Bally’s Arapahoe Park: Week 6
Colorado vs. Wyoming in strong renewal of the Front Range Stakes
Collusionist and Kona Skye are set to clash again in the Front Range Stakes.The even-money morning-line favorite is Collusionist who won the CTBA Aspen last out and seeks his third straight Front Range Stakes. Collusionist will have Jose Angel Medina in the saddle for the first time. David Cardoso, who guided Collusionist in the CTBA Aspen, has the mount on Drivehappy in the Front Range.
California-bred Kona Skye has won 3-straight, all stakes at Sweetwater Downs. He and Collusionist faced off in the Au Revoir and Inaugural Handicaps at Wyoming Downs. While neither were successful in the Au Revoir, Collusionist beat Kona Skye into fifth in the Inaugural. In addition to Kona Skye’s recent wins in the Hasta La Vista, Exacta and John Schieffer Memorial Stakes he also won the Exacta Stakes in 2023 and the Au Revoir Handicap in 2022. Kona Skye is in all-time peak form for trainer Tori Hadley and owner Oakley Skye Hadley. Jockey Kody Kellenberger has the mount for the Front Range.
Other entries include last-out winners Drivehappy, Subsidize and Seahawk Cody and 2024 Arapahoe County Comissioner’s Stakes winner Quicktrip Van.
Colorado-bred 3-year-olds battle in CTBA Derby and Oaks Sunday
11 total Colorado-bred 3-year-olds have been entered in the “classics” at Arapahoe Park. The CTBA Derby will go as race 5 and the CTBA Oaks as race 7.
Breaking from post 2 is All About Mischief, who appears to be a major threat in the CTBA Derby. He exits a 12 ½ length win against older open company over 5 furlongs last out. Palace Patch, post 3 in the CTBA Derby, lost his rider at the start of that allowance.
CTBA Laddie winner Ferrari Red will break from post 4 in an attempt to sweep the age restricted CTBA stakes of his generation. CTBA Lassie Stakes winner Snuggle Bunny is entered in the Derby, rather than the Oaks to avoid butting heads with stablemate Long May She Run in the Oaks.
Long May She Run is the only multiple winner in the CTBA Oaks. She broke her maiden in an allowance for only fillies that were eligible to the CTBA Lassie at Arapahoe Park last fall, defeating Lassie winner Snuggle Bunny in the process. Since then Long May She Run has won a claiming at Prairie Meadows and finished second to accomplish older mare Celee’s Last Te in the LarriLou Stakes last out. The remainder of the field are maidens aside from last out winner Miss You No More who won by 7 ¾ when defeating fellow CTBA Oaks entrants I’m a Trumper and Fly Free.
Two Donna Eaton homebred Roman Gladiator fillies will debut in the Oaks for trainer Stetson Rushton. Eyes on Gladiator will break from the rail and Dancing Gladiator will break from post 5.
Photos: 1) Collusionist wins the 2023 Front Range Stakes, 2) Seahawk Cody wins an allowance race, 3) Drivehappy in a post parade, 4) Mr. Thunderstruck in the Arapahoe County Commissioner’s Stakes post parade, 5) Quicktrip Van wins the Arapahoe County Commissioner’s Stakes, 6) Ferrari Red in the 2023 Gold Rush Futurity post parade, 7) Ez Fitz in the 2023 Gold Rush Futurity post parade.
