CNL: Paco Lopez posts stakes sweep
Inveigled upsets Barbadian Runner in Yorktown
Press Release
July 25, 2026
Jockey Paco Lopez swept Saturday’s pair of $100,000 stakes at Colonial Downs, guiding Inveigled to a thrilling victory in the inaugural Yorktown Stakes and then capturing the Love Sign Stakes aboard Anakarina.
The inaugural $100,000 Yorktown Stakes came down to a photo finish as Mark Grier’s Inveigled outdueled odds-on favorite Barbadian Runner to score by a nose.
Trained by Arnaud Delacour, Inveigled covered 1⅛ miles on the dirt in 1:48.05.
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“Last time I rode him from off the pace, and there were some questions about whether those were the best tactics,” Lopez said. “So today, I thought I would put him on the lead if he broke sharp. We went 25 seconds through the first call, and after that, I knew I would have enough horse to fight for the win down the lane.”
Traveling comfortably on the lead, Inveigled posted opening fractions of :25.04 and :48.52. Barbadian Runner stalked outside the leader before drawing alongside on the far turn, setting up a thrilling stretch duel that Inveigled won by a head. Stowaway finished third.
Inveigled remains unbeaten in two starts since joining Delacour’s barn.
“The first time out for us, we gave him an easier race, and he did very well. He came back in great shape, so we gave him a shot in the stakes,” Delacour said. “He is a big, long-striding horse who found a comfortable rhythm today and had something left at the end to get the win.”
Inveigled returned $8.80, $3.20 and $3.
Bred in Indiana, the multiple stakes-placed 5-year-old earned his first stakes victory and improved his record to 17-5-4-2, with career earnings of $346,028.
Lopez completed his stakes double one race later aboard Miller Racing’s Anakarina, who made a winning debut for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. in the $100,000 Love Sign Stakes.
Breaking sharply, Anakarina quickly secured the lead and held off a late bid from Conquerthosewecan to win by a neck, covering six furlongs in 1:09.78. Dare to Fly finished third.
“She broke very well but had to fight through a gap between other fillies,” Lopez said. “As soon as she did, she made her way to the lead easily. Maybe she waited a little bit on her rivals down the stretch, but still, she finished the job today.”
Sent off as the 4-5 favorite, Anakarina returned $3.60, $2.60 and $2.20.
Bred in Kentucky, the 4-year-old earned her first stakes victory and improved her record to 19-5-2-1, with earnings of $380,261.
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