Glen Hill Farm's Rich in Spirit figures to be heavily favored in Saturday's $200,000 Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs. The 1 1/8-mile turf race kicks off an all-stakes Pick 3 that also consists of the Mede Cahaba All Along Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr, IIIT) and Virginia Derby (gr. IIIT).
Rich in Spirit, the 7-5 morning line favorite, scored a stylish victory in the Regret Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs last out under Gary Stevens and will be ridden by him once again. She has won four of seven starts on turf for trainer Thomas Proctor.
Live Oak Plantation's My Typhoon, the 3-1 second choice, could be the most likely upsetter. Her two career losses both came to the highly regarded Melhor Ainda. My Typhoon, winner of the Hilltop Breeders' Cup Stakes on grass at Pimlico two races back, is a half-sister to champion Galileo and is out of Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) winner Urban Sea. Jerry Bailey rides.
Dr. John A. Chandler's Dynamist comes into the Oaks off a score in the July 2 Denise Rhudy Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park and is pegged in the morningline at 5-1. She finished fourth to My Typhoon in the Hilltop and will be ridden by John Velazquez.
Peter Vegso's Snug Harbour comes into the Oaks riding a five-race win streak, highlighted by an 8 1/2-length triumph in the $100,000 Office Queen Stakes at Calder Race Course on dirt. She won her only turf start, a second level allowance at Calder. Vegso is no stranger to Colonial Downs, having won consecutive Virginia Derbies with homebred full brothers Orchard Park and Silver Tree. Snug Harbour will be ridden by Colonial's leading rider, Horacio Karamanos.
Completing the field are Masseuse, who won at Belmont Park in her last two starts, Flashy Three, Stavinsky's Gal, and Defensa.
Virginia Oaks Race 7 3:48 PM
Horse Jockey Weight Trainer Odds
1 Masseuse Javier Castellano 116 James J. Toner 6/1
2 Flashy Three Jozbin Z. Santana 116 Rodney Jenkins 15/1
3 Rich in Spirit Gary Stevens 122 Thomas Proctor 7/5
4 Stavinsky's Gal Alberto Delgado 116 Barry Kirkham 30/1
5 Dynamist John Velazquez 118 Michael W. Dickinson 5/1
6 Snug Harbour Horacio Karamanos 120 Rodolfo Garcia 8/1
7 Defensa Ramon Dominguez 116 H. Graham Motion 12/1
8 My Typhoon Jerry Bailey 118 William I. Mott 3/1
