Storm's Wake will be tough dropping in on Old Dominion Oaks
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Trainer Brian Lynch has kept Storm’s Wake busy in her 3-year-old campaign, entering her in five consecutive graded stakes between February and July. She will finally get a reprieve when she returns from a short layoff in the $250,000 Old Dominion Oaks on Monday at Colonial Downs.
Despite losing her first four stakes attempts between October 2025 and February 2026, Lynch kept stepping Storm’s Wake up in class and was rewarded in April when she pulled off a 21-1 upset in the Grade 2 Appalachian at Keeneland. She has since run in three graded stakes, most recently finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks at Saratoga.
“We just give her little bit of time off that Saratoga race,” Lynch said. “She’s had a solid campaign through the winter and end of the spring, and so I freshened her with this in mind. I’m hoping she runs well there.”
The seasoned 3-year-old filly has run seven times without a significant break this year, but she enters listed stakes company at Colonial off a two-month break. Lynch said the Old Dominion Oaks could be her prep for the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland in October.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. entered two in the field of 11 3-year-old fillies, including 9-2 morning-line favorite Embrace Time, who is cross-entered at Kentucky Downs next week. Joseph took over as her trainer last month after she finished third in the $250,000 Pucker Up at Ellis Park. Her new stablemate Dandona will switch back to turf after a distant defeat in the Grade 1 Coaching Club America Oaks in July.
Brad Cox, the former trainer of Embrace Time, entered the front-running filly Dagmara, who leads a group of five last-out allowance winners in the 1 1/8-mile turf race.
Da Hoss
The $150,000 Da Hoss Stakes is yet another strong turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up in the Mid-Atlantic, with Governor Sam leading a field of 12 back into action. The George Weaver trainee is going for his fifth stakes victory and has improved in each start as a 4-year-old.
In the $150,000 Van Clief last month, Governor Sam led at the top of the stretch before getting outkicked by the graded stakes winner My Boy Prince. He finished third by a neck, but the race was arguably his strongest of the year, making him the 7-5 morning-line favorite in another 5 1/2-furlong sprint on Monday.
“The horse is doing well,” Weaver said. “He ran well there last time. We’re excited to come back and try to make amends.”
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Victory Achieved, one of two geldings entered by Mark Casse, went off at 14-1 in the Van Clief last time and rallied to take second, just ahead of Governor Sam in a three-horse blanket finish. Casse scoffed at his gelding’s 10-1 odds on the morning line this time, though he should earn more respect at the window.
“We sent him home after he ran a terrible race in the middle of October last year,” Casse said. “He’s come back to himself with three strong starts.”
Casse also entered Souper Quest, who was forced off the turf last time out and won a four-horse edition of the $100,000 Wolf Hill by 6 1/4 lengths.
Alogon, a graded stakes winner trained by Ned Allard, overcame a tough trip in the Van Clief to finish seventh by 1 3/4 lengths. Allard said he expected another improved effort in his third start this year.
Michael Trombetta said he will scratch Determined Kingdom in favor of the $150,000 Disco Partner at Saratoga.
Colonial Cup
The $150,000 Colonial Cup will test several runners at a challenging 1 1/2-mile distance on turf, but Just a Touch will have a vastly different question to answer. The even-money favorite will have to bounce back from a brutal 73 1/2-length defeat in the Grade 2 United Nations at Monmouth Park.
Once a high-level graded stakes contender on dirt, the Brad Cox-trained 5-year-old seemed to cement his identity as a turf marathoner when he won the $200,000, 1 1/2-mile Cape Henlopen by 3 1/2 lengths at Delaware Park in June. Cox thought he was ready for the step up to graded stakes company, but he did not take to the wet turf course in the United Nations and walked off.
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Trainer Graham Motion is taking his shot against the vulnerable favorite with two geldings in the field of nine older males. Soleil Volant, the classier of the two stablemates, finished second behind Just a Touch in the Cape Henlopen before running sixth in the Grade 2 Bowling Green at Saratoga in July.
Carcano, a 6-year-old trained by Victoria Oliver, will step into stakes company after winning a second-level allowance at Colonial off a three-month layoff in July. The Kentucky-based gelding is unbeaten in two starts over this course and has been working his way toward a stakes start all year.
Kitten’s Joy
Stakes action on Monday at Colonial will begin with a pair of $125,000 stakes for juveniles, and Graham Motion is prepared with a live contender in both. Excessif is expected to be a heavy favorite in the 5 1/2-furlong Rosie’s, while Induction has a strong chance in the 1 1/16-mile Kitten’s Joy.
“With 2-year-olds, you really only get one shot” – at this time of year – “to find out if they’re good enough to go to the next level,” Motion said. “You don’t get many chances before the Breeders’ Cup.”
In a flashy debut at a mile on Aug. 9, Induction closed from sixth and drew off to win a $73,000 maiden special weight by two lengths at Colonial. He earned a 68 Beyer Speed Figure for his runaway effort, which will make him the likely favorite in the Kitten’s Joy’s field of nine juveniles.
Call Me Micky J. is the only horse in the field with stakes experience, though he has never run on turf. Last-out maiden winners Popcorn, Heracles, and Mightily are also poised to take a step forward.
Rosie’s
Motion’s other stakes hopeful, Excessif, shipped to Colonial for his second start in August. After running a game fourth in his debut at Saratoga, the colt went straight to the front at Colonial to win a six-furlong maiden special weight by a half-length with a 63 Beyer.
Omaha Spirit, a filly trained by Wesley Ward, nipped Excessif for 2-1 favoritism on the morning line in the field of seven, having defeated male rivals at five furlongs in her July debut.
I Feel Lucky, the surging winner of the $125,000 Hickory Tree last month, will switch back to turf in his third start for trainer Mary Lightner.
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