Russell Talks Raise Cain, Sultry Lass Ahead of Virginia Derby Day
Posted on March 13th, 2026
Russell Talks Raise Cain, Sultry Lass Ahead of Virginia Derby Day
NEW KENT, VA. (March 13, 2026) — Set to make their second starts for trainer Brittany Russell, Raise Cain and Sultry Lass are entered in two inaugural undercard stakes on Virginia Derby Day at Colonial Downs.
Victorious in his first start for his new barn, graded stakes winner Raise Cain looks to follow up an allowance win with a stakes title in the 1-mile, $100,000 Royal New Kent for older horses. The 6-year-old, owned by Andrew and Rania Warren, has earned $749,477 in career earnings and has not raced since late December.
“He’s a really honest, cool horse,” Russell said. “When he came to us, he had obviously had some time off. He ran good off the shelf. We had a little minor step back after his last run. He’s been back breezing. Can I say I think he’s 100% cranked up for this? No, but I think he’s trained well in the time that we’ve had to get him prepared, and I think he’ll show up and run.”
Joel Politi’s four-time winner Sultry Lass exits a second-place finish in the Nellie Morse on Feb. 14 at Laurel Park. The 7-year-old Bernardini mare will make her second start for Russell in the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Sandy Bottom, which was split into two divisions.
“I feel like she’s a really simple horse in the sense of if you keep her happy, she’s gonna try for you,” Russell said. “I’ve kept it really simple with her. We got the stakes placing last time. It’s a good group for her to be facing, but she’s doing well.”
Her Laugh Exits Graded Stakes Company for $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Sandy Bottom
Making her fourth start for Riley Mott, Her Laugh aims to add a second stakes title to her resume in the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Sandy Bottom, split into two divisions that will be run as Races 6 and 7. The lightly raced 4-year-old Practical Joke filly, who ran fifth in the 2025 Kentucky Oaks, exits a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Inside Information Stakes at Gulfstream Park and a fifth in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita.
“We’ve kind of thrown her to the wolves a couple times,” Mott said. “They were tough spots, but I don’t think she had necessarily the clearest of trips. Her works coming out of her races have been very sharp. I think the stretch out to one mile from seven eighths is going be to her advantage. So I’m optimistic she’ll run a big race.”
Drawing the outside post in the field of seven older fillies and mares, Her Laugh will be ridden by John Velazquez.
First post for Saturday’s 10-race card is noon ET.
Photo Credit: Coady Media
