Aiming for his fourth consecutive score in the event, the Estate of R. Larry Johnson’s Determined Kingdom will face a field of nine in the $125,000 Punch Line, one of four stakes carded at Colonial Downs on Friday and Saturday for older Virginia-bred or -sired Thoroughbreds.

With a pair of turf stakes carded each day, males will take center stage on Friday beginning with the $125,000 Edward P. Evans at 1-1/16 miles as race 2 and followed by the 5½-furlong Punch Line scheduled as race 4. First post for Friday’s nine-race program is 4:00 p.m. ET.

Sister stakes will follow on Saturday beginning in race 3 with the 1-1/16 miles $125,000 Brookmeade. The 5½ -furlong $125,000 Glenn Petty is set for race 7. Post time for Saturday’s 10-race program is 12:30 p.m. ET.

Beyond a dominant performance in last year’s Punch Line, Determined Kingdom’s 2024 campaign included wins in the Meadow Stable Handicap, a fall allowance at Keeneland, and a summer allowance at Laurel. With a third in Colonial’s Van Clief Stakes and a fifth in the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint Stakes filling out his resume, Determined Kingdom was named the 2024 Virginia-Bred Horse of the Year.

Previously trained by Phil Schoenthal, the 6-year-old Animal Kingdom gelding was sold to Johnson for $190,000 in November’s Keeneland Association Horses of Racing Age Sale and moved to the barn of Mike Trombetta, where Determined Kingdom is winless in three starts. Mychel Sanchez returns to the irons and will start as the odds-on morning line favorite from post 6.

With more than $1 million in lifetime earnings, Double B Racing Stables’ Repo Rocks receives top billing as the 6-5 morning line favorite in Friday’s Edward P. Evans. Trained by Jamie Ness, the classy Virginia-bred who boasts wins in the Grade 3 Westchester and the Grade 3 Toboggan will have to overcome his 0-for-4 record on turf, which includes a fourth-place finish in last year’s edition of this race. Drawing post five in a field of seven, Repo Rocks will receive the services of Mychel Sanchez.

Port Lairge Stables and Louisa Stevenson’s Gettin’downonit, runner up in the 2024 Edward P. Evans, looms as a major contender. Trained by Mark Beecher, the 5-year-old by Anchor Down boasts two local scores. He finished second, just a half-length behind Passion Play, in last year’s Evans.

One other notable contender is cross-entered in both contests. Haywood Hyman, Jr. and Kingdom Bloodstock’s King Covee is 9-5 on the morning line in the Evans and 9-2 on the morning line in the Punch Line.

Trained by Phil Schoenthal, King Covee ran second in last year’s Punch Line. He has just a single win from 18 starts but has finished second or third 10 additional times, mostly racing at sprint distances, including a pair of runner-up finishes this year at Aqueduct. Victor Carrasco will ride.