REGIONAL-BRED TURF STARS TAKE CENTER STAGE AT COLONIAL DOWNS

NEW KENT, Va. (Aug 9, 2026) — Three consecutive turf features for regional-bred runners will highlight the program Saturday, Aug. 15, at Colonial Downs. The lineup includes the companion $125,000 Find Stakes and All Brandy Stakes plus the $100,000 Meadow Stable Handicap.

Millionaire Gigante and Thundering, who recently placed in a Grade 2 race, lead a field of nine in the second running of the $125,000 Find, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on turf. The race is open to Virginia- or Maryland-bred and/or sired horses 3 years old and older.

Gigante, the 2025 Virginia-Bred Horse of the Year, returns to the course where he won the 2023 Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes and finished second in last year’s Find. The $1.5 million earner has placed in three consecutive stakes this season, finishing third in the Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park, the $250,000 Texas Turf Classic and, most recently, the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows on July 11. The 6-year-old son of Not This Time is trained by Steve Asmussen and will go from post 5 with Johan Rosado aboard.

Thundering enters in sharp form for trainer Derek Ryan. The 4-year-old Maryland-bred gelding controlled the pace to win Laurel’s $125,000 JRA Turf Cup by 1 1/2 lengths on June 27, then stepped into graded company and finished third behind Program Trading in the Grade 2 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 18. Paco Lopez will ride Thundering from post 8.

Day to Day returns to her favorite course in the second running of the $125,000 All Brandy, which drew 11 Virginia- or Maryland-bred and/or sired fillies and mares 3 years old and older at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

A Virginia-bred 3-year-old daughter of McKinzie, Day to Day is perfect in two starts on the Colonial turf. She broke her maiden here last summer and returned June 27 to win the $127,000 Brookmeade Stakes at the All Brandy distance. Sent off as the favorite in the Brookmeade, Day to Day advanced on the far turn and drew clear by 2 1/4 lengths for her first stakes victory. Earlier this season, she finished third in the $125,000 Star Shoot Stakes at Woodbine. At 2, she was runner-up in Gulfstream Park’s $100,000 Wait a While Stakes. Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., Day to Day drew post 8 with Paco Lopez aboard.

The featured action begins with the fifth running of the $100,000 Meadow Stable Handicap. The 5½-furlong turf sprint drew 10 Virginia-bred, Virginia-sired or Virginia-certified horses 3 years old and older.

Defending champion Whenigettoheaven returns after prevailing by a nose over Going Up in last year’s Meadow Stable, with Determined Kingdom another length back in third. Whenigettoheaven also defeated Determined Kingdom by ¾-length in the 2025 Ben’s Cat Stakes at Laurel. The 7-year-old Maryland-bred gelding has made two starts this season, finishing third in both the King T. Leatherbury Stakes and the Ben’s Cat. Trained by Nolan Ramsey, Whenigettoheaven will be guided from post 2 with Paco Lopez aboard.

Determined Kingdom, winner of the Meadow Stable in 2023 and 2024, returns in top form for trainer Michael Trombetta. The 7-year-old Virginia-bred son of Animal Kingdom won a Saratoga allowance in June before scoring a two-length victory in the $125,000 Punch Line Stakes at Colonial on July 11. A winner of seven of his 12 starts on the Colonial turf, Determined Kingdom has 12 career victories and earnings of $966,680. Jorge Ruiz has the call.

Complete fields for the Find, All Brandy and Meadow Stable are available on Equibase: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/RaceCardIndexCNL081526USA-EQB.html.

The three-race sequence begins with the Meadow Stable Handicap in race 7, followed by the Find in race 8 and the All Brandy in race 9. First post for the 10-race card is 12:30 p.m.

Saturday is also Colonial’s annual “Wiener Dog Day” with the pups competing after races 2 through 5 with the individual race victors returning for the finals after race 6.