Catching My Eye at Colonial Downs Week 7

Jason discusses some races and horses who caught his eye during Week 7  at Colonial Downs. 

Week 7 in the books and it was another week of perfect weather here in Virginia. All races were run over fast and firm surfaces and with no stakes races, so it was kind of a quiet week. Entries were a little bit smaller last week and the races early in the week were finishing up very formful. Entries look stronger for the week ahead, so hopefully things finish with big fields and some exciting races. Here were several horses and races that caught my eye from Week 7. 

Oliviera

Trainer Phil Schoenthal has sent out a lot of good horses over the years here at Colonial, including some nice debut winners. Friday afternoon’s first race featured Oliviera, who dominated in an 11-length win that had the field really strung out. Now it was a maiden $40,000 event and just a field of four, so we shouldn't necessarily see her jump right up to stakes company. 

But she had a really nice turn of foot on the turn and looked very professional down the lane for a two-year-old filly making her debut. She got an 85 Brisnet Speed rating for this debut. We won’t have to wait long to see her run again as she’s entered in Saturday’s second race. 

Pascaline

For a track that runs a ton of races on turf, our first two noteworthy efforts this week came on the main track. 

Pascaline was a first-time starter Saturday in a race filled with debut runners. The Godolphin homebred Montador was favored and had the lead inside the last furlong. Pascaline meanwhile was kind of stuck in a box of horses for much of the turn and had to do some real navigating down the lane to find the clear racetrack down on the inside. 

But he erupted when he did and drew clear late to win by almost two lengths. Owned by West Point TBs and trained by Arnaud Delacour, he’s a big good-looking horse who really looked flashy. 

Love Pack 

Love Pack was fourth in that same fourth race Saturday that Pascaline won. He broke quite badly and kind of lost all shot at the start. But he steadily made progress throughout the race and ended up finishing fourth, only beaten 2 1/2 lengths for all the money. 

Of the runners-up in that race, he was the one who caught my eye most, but I really do think all of the top four finishers could be decent. 

Strutsherstuff

Saturday’s fifth race was a maiden special weight for fillies, and Strutsherstuff looked super professional for a debut runner. Stuck behind horses down on the inside with her rail draw, she tipped out very nicely and really kicked in down the lane to win by over five lengths, which, in a turf sprint, seems like a big margin.