatelli is listed at 5-1 on the track’s morning line, but figures to go to post a considerably lower price than that.
Boldor is the X factor in the Da Hoss. At his best, he is capable of coming with a swooping run and tagging any flagging speed horses, but Boldor was a total no-show in his most recent start, the Get Serious Stakes at Monmouth. Boldor came out of the gate flat and never picked up his hooves, finishing last of seven.
May Ty One On and Holiday Stone are the secondary contenders if Just Might and Francatelli fail to fire.
Turf sprints for 2-year-olds
Evan Harlan should be a formidable favorite in the Hickory Tree Stakes, one of two five-furlong grass sprints for Virginia-certified 2-year-olds.
Trained by Graham Motion, Evan Harlan has raced once, finishing third of nine in a six-furlong maiden turf sprint at Belmont. Breaking from the rail, he stalked the pace and came home with a final furlong in a solid 11.48 seconds, and while two were better than him in New York, it will be surprising if any of the nine entered against him Monday is as good as that pair. Evan Harlan has post 10, but appears to possess ample tactical speed to get position before the turn. His merits are obvious, and he figures a shorter price than his 5-2 morning-line odds.
This race has four first-time starters and only two horses that have won. Wow What a Summer, one of them, was placed first via disqualification in a Colonial maiden turf sprint on July 20.
The Keswick, a five-furlong turf race for 2-year-old fillies, could prove less one-sided. The likely favorite here is Colonial maiden turf-sprint winner Cavalier Cupid, who was home by two lengths on July 19, earning a solid 72 Beyer Speed Figure. Second in that race was Rambert, another Keswick entrant, who set a strong pace while making her career debut and stands a decent chance of turning the tables on Cavalier Cupid on Monday.
Fancy Her Up ships from Charles Town with a chance at a price. This filly debuted with an easy 4 1/2-furlong West Virginia-bred maiden win, showing so much early speed that she had five lengths on her foes at the first call. The second- and third-place finishers that day returned to run one-two at the same class level, and Fancy Her Up might outrun her odds if she can make the lead again Monday.