GRADE 3 WINNER ANDTHEWINNERIS TOPS SUNDAY FEATURE; PROMISING JUVENILES DEBUT IN VIRGINIA-RESTRICTED TURF SPRINT; JOHN VELAZQUEZ NAMED ON TWO MOUNTS FOR MONDAY
Posted on July 10th, 2026
Hall-of-Fame Jockey John Velazquez (Coady Media)
G3 Winner Aandthewinneris Tops Sunday Feature at Colonial Downs (Credit: Coady Media)
NEW KENT, Va. (July 10, 2026) — Graded stakes winner Andthewinneris will look to capitalize on a return to longer distances when he headlines Sunday’s featured optional claiming/second-level allowance at Colonial Downs, while an intriguing field of first-time starters highlights the supporting card in a Virginia-restricted juvenile turf sprint.
Sunday’s nine-race program begins at 12:30 p.m. EDT. The featured Race 7 serves as the opening leg of the $3 Late Pick 3 and brings together a competitive field of eight older runners going 1 3/16 miles.
Susan Naylor’s Andthewinneris was installed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite after facing tough company in a pair of one-mile races at Churchill Downs. The winner of the 2022 G3 Bourbon is trained by Wayne Catalano.
“This looks like a really good spot for him,” Catalano said. “The added distance should suit him.”
Catalano said his horse’s recent finishes are better than they appear on paper.
“He’s had a few tough trips this spring at Churchill and Keeneland,” Catalano said. “They didn’t come back to him late and he had traffic in the stretch. We really like where our horse is right now.”
The veteran will have to contend with Can Group, now trained by Jamie Ness, who won the 2023 G3 Bourbon.
Race 6 is a maiden special weight turf sprint for Virginia-bred, -sired and -certified 2-year-olds. The five-furlong dash attracted a field of 10, with many making their career debuts.
Among them is Steven Smith and Chris Kuhn’s homebred Prince of Peace, the 9-2 morning-line third choice for trainer Robert Bailes. The Cairo Prince colt enters with eight published workouts at Laurel Park, including three bullet drills.
“I like him — I think he’s a nice colt,” Bailes said. “That he’s still a colt might be a little bit of an issue right now, but I like what he’s been showing me so far. We haven’t been able to work him on the grass yet, but his breeding says he should be able to run on it, so we’ll find out on Sunday.”
Trainer Brendan Walsh unveils Dewberry Thoroughbreds’ homebred Fields of Grey. The Hard Spun colt arrives from Turfway Park after posting a bullet workout July 1 and picks up leading rider Paco Lopez for his debut.
Graham Motion sends out the Estate of Larry Johnson’s homebred Do the Right Thing, who will be the first starter for freshman sire True Valour (IRE).
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez is named on a pair of mounts at Colonial Downs on Monday, teaming with trainer Lauren Robson on both runners during the eight-race program.
First post Monday is 12:30 p.m. EDT.
Velazquez has enjoyed considerable success with Robson, winning with seven of his 19 mounts (37%) for the trainer over the past three years.
His first assignment comes aboard Miss Ellary in Race 4, a one-mile optional claiming/allowance on the turf for older fillies and mares. Miss Ellary contests the opening leg of the 50-cent Late Pick 5, which spans Races 4-8 and features a 12% takeout.
Velazquez’s second mount comes aboard Rebel With a Cause in Race 7, Monday’s featured first-level allowance turf sprint.
The 3-year-old exits a fourth-place finish behind Outfielder in the William Walker Stakes at Churchill Downs. Rebel With a Cause owns two victories from four career starts, with both wins coming under Velazquez.
A quartet of $125,000 restricted stakes highlights Saturday’s 10-race program, including the seven-furlong dirt stakes Miss Disco and Star De Naskra, along with the companion turf sprints, the Glenn Petty and Punch Line. First post is 12:30 p.m. EDT.
