Trainer Graham Motion skipped bigger races to run Sharing in the Selima at Laurel, which paid off when she won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Sharing – who won Laurel’s Selima Stakes – and Four Wheel Drive, winner of the Rosie’s Stakes at Colonial Downs, turned in banner Breeders’ Cup Friday wins.
Three-time Breeders’ Cup-winning trainer Graham Motion has two entered this weekend there, the 16th straight year he’s sent out at least one BC starter.
Sharing, a Graham Motion-trained juvenile filly impressed in the Selima and may be Breeders’ Cup-bound, and stablemate Irish Mias took the Laurel Futurity.
Glorious Empire, a Grade 1 winner in 2018, will make his first start of ’19 in Saturday’s G3 BWI Turf Cup at Laurel Park.
The powerful barns of Graham Motion and Michael Stidham squared off on Virginia Derby night, winning three each, while firster Four Wheel Drive dazzled.
On Colonial’s big night, English Bee was a narrow winner of the Grade 3 Virginia Derby, while Carnival Colors took the Virginia Oaks.
This week’s Off to the Races radio will feature trainer Karen Dennehy Godsey and Laurel Park linemaker Keith Feustle.
Nine sophomore fillies will tackle the Virginia Oaks, led by the undefeated Tasting the Stars and last-out winner Gardenista.
A field of nine, headed by stakes winner English Bee, one of three trained by Graham Motion, will tackle Saturday’s G3 Virginia Derby.