Dynamic Holiday has been on a roll in her last four starts, and she is looking to carry over her win streak into her first start at Colonial Downs in the July 16 Virginia Oaks (gr. IIIT). She must prevail over seven other viable contenders during her quest, however, including fellow graded stakes winner Wyomia, who is seeking to rebound from an unplaced effort in her last start.
The Virginia Oaks, a 1 1/8-mile turf contest for 3-year-old fillies and mares, is the seventh race on the card and has an approximate post time of 7:30 p.m.
Trained by Graham Motion for owner/breeder George Strawbridge’s Augustin Stable, Dynamic Holiday holds a record of 4-2-0 from seven starts and earnings of $232,575. The Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Harlan's Holiday—Dynamic Cat, by Dynaformer, enters the Virginia Oaks with a perfect 2011 record, having scored in the Tropical Park Oaks at Calder Race Course, the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs, and most recently the March 13 Herecomesthebride Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream Park in her graded stakes debut.
"She's doing great...we took a break by design, because I felt like she had a couple tough races at the beginning of the year and I wanted her to be around in the fall when the grade Is run hopefully," said Motion. "So it seemed logical to give her a little bit of a break, and this was a good race to point for.
"There are a couple nice fillies in (the Virginia Oaks) and and we have to give everybody quite a bit of weight, so that's definitely a concern. But I think she's doing well, and she's had a good freshening, and she's had a couple decent works here, so I feel good about running her."
In Dynamic Holiday's most recent work, she covered six furlongs in 1:14 1/5 at Fair Hill Training Center July 9.
The Virginia Oaks marks the filly's first time at Colonial Downs. She will be piloted by Julien Leparoux, who was also aboard for her Tropical Park Oaks victory. The pair will break from post 4.
Wyomia will likely be Dynamic Holiday’s biggest competitor if she can conquer the Colonial turf surface. The daughter of Vindication—Beyond the Sun, by Kingmambo, captured the 2010 Mazarine Stakes (gr. III) at Woodbine as well as the March 12 Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in her sophomore season debut. She missed in her last two starts, but was a good second in the April 9 Ashland Stakes (gr. I). She enters the Virginia Oaks off a distant fifth in the May 2 Black-Eyed Susan (gr. II).
Wyomia, a $145,000 Keeneland September yearling sale purchase, is trained by Curtis Garrison for Beverly Anderson and Edward Seltzer, who bred her in Kentucky with his former wife Marilyn.
The dark bay or brown filly, who posted a bullet work July 10, covering four furlongs in :49 4/5, will be ridden by Frederic Lenclud and will break from the five post.
Other fillies in the Virginia Oaks field include Excited, who was second in the June 18 Regret (gr. IIIT); Mystical Star, who was runner up to Dynamic Holiday in the Herecomesthebride; stakes winner Pink Pallet; stakes-placed runners Sassy's Dream and Smart Sting, who were second and third, respectively in the May 6 Edgewood on the Churchill Downs turf; and Summer Savory, a winner in her last two starts on turf at Arlington Park.
$150,000 Virginia Oaks (gr. IIIT, Race 7, 7:30 p.m.), 3-Year-Old Fillies, 1 1/8 Miles (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Trainer
1. Sassy’s Dream (KY), A Garcia, 116, K G McPeek
2. Summer Savory (KY), K J Desormeaux, 116, M Stidham
3. Mystical Star (KY), J Lezcano, 116, C Clement
4. Dynamic Holiday (PA), J R Leparoux, 122, H G Motion
5. Wyomia (KY), F Lenclud, 116, C L Garrison
6. Pink Pallet (VA), E S Prado, 116, H A Smith
7. Smart Sting (KY), A O Solis, 116, R L Attfield
8. Excited (KY), J R Velazquez, 116, T A Pletcher
