War Humor takes early lead all the way in Edward P. Evans Stakes

Coming off a red-hot Colonial meet last summer, trainer Robert Bailes got right back to business when War Humor kicked clear to win the $125,000 Edward P. Evans Stakes on Saturday at Colonial Downs.

Last year, Bailes earned a Colonial stakes victory with Slam Notion in the $75,000 Star de Naskra and also notched two runner-up finishes in stakes with the juvenile filly Slewperstitus. The trainer promised some new faces in Virginia this year, and he quickly delivered.

War Humor, a 4-year-old gelding and state-restricted stakes winner in 2024, faced Virginia-breds only once last year, when he finished well back in the $125,000 Punch Line taken off the turf. He had never run beyond six furlongs, but he proved undeniable at 1 1/16 miles on turf Saturday.

Using all the speed of the longtime sprinter, jockey Jevian Toledo sent the 7-2 second choice straight to the front through an opening quarter-mile in 24.34 seconds. He was already well clear around the first turn and maintained a 1 1/2-length lead through a half-mile in 48.45.

Stalking contenders Green Beans and Virginia Fitz both held position around the course and seemed to be waiting for an opportunity to advance, but War Humor never provided one. 
 

Toledo unleashed him on the far turn, and by the time he hit the stretch, he was in even firmer command. He held by 1 1/2 lengths at the end, completing his first attempt at 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.17 and paying $9 to win.

Virginia Fitz, resilient for trainer Susan Cooney, outkicked the Lynn Ashby-trained favorite Green Beans in the fight for second, prevailing by three-quarters of a length.
 

Brookmeade Stakes
Day to Day, a Virginia-bred filly trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., returned home to win the $125,000 Brookmeade Stakes on Saturday at Colonial Downs. 

Denied everywhere else she has traveled in nine career starts, she is now undefeated in two starts on the turf at Colonial.

Last July, Day to Day made her juvenile debut at Colonial for trainer Michael Trombetta, winning a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint. She has run in stakes in all but one start since for Joseph, most recently finishing third in the $125,000 Star Shoot at Woodbine in April.

With the return to Virginia, a switch from synthetic to turf, a stretch back out to 1 1/16 miles, and two months’ rest, any number of factors can be attributed to the 3-year-old filly’s victory on Saturday. It certainly didn’t hurt to face other Virginia-breds, as she went off as the even-money favorite and paid $4.20 to win.

Quadra, the 5-2 second choice trained by Richard Hendriks, set the early pace in the Brookmeade, barreling ahead to a substantial lead through an opening quarter-mile in 24.17 seconds. By the time she completed the half-mile in 47.71, she was six lengths clear, though she soon came back to the field entering the far turn.

Day to Day, who stalked under Paco Lopez from third, advanced into second on the backstretch and had a straightforward task from there. The filly easily inherited the lead from the flagging front-runner and kicked clear in the stretch. She peeled off to win by 2 1/4 lengths, completing the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:42.92.

Sun Cross, the runner-up in the Brookmeade last year, again picked up the pieces for second for trainer Brittany Russell. He finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Quadra, who just held third by a nose over Buzzaway.

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