Trombetta sweeps Dolley Madison, Jamestown
Trainer Mike Trombetta had all the cards in a pair of state-restricted $125,000 stakes for juveniles at Colonial Downs on Saturday. Shortly after Maryland-bred filly Just Philtored cruised home to win her turf debut by 4 1/2 lengths in the Dolley Madison, Virginia-bred colt Doubting Thomas dug in on the front end to take the Jamestown.
Coming off a hard-fought victory on dirt over Slewperstitus in the $100,000 Keswick, Trombetta wasn’t sure that Just Philtored would handle the turf in the Dolley Madison. He couldn’t find time to work her on the surface ahead of the race, but it quickly became clear that she didn’t need the prep when jockey Mychel Sanchez took her straight to the lead in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint.
Courageous Diane, a 38-1 longshot, chased close behind on the backstretch through an opening quarter-mile in 22.85, but Just Philtored quickly dispatched that rival and opened up on the far turn. She entered the stretch with a three-length lead and never looked back, completing the distance in 1:03.21 and paying $4.80 to win.
Trainer Robert Bailes cross-entered Slewperstitus in the Dolley Madison and Jamestown on Saturday and ultimately chose to keep her running against fillies. The runner-up in the Keswick last month came up short again on turf without seriously challenging for the lead. She finished a half-length ahead of Karina Anna, who finished third for trainer Archibald Kingsley Jr.
Just Philtored had everything her way in the Dolley Madison, but her stablemate had to fight much harder on the front end in the Jamestown. Jockey Jorge Ruiz guided Doubting Thomas to a one-length lead on the backstretch, but the last-out maiden winner never had a comfortable moment.
Stalking rivals Sometime and Karate Island pressed the pace through an opening quarter-mile in 22.47 and half-mile in 45.43, and both runners launched bids turning for home. Karate Island angled toward the rail when Doubting Thomas moved out, while Sometime stayed outside and tried to close down the center.
For a moment, it seemed like Doubting Thomas might cave to pressure on either side, but Ruiz kept asking and he kept giving more, pulling away under a determined drive to win by 1 3/4 lengths. He completed the 5 1/2-furlong sprint in 1.02.39 and paid $3 to win.
Karate Island, a gelding trained by Brittany Russell, made the most of his inside position in the stretch to finish a neck ahead for second. He has now finished second behind Doubting Thomas in both of his career starts and lost by the same margin in July. Sometime, a colt trained by Mark Simms Jr., ran on for third, 4 3/4 lengths clear of his next rival.
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