Just Might toughs it out in Chesapeake win at Colonial

Favorites bookended a pair of prices in the four $100,000 MATCH race stakes Monday at Colonial Downs.

Cordmaker ($4) started the stakes action with a 2 1/4-length score in the Victory Gallop while Just Might ($4.20) finished it with a hard-fought victory over Mucho in the Chesapeake. In between, Saracosa made a last-to-first rally to upset the Love Sign Stakes at 18-1, while Cheetara scored a brave 6-1 win in the Seeking the Pearl.

Just Might, a turf horse most of his career, ran a career-best Beyer Speed Figure, 101, in the off-turf Colonel Power this past February at Fair Grounds, but trainer Michelle Lovell, who is having an excellent Colonial meet in her first season stabled at the track, eschewed further dirt racing until Monday. Lovell, as much as anything, hesitated to run Just Might over six furlongs, a distance slightly longer than ideal for a horse who specializes in the shorter sprints typically contested on grass.

Indeed, the Chesepeake’s six furlongs nearly proved Just Might’s undoing. Jockey Colby Hernandez held Just Might just off pacesetting Mucho, who set splits of 21.90 and 44.40. Just Might edged alongside Mucho in upper stretch, sticking his nose in front, but Mucho never stopped trying and appeared to have the momentum when the wire came, Just Might home by a head.

“He passed the test,” Lovell said of the dirt entry. “It was a really nice race from both those horses. I was very proud of this horse.”

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The Chesapeake was timed in 1:07.38 over a very fast track. Bank finished three lengths farther behind in third. Lovell co-owns and co-bred Just Might with Griffon Farms. The 5-year-old gelding is by Justin Phillip out of Dynamite Babe, by Dynameaux, and pushed his career earnings over a half-million dollars.

Chilean import Cheetara, making her second North American start, raced aggressively in the seven-furlong Seeking the Pearl, dragging jockey Horacio Karamanos to the lead before the half-mile pole, then digging in through the final furlong to hold clear Never Enough Time and 1-2 favorite Frank’s Rockette in a blanket finish. Cheetara won by a neck, Never Enough Time a head better than Frank’s Rockette, who rallied steadily from the back of the field before flattening out ever so slightly in the final 100 yards.

Ignacio Correas trains Cheetara for Stud Los Leones. By Daddy Long Legs out of Frescura Total, by Thunder Gulch, Cheetara’s three Chilean wins included a Group 2. She was timed in 1:20.61 for seven furlongs and paid $14.80.

A fast, contested pace in the Love Sign allowed Saracosa to rally from last to first under Francisco Arrieta, who guided his mount between Paris Lights and a tiring Bajan Girl in the final furlong to post a 1 1/2-length victory. Cipriano Contreras, who trains the 6-year-old mare for Chad Schumer, shipped Saracosa in from Indiana Grand for this one-turn, 1 1/16-mile start, the third race of her 2021 campaign. At age 5, Saracosa placed in two graded stakes around two turns, her best race possibly the 1 1/8-mile Delaware Oaks, where she finished second, but the extended one-turn trip suited her Monday. Arrieta had plenty of horse at the head of the stretch and merely had to pick his holes, Saracosa responding willingly.

Dream Marie, late on the scene while closing wide, edged Paris Lights for second. Paris Lights had been favored for much of the betting but wound up the 3-2 second choice behind Bajan Girl, who was used up on the pace while racing inside. Saracosa was timed in 1:39.72 and paid $38.40. The well-bred mare is by Bernardini out of Homeschooling, by Medaglia d’Oro.

Three entrants, including sure favorite South Bend, were scratched from the 1 1/16-mile Victory Gallop, leaving just four runners. Cordmaker at even-money was only narrowly favored over McLemore Avenue, but he proved much the best under Victor Carrasco. Stalking pacesetter Rock On Luke, Cordmaker made the lead in upper stretch without really being asked and coasted to a comfortable win over McLemore Avenue, stopping the timer in 1:40.45. Trained by Rodney Jenkins for Hillwood Stable, Cordmaker won for the 10th time in 31 starts. The Maryland-bred gelding is by Curlin out of Tanka, by Polish Numbers.