Colonial Downs will open its sixteenth season of live pari-mutuel harness racing this Wednesday (September 18) with a 10-race card highlighted by a pair of first-leg divisions in both the VHHA Pacing Series and the Horace Martin Memorial Pacing Series.
Last year’s respective Virginia-bred two-year-old filly and colt champion pacers will compete in separate VHHA divisions Wednesday as three-year-olds. John Ingram’s Blueridge Casino captured the $50,150 colt/gelding title in 1:56.4 on the ‘Day of Champions’ program last fall while Morgan Hagerman’s Blueridge Adalia won the $49,675 filly title in 1:56. Drivers Jeff Nisonger and Herman Hagerman, who directed both those championship wins, will be back in the sulky for their respective VHHA series starts in the fourth and seventh races.
The Horace Martin Memorial fields will compete at the odd distance of seven-eighths of a mile Wednesday. Fortunes Jenna, with a career bankroll of $205,892, is favoured in the first division, while Art At Heart, a winner of $243,881, is early choice in the latter division. The stakes duo has been carded as the fifth and eighth races.
Trainer Dean Eckley, a newcomer to the Colonial meet, has entered nine horses in the opening day’s races, while returnees Mark Gray, Dustin Ingraham and George Anthrop will send out five each.
Ingraham leads all reinsmen with seven drives, while Gray, Jeff Nisonger and newcomer Robert Dinning have six each. Veterans Corey Braden and Frank Milby have five drives apiece scheduled.
Colonial Downs will continue racing on a Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon basis through October 27.
(With files from Colonial)