Nick's Picks: Colonial Downs picks July 26, 2024 * The Racing Biz

Nick’s Picks: Colonial Downs picks July 26, 2024

Nick Hahn
July 26, 2024

He’s probably the only public handicapper who’s ‘capped every race at Colonial Downs since Day One, and he’s back for more in 2024: Nick’s Picks returns with picks and analysis for every day of the Colonial meet.

DATE/POST TIME: July 26/4:30 p.m.
RACES: 9
CARRYOVERS: Pick 6, $4,419

RACE 1

Closer from Laurel versus speedster from Laurel versus class dropper versus one from off the jumps going a mile on the turf.

1. Independence Way	Russell with a good start to the meet starts a Constitution-sired filly that showed some closing kick in his last start.
7. Lady Ophelia	Shortening to a mile may be all Meyers’ filly needs to break through with Curtis aboard for the first time.
5. Cynthia June	Cynthia June comes out of MSW with sharp Beyers in her two starts. Araujo gets the mount again.

RACE 2

A ten-horse field of claimers will go a mile on the turf.

7. My Noble Knight	Rivera has been wandering around on the condition but wanted turf at Belterra before winning on the dirt last time out.
6. Bruce Banner	Has Trevor McCarthy, tied for second by wins at the meet with five, in the irons and ran well at Colonial last summer.
5. Mine Run	Leading Colonial owner David Ross gets to see Sanchez test the turf with his speedy gelding.

RACE 3

Virginia restricted maidens sprint on the turf with many here seeming to benefit from prior starts.

8. Ben’s Hero	Klesaris doesn’t start many at Colonial but had a great start to the meet last summer. Drops from MSW with this sprinter.
7. None the Wiser	Allen legs up Karamanos for the second start for his three-year-old that ran third in a deep field at Laurel.
4. Pretty Jimmy	Susan Cooney sends out a first-time starter with Ben Curtis aboard and a decent turf Tomlinson rating on the DRF.

RACE 4

Opening day reunion of key race won by My Sanctuary that a number here could have won in a near-blanket finish.

7. Cobblestone Bridge	Owner Ross with his second starter on the day, has one that Stidham drops and ships from New York since taking over.
1. Blame the Clouds	Only a small drop for Blair and Conner, this one was within a neck from winning in his second career start.
2. Mortal Sin	In the very same race, Karamanos had the lead in the stretch, producing Mortal Sin’s best Beyer.

RACE 5

Could be a notable race to watch going forward in this $60K MSW for two-year-olds going a mile on the turf.

7. Sweet Ambition	Casse starts two with bulleted Colonial works and solid jockeys. Ashton’s mount looked better in the auction ring.
5. Vicki Vale	Russell’s Tonalist filly had a sharp work at Fair Hill before entry at Colonial and gets Sanchez aboard.
8. Taco Cat Backwards	Casse’s other two-year-old is sired by Kitten’s Joy, which helps explain her high turf Tomlinson rating.

RACE 6

The better talent in this allowance won last year at Colonial Downs, and many took a shot in stakes company.

4. Massif	Ran a reasonable fourth in the Jim Murphy to Fulmineo on soft going for Russell, putting Sanchez aboard.
8. Covert Kat	Trombetta’s gelding has run three straight 70+ Beyers at three different tracks with three different jockeys.
5. Nerves of Steel	Veteran for George Arnold ran a solid seven and a half in his 2024 debut in Indiana.

NICK’S NOTES

Picks continue below.
Congratulations to local trainers that won races at Colonial Downs as Varina native Ferris Allen, Ashland native Karen Dennehy Godsey, and Delaplane-based Susan Cooney all won races on Thursday’s card. It was the first win of the meet for all three.
Allen won with Translate, a seven-year-old mare, in the third race, a $10,000 claiming race on the turf, with Horacio Karamanos aboard. Translate, the favorite, won by two lengths and paid $5.80.
Two races later Virginia Fitz won in the state where he was bred for Cooney with Ben Curtis aboard, one of three races, Curtis would win on the day. Virginia Fitz, a two-year-old Kobe’s Back gelding, won in his first start, a $40,000 maiden claimer on the turf. He led throughout to earn the win and returned a flashy $45.40 for a two-dollar win wager.
Two races after that it was Green Beans for trainer Karen Dennehy Godsey with Gavin Ashton aboard, one of his two winners on the day. Green Beans, a four-year-old gelding by American Freedom owned and bred by Robin Richards, won a maiden claimer on the turf as the favorite. He returned $7.80 to his backers. Godsey was one of the first trainers to lift Ashton on mounts at Colonial Downs last summer when Ashton first started riding in America.

RACE 7

Virginia restricted maidens, most with one-start resumes, as three-year-olds sprint on the turf.

2. Splash of Jack	Allen pulled Splash of Jack out of a rain-impacted race looking for this spot to improve on promising first start.
6. Daisy My Name	Bailes surely didn’t want to lay off this filly after a solid 2023 debut when she had the lead but now returns with Araujo in 2024.
3. Thy Name Is Woman	Despite finishing sixth in his debut, Trombetta’s filly was within two lengths of the win after steadying in first start.

RACE 8

Eight-horse field of claimers matches prominent trainers from Colonial 1.0 versus Colonial 2.0 in turf sprint.

8. Who Knows	After two near-misses on the turf at Monmonth with this one, trainer Michael Pino starts his first of the meet.
6. Bledsoe	The two turf starts for Ward’s first starter of the meet were in stakes races. Drops in class here after running on the dirt.
7. Duckpins	Also with two near-misses is Bailes’ older gelding, his second placings coming at Laurel in improving turf starts.

RACE 9

“Non-winners of two” features a ten-horse field where only three finished higher than sixth in their last start.

4. Tres Francais	Delacour’s filly one of the few who finished higher than sixth last out, winning at Delaware. She could be lonely on the lead again.
3. Award Tour	If anyone goes with Tres Francais, it may be Ron Potts’s filly. Potts has his first starter of the meet.
10. Hurricane Bon	A muddy win at Delaware led Lawrence to the Delaware turf, where his three-year-old filly has been showing improvement.