Virginia races contested in Maryland played a significant role in the career of Va-bred Queen Caroline, who became the dam of Kentucky Derby favorite Forte.
Forte’s rise to Kentucky Derby favorite has been a special journey for his breeder, Virginia-based Amy Moore, owner of dam Queen Caroline.
The Michael Matz-trained Queen Caroline is the favorite to defend her title in the Nellie Mae Cox Stakes Saturday at Laurel Park.
Today’s five Virginia-bred stakes were mostly formful, but the connections were plenty happy to celebrate their good fortune.
Special Envoy and Queen Caroline proved best in a pair of Virginia-bred stakes at Laurel Park in June and will try to reprise those efforts on Saturday.
Queen Caroline, a two-time stakes winner at Laurel, is among 95 nominated to four Virginia-bred stakes slated for Laurel August 5.
Defending champs returned in several Virginia-bred stakes this afternoon at Laurel Park but only one could defend the crown.
Saturday’s Virginia-bred races at Pimlico brought together the past, present, and — perhaps — future of Virginia racing, even if it was in Maryland.
Nine-year-old Two Notch Road continued to make hay in Virginia-bred company, while Queen Caroline earned her first stakes win today at PImlico.