A day after the driver-trainer combo of John Wagner-Manley Brown Jr. clicked for a 1:51.2 winning mile at Colonial Downs with Camafications, the duo connected again in Thursday’s featured seventh race with Salazar in that same 1:51.2 clocking. Those are the fastest two miles recorded thus far in opening-week action.
The consistent Salazar took the lead from Columbia Art shortly after a :27.1 opening quarter, then went on to carve out :55.3 and 1:23.4 fractions. The six-year-old McArdle gelding distanced himself from the field with nearly every step in the stretch and coasted home to a six and three-quarter-length victory. He is co-owned by John Denison and Frank Denison. An hour-long rain preceded the races, and though the track conditions were 'sloppy' for Salazar’s race, the track was upgraded to 'good' for the next race.
A pair of late closer trotting events got under way Thursday. Wygant Pearl got a wire-to-wire trip in capturing the Todd & Doug Parker Memorial Trotting Series’ first leg in 1:59. The four-year-old Muscles Yankee mare squeaked out a head victory over a pesky Justgottogetthere who challenged the winner stride for stride in deep stretch. Jason MacDougall guided Wygant Pearl for trainer Chase Vandervort. The Parker Memorial will continue each of the next two Thursdays with one-mile contests.
Jane Dunavant’s Taste of Paradise captured the Virginia Harness Horsemen’s Association (VHHA) Series after making a break while on the lead exiting the turn. Driver Dan O’Mara quickly got the four-year-old mare trotting again and coasted home to a four and a half-length win over Rise N Shine in 1:57.1. The VHHA Series will also continue the next two Thursdays, but the $5,000 final on September 20 will be raced at a distance of one and quarter miles.
Colonial Downs is dark Friday, but returns to action Saturday with a 10-race program beginning at 1:00 p.m. The races will be held in conjunction with the New Kent County Fair, which has activities running from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. A special $5 carload ticket includes parking and admission for everyone each vehicle.
(Colonial Downs)