by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — She’s captured her last three contests since her triumph in the Jugette on Sept. 17, but Brian Brown did not feel Color’s A Virgin placed her best hoof forward in her $220,000 Indiana Sire Stakes final on Oct. 18.

“She really does not like being on the front and waits on other horses,” he said. “She didn’t look her best. She has always been like that even when I train her alone and she always trains better when she goes with other horses. Not that she trains badly when she is by herself, she just likes a trip when she is first or second over.”

In her next performance, however, Color’s A Virgin will not likely cut the mile as she leaves from post position eight on Friday (Oct. 31) at her home track in the $176,500 Nadia Lobell. With regular pilot Trace Tetrick holding the lines, the filly is 5-2 on the morning line. It appears her prime competition will be Gallie Bythe Beach, who leaves from the rail and is 7-2, in addition to Precocious Beauty, who starts from post five and is 3-1.

“These fillies are coming in from Canada and New York,” Brown said. “Most, if not all, of the field will be Breeders Crown horses. Hopefully we can work out a second or third over trip and Trace will have her in the right spot. We have the utmost confidence in Trace as he has been the perfect fit for this filly. He never rushes her and allows her to race the way she wants to, even if that means she is first over or parked for the entire mile. We are hoping she holds her own against these fillies this weekend.”

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Jugette champion Color’s A Virgin will put her five-race winning streak on the line when she tackles a field of nine 3-year-old filly pacers in the $176,500 Nadia Lobell on Friday at Hoosier Park.

A daughter of Always A Virgin and the Allamerican Ingot mare Full Color, Color’s A Virgin is campaigned by her owner/breeder Bruce Trogdon’s Emerald Highlands Farm. An Indiana champion as both a freshman and sophomore, the filly has only performed outside of the Hoosier State on two occasions.

Her career debut was a victory in a $7,000 2-year-old race at Scioto Downs on July 24, 2013 and she also posted wins in both her elimination and the final in the above-mentioned Jugette at the Delaware County Fairgrounds last month. She has compiled a career record of 24-16-4-1, a bankroll of $596,072 and a lifetime mark of 1:51.2s.

Although Brown has faith in Color’s A Virgin, he gives the talented Nadia Lobell field their due and reveals when he shipped her to Delaware he thought she would give a good impression of herself, but didn’t think he would be in the winner’s circle when all was said and done.

“Going to a half-mile track like that when she doesn’t like the front wasn’t exactly ideal for her,” he said. “I thought she would hold her own, but I didn’t think I had the winner. Speed normally holds up on the front there and I was thinking she would work out a second or third over trip for herself. Speed did not hold up that day, however, and it worked out perfectly for her.”

Brown, however, is very pleased with how Color’s A Virgin has held her weight throughout this season as she did not close out her 2013 campaign with as much flesh on her bones as he would have liked.

“She got really light on us last year at the end of the year,” he said. “She was still light when she went to Bruce’s farm to get fattened up before we took her to Florida. Even in Florida she still didn’t weigh quite enough and we worked on that, but I think she has gained some weight since the Jugette. In Florida, the weather is a little warm and sometimes it is difficult to keep that weight on them through the summer.

“She also really enjoys her time out. Bruce has had her (and 3-year-old pacing filly stablemates) Candy’s A Virgin and Fits Well out all summer from time-to-time in a paddock at his farm. They all get along really well, but especially Color and Candy. They get along with other horses, but don’t seem to be as happy as when they are spending time together. I turn them out in the round pen with other horses but it just doesn’t seem to be the same.

“In fact, she just spent last weekend at Bruce’s farm and it really helps with her attitude.”

In the winner’s circle at the Jugette, Brown and Trogdon had stated they would not supplement their stable star to the Breeders Crown, however, they could alter course after Friday evening.

“She would have to perform very well against this group of fillies for us to consider supplementing her to the Breeders Crown for $62,000,” he said. “Not all these fillies were at Delaware and Act Now, who might be the best of them all right now, will not be here on Friday.

“This filly (Color’s A Virgin) has earned almost $390,000 this year and deserves the chance to go, but you almost have to guarantee you will get that back. When I turned over Won The West to Ron Burke that’s what he did with him. He did earn it back and then won it (the Breeders Crown) at (ages five and six). It really worked out because I think once you supplement a horse (to the Breeders Crown), you only have to pay the starting fees afterwards.

“Of course we would like the chance to take her to a big track against these top fillies and see how she stacks up, but that all depends on if she holds her own on Saturday. We will go from there.”