STALKING TRIPS PREVAIL AS MISSION NORTH DENIES GIGANTE IN $125,000 FIND STAKES AND LIFELOVENLAUGHTER HOLDS ON IN $125,000 ALL BRANDY

Photo caption: Lifelovenlaughter (#3, inside) holds off Winfinity to win the $125,000 All Brandy Stakes at Colonial Downs on Aug., 16, 2025 (Credit: Coady Media)

Photo caption: Mission North is in the clear and captures the $125,000 Find Stakes at Colonial Downs on Aug., 16, 2025 (Credit: Coady Media)

NEW KENT, Va. (Aug. 16, 2025) – Stalking trips proved decisive in Saturday’s Virginia- and Maryland-bred or -sired sibling turf stakes at Colonial Downs, as Mission North captured the $125,000 Find Stakes and Lifelovenlaughter won the $125,000 All Brandy Stakes.

Northwoods Stable’s homebred Mission North sat a perfect stalking trip and held off graded-stakes winner Gigante in the stretch to win the Find by three-quarters of a length over four older males.

Trained by Jack Fisher and ridden by Forest Boyce, Mission North covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.67 over a turf course rated firm. The 4-year-old gelding, who already owns a steeplechase stakes title, earned his first added-money victory on the flat.

“He’s pretty tactical so we had some options, but the race set up perfectly,” Boyce said. “He’s a nice horse. I’m so glad (Fisher) kept him on the flat and didn’t enter him over jumps. All of his horses run over jumps and on the flat. I have to beg him to keep them on the flat. It’s pretty fun.”

Sent off at 7-5, Mission North returned $4.80, $2.80 and $2.10.

Including two steeplechase victories, the Maryland-bred has a career record of 13-6-0-2 with $241,730 in earnings.

In the All Brandy, The Elkstone Group’s homebred Lifelovenlaughter secured a stalking position behind pacesetter Cut From Class, made her move in the stretch and held off Winfinity by a neck.

Trained by Mike Trombetta and ridden by Jorge Ruiz, Lifelovenlaughter covered 1 1/16 miles on the turf in 1:42.74.

“She won a stake at Laurel Park last out going six furlongs,” Ruiz said. “I am very happy for her. There wasn’t much early speed today. I had her in position behind the leader, and at the top of the stretch I got her into the clear to make a move.”

The odds-on favorite, Lifelovenlaughter paid $3.00, $2.10 and $2.10.

The 5-year-old Maryland-bred mare by Lemon Drop Kid has now won three straight including the Jameela Stakes last out at Laurel Park. Her career line stands at 20-6-3-2 with $381,425 in earnings.

Live racing resumes Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EDT with an eight-race card. Claiming Crown Preview Day follows Thursday, Aug. 21, featuring eight starter-allowance qualifiers worth a combined $550,000. The top two finishers in each qualifier earn automatic berths to the Claiming Crown championships Nov. 15 at Churchill Downs. The day begins with three steeplechase races and a 10:45 a.m. first post.

About Colonial Downs
Colonial Downs Racetrack, in New Kent, Virginia, hosts live thoroughbred racing on two nationally renowned surfaces – the Secretariat Turf Course, the widest turf course in North America at 180 feet wide and on a 1 1/4-mile dirt track. The Colonial Downs Group, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums® throughout the commonwealth, which offer innovative historic horseracing (HHR) gaming and full card simulcasting as well as Rosie’s Game Room in Collinsville, and The Rose Gaming Resort® in Dumfries which offers 1,650 HHR gaming terminals, full-card simulcasting, eight bars and restaurants and more than 100 hotel rooms.