Trainer Sheppard Wins Virginia Derby Second Time

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The only thing that may have shocked winning trainer, Jonathan Sheppard in Saturday's Virginia Derby is that the smaller horse was the better horse down the stretch. When Bay Eagle drew even with Potaro in the Virginia Derby, Sheppard might have expected the larger horse to win, typical of European turf racing.

"I was pretty worried when that horse of Graham Motion's made that big run to be honest. He's such a long big striding horse run and ours is quite small. And I thought 'oh my goodness' here we go again. We just won the United Nations...so now I'm thinking, uh oh, maybe déjà vu with we're going to win it and now we don't and (Bay Eagle's) going to nail us. But he held on gamely," said Sheppard.

Brent Bartram, who won three races on Saturday, asked Potaro for run a little later in the race than Ramon Dominguez, who finished 2nd with Bay Eagle. Both horses provided an impressive finish in the $200,000 Virginia Derby, a mile and a quarter on the turf. Confucius Say with Larry Reynolds aboard was third.

But drawing even is all that Bay Eagle could do as Potaro, an Irish bred, held off Bay Eagle's bid to win the Virginia Derby. Sheppard's comments referred to the disqualification of With Anticipation in the United Nations; however, this time his turf winner did not disappoint. Sheppard is pointing Potaro to the National Museum of Racing (G2) at Saratoga. Historically, the Virginia Derby has had strong connections coming out of the Saranac. Due to Colonial's revised schedule of summer racing, it may now have strong impact going in the Saranac, a grade III race for three year olds on the turf schedule late in Saratoga's meet. Both Crowd Pleaser and Phi Beta Doc, winners of the first two Virginia Derbys, won the Saranac. Sheppard won the first Virginia Derby with Crowd Pleaser.

It was Potaro's third victory in the United States this year. He also won the Nick Shuk Memorial at Delaware on June 11 and only shipped to Virginia on Thursday.

Potaro, the favorite, covered the 1 1/4-mile course with jockey Brent Bartram in 2:02.17 and paid $6.40, $4.20, and $3.20. Bay Eagle paid $5.80 and $4, and Confucius Say paid $5 to show.

Colonial's meet continued to draw the desired numbers Saturday, as $1,672,023 in handle and 4764 in attendance were both well above last year's Derby figures and tripping the million dollar mark in handle for the 5th time in Colonial's first 7 days of racing. Last year's Virginia Derby Day figures were 3,643 in attendance and $1,134,637 in handle.

Colonial Downs chairman and CEO, Jeffrey P. Jacob is silently pleased with the meet and is considering a split meet next year.

"We'll look at the results after this meet is over. We're looking at the possibility of a high end turf festival as a second meet; may five to 10 days with a purse structure of $200,000 to $300,000 a day."

Mario Pino continued his winning ways by winning two races on Saturday making 18 his win total for the meet.

Joe Delozier won the steeplechase feature at Colonial, the $50,000 Zeke Ferguson Memorial aboard Indespensable, an upset winner that paid $50.00 to win.

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