The Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs on Saturday offers Kentucky Derby qualifying points but no clear favorite. Trainer Tommy Drury's undefeated Lockstocknpharoah faces his dirt debut against Bob Baffert's Buetane, the 5-2 morning-line favorite. Other contenders include Confessional and Incredibolt, setting up a competitive field.
The Virginia Derby, an ungraded stakes race at Colonial Downs, awards 50-25-15-10-5 points to the top five finishers toward Kentucky Derby qualification. Scheduled for Saturday over 1 1/8 miles on turf, the race draws a field seeking to boost credentials in a wide-open three-year-old division.
Lockstocknpharoah enters undefeated in two starts, winning by a combined 10 1/4 lengths. Sired by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and out of a mare by 2016 Kentucky Derby victor Nyquist, the colt trained by Tommy Drury ships in for his first dirt start. Drury has had success with horses making stakes and surface debuts simultaneously, including Departing's 2016 Schaefer Memorial win. Lockstocknpharoah completed four furlongs in 47.8 seconds during a workout at Churchill Downs prior to his debut.
Buetane, trained by Bob Baffert, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite after finishing third in the Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn, a race won by Silent Tactic. Jockey Flavien Prat takes the mount, and the one-turn layout may suit the colt, though he appeared flat in his prior two-turn effort at 1 1/16 miles. Horses finishing ahead of him in recent races, such as So Happy, Soldier N Diplomat, and Silent Tactic, are not considered dominant in this field.
Confessional, at 4-1 morning line, rebounded from a seventh-place finish in the Sam F. Davis Stakes behind Renegade. Incredibolt, who won the Street Sense (G3) at age two, disappointed with a last-place finish in the Holy Bull, beaten over 25 lengths.
Analysts see no lock but potential value, particularly if Buetane becomes an underlay. The race could provide insights into broader Kentucky Derby form lines, flattering winners from connected preps like the Southwest or Sam F. Davis.
