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Fondly Unrelenting in Virginia Oaks Score

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Fondly Unrelenting in Virginia Oaks Score


Unfazed by a step up to stakes company, Fondly  outbattled more seasoned rivals to take the March 15 Virginia Oaks in only her second career start for trainer Graham Motion.

After the scratch of morning-line favorite Gowells Delight , a reduced field of six 3-year-old fillies lined up for the $250,000 Virginia Oaks, the newest prep race added on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) during Colonial Downs‘ inaugural spring meet.

Fondly collected 50 points for her win in the 1 1/16-mile Virginia Oaks, placing her in the fourth slot on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard. With only two starts, the Upstart   filly is currently the most lightly-raced established contender on the Oaks trail.

Purchased by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners for $50,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, Fondly represented the Eclipse colors proudly in her debut, rolling to an eye-catching maiden special weight win at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 14.

Quick out of the gate on Saturday, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. sat tight on Fondly as she hooked the Kenny McPeek-trained Anonima  to her inside. The pair duked it through swift opening fractions of :23.49, :46.58, and 1:10.59 over a track that produced fast times. Turning for home, Anonima showed no signs of slowing down, forcing Fondly to dig deep to overtake her stubborn rival, who ultimately weakened in the final furlong. Sticking a head in front in deep stretch, Fondly turned away a late challenge from Early On  to score by a half length.

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Fondly, sent to post as the 6-5 favorite in her first stakes test, returned $4.40 for a $2 win wager. She completed the distance, which was held around one turn, in 1:42.51.

“It was only her second start, and we knew she could get the distance, but I didn’t want to use her energy early if I didn’t have to,” Ortiz said.  “Last time she missed the break a little bit, but today she broke good, put me in a good position, and when the horse inside started to show speed, I let her go and stuck second. Down the stretch she kept coming all the way to the wire. My filly stepped up today.”

Fellow Florida shipper Early On, also making her stakes debut for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. after a last-out Gulfstream Park win, was a half-length better than Anonima in third. Early On and Anonima picked up 25 and 15 Road to the Kentucky Oaks points, respectively.

Bred in Kentucky by the late Brereton C. Jones, Fondly is the second foal and second stakes winner produced from the winning Istan mare Lifetime Memory , also the dam of 2024 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) winner Antiquarian  (Preservationist ).

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Upstart, sire of grade 1 winner Zandon  , stands at Airdrie Stud for $25,000.

Video: Virginia Oaks (BT)



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Virginia vs. Arizona State – First Four NCAA tournament extended highlights 

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Virginia vs. Arizona State – First Four NCAA tournament extended highlights 


Women’s Basketball

March 19, 2026

Virginia vs. Arizona State – First Four NCAA tournament extended highlights 

March 19, 2026

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Watch the highlights from No. 10 Virginia and No. 10 Arizona State’s matchup in the First Four of the 2026 women’s NCAA tournament. 



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States demand refunds on ‘illegal’ Trump tariffs as Maryland and Virginia join $166B push – WTOP News

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States demand refunds on ‘illegal’ Trump tariffs as Maryland and Virginia join 6B push – WTOP News


Maryland and Virginia are part of a growing, multistate push to force Congress to refund more than $166 billion in tariffs, after the Supreme Court ruled the Trump policy illegal.

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones on push for tariff refunds

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Maryland and Virginia are part of a growing, multistate push to force Congress to refund more than $166 billion in tariffs, after the Supreme Court ruled the Trump policy illegal.

Attorneys general in more than a dozen states, including Maryland and Virginia, are arguing the money to pay for President Donald Trump’s tariffs came straight out of consumers’ pockets.

In a letter to lawmakers, Democratic attorneys general say more than $166 billion was collected from over 330,000 businesses and individuals, and they want that money returned automatically, with interest, without requiring claims or court action.

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones said the tariffs ultimately hit consumers hardest.

“We want the money that was borne by consumers … back in their pockets,” Jones told WTOP. He pointed to estimates showing the average Virginian paid about $1,700 more last year because of tariffs.

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“That’s groceries, rent, diapers — real money for real people,” he said.

Jones said key sectors in Virginia, including agriculture, forestry and the Port of Virginia, were also hit, with container traffic declining as tariffs took hold.

The coalition is calling on Congress to create a uniform refund process and ensure businesses pass reimbursements along to consumers.

Jones said affordability concerns cut across party lines.

“People are having a hard time making ends meet,” he said. “That money belongs to them, and we’re using every tool we have to try to get it back.”

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Back in February, the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs, handing him a stinging loss that sparked a furious attack on the court he helped shape.

Trump said he was “absolutely ashamed” of some justices who ruled 6-3 against him, calling them “disloyal to our Constitution” and “lapdogs.” At one point he even raised the specter of foreign influence without citing any evidence.

WTOP’s Nick Iannelli and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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Virginia enters NCAA Tournament with eyes on return to March Madness success

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Virginia enters NCAA Tournament with eyes on return to March Madness success


PHILADELPHIA, PA (WTKR)- Virginia fans were on top of the world in April of 2019. Their Cavaliers were on top of college basketball, hoisting their first national championship at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

The Wahoos’ NCAA Tournament showing since then has been anything but stellar. Since that 2019 triumph, UVA is 0-3 in the Big Dance with first round losses to Ohio (2021), Furman (2023) and a First Four drubbing at the hands of Colorado State (2024).

Ryan Odom has Cavalier Nation thinking Virginia is on the brink of reversing course. Winners of 13 of their last 15 games, the Cavs enter the 2026 tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region, 29-5 after a tight ACC championship game loss to Duke and take on Wright State Friday afternoon in hopes of tipping off a deep run into the bracket.

UVA is averaging 80.6 points per game, the highest point output the program has seen in more than two decades and different that the methodical defense-first style played by the Cavaliers under Tony Bennett. The Cavaliers average more than 28 three-point attempts per game and make around 10.

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The orange and blue can crash the glass, entering the NCAA Tournament No. 18 nationally with 40.21 rebounds per game.

Odom’s squad is still performing at the defensive end, holding opponents to 68.4 points per outing. The Cavaliers lead the country in blocks with 6.5 per game, paced by Ugonna Onyenso, who tallies nearly three swats per contest by himself. He had nine blocks this past Saturday alone, setting an ACC title game record, part of 21 total blocks during the tournament, which also signified a new high-water mark. The Cavs also hold teams to 39.53 percent from the floor, good enough for 13th in the country.

Thijs De Ridder paces Virginia with 15.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, pacing three Cavaliers averaging in double figures. Malik Thomas chips in 12.4 points per game, while Sam Lewis adds 10.8 points per contest. Chance Mallory, Jacari White and Onyenso give Odom plenty of depth off the bench.

The head coach himself has taken four teams to the Big Dance and is 1-3 in the event. Odom put his stamp on March Madness, when his UMBC Retrievers became the first No. 16 seed to top a No. 1 seed in 2018, topping the Virginia program he currently leads. The lead Wahoo has also guided Utah State and VCU to the field of 68.

UVA will take on a Wright State squad that enters 23-11 on the year and has won five in a row and 18 of its last 22. The Raiders claimed the Horizon League crown to punch their ticket to the tournament.

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With a win Friday afternoon, Virginia would advance to Sunday’s second round against either Tennessee or Miami (OH).

WTKR News 3 sports director Marc Davis is in Philadelphia following the Cavaliers and will have coverage both on-air and online throughout the tournament.

Click here to see how we use AI at WTKR News 3.





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