Nick's Picks: Colonial Downs picks August 2, 2024 * The Racing Biz

Nick’s Picks: Colonial Downs picks August 2, 2024

The Biz
August 2, 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: August 2/1:30
RACES: 9
CARRYOVERS: Pick 6, $733

RACE 1

On the dirt, Eagle Point’s Bruder draws the rail in a big class drop facing a couple of McGoey claimers going six furlongs.

1. Bruder	Previously trained by Robbie Bailes while in Maryland, Bruder will be saddled by Godsey today at the right level after testing the turf and higher company.
6. Inspired Irish	Also coming from the Maryland turf is McMahon’s four-year-old dropping from $20k and shortening back to winning distance.
4. Spurs Up	Last start was at Colonial Downs last summer with Ashton aboard at this level for McCutchen.

RACE 2

Could it be that Longshot Leanne Hester delivers the first two-race winner of the meet with a filly going a mile on the turf?

4. Cajun Expectation	It’s a stretch, not a reach, for Hester’s filly to win switching from six furlongs on the dirt to a mile on the turf, but we want to see it.
7. Bachelorette	Also doing the same thing is McCutchen moving on Cajun late in last start, with more ground and turf this time around.
5. Recognize Me	Hoping to benefit from a better trip and firmer going is Rocco’s ride, a little more inside today in a smaller field.

RACE 3

Back to the dirt in a two-year-old sprint where half the field is making their first start in Virginia restricted company.

10. Bishop Meade	Give me that 12-1 morning line on an Amy Moore homebred ridden by Curtis and trained by Cooney. Works check out.
1. Bold Rock	Karamanos gets the mount on the gelding with the best result in the field so far, a stalking third at Charles Town among nine others.
2. Gangster	From the same owner/trainer that brought you Webslinger is Street Sense-sired Gangster with a high level start underneath him.

RACE 4

With Abundant Love, one of the last crop of Kitten’s Joy making his first start at Colonial Downs. Sentimental choice on the turf.

4. Abundant Love	Sharp work at Fair Hill for Trombetta, who legs up Karamanos in a turf sprint. Seems ready to go at 6-1 in the morning line.
2. Funny Lady	Stidham’s Twirling Candy filly got caught up in a 21.4 first quarter in her first start at Delaware on the dirt. Tempered down for turf.
1. It’s Witchcraft	Casse’s filly had a great first start on synthetic and really should be first pick, but these are two-year-olds, not all goes to plan.

RACE 5

Trombetta’s veteran filly at $30k claimers has standout Beyers here but is not an absolute in a Virginia-Restricted race going a mile.

7. Lady Ensign	At a higher level, Country Life’s “Lady” caught a good turf and ran consistent to recent starts. Stretches out to a mile.
2. That Girl Artemus	New trainer Schoenthal sees an angle from his filly’s first start with him to change tactics to a mile on the turf.
4. Princess Lucia	Off the maiden closing score at five and a half furlongs, McMahon liked the run out at Laurel enough to want to test a mile.

RACE 6

Nine two-year-old fillies go 5 1/2 on the turf with only three Colonial starts among them but plenty of impressive mornings.

5. Give Life	Correas brings in a sharp-working filly from Keeneland to debut at Colonial with Forest Boyce aboard.
8. Seger Songs	Against the Wind, Brion’s gray filly hopes to do Her Strut down Mainstreet, Till it Shines. She Feels Like a Number unless she wins.
3. Love Music	Turfway, Delaware….Stidham’s filly has been sharp wherever she goes, but expect the odds to be bet down to even money.

NICK’S NOTES

Picks continue below.
Saturday will mark the fourth running of both the two-year-old $150,000 stakes, the Keswick and Hickory Tree, which are Virginia-restricted (for Registered Virginia Bred/Sired or those who participated in the participated in the Virginia Certified Residency Program). Michael Trombetta, who will be a guest on “Off to the Races” Saturday morning, has two entered in the Keswick, Sail Theseven Seas and Let Thesunshine In, for owner/breeder Larry Johnson. Both have their names are crunched together to meet criteria for lettering set by The Jockey Club, which regulates the naming of horses. Each filly has one start under her belt, and each finished second. Both have Street Sense in their lineage.
The 12-horse field of the Hickory Tree for colts and geldings includes two trained by John Robb, Do It for Michael and Brewmaster. The Hickory Tree also includes Happyflyer, the first starter at Colonial Downs for trainer Nolan Ramsey, who is the grandson of Ken Ramsey. The elder Ramsey owned Kitten’s Joy, the 2004 Virginia Derby winner, and also owns this Runhappy gelding, whom he claimed for $40,000.
Thursday’s racing included back-to-back wins by jockeys Ismerio Villalobos and Mario Fuentes, resulting in two more riding doubles. The number of riding doubles by different jockeys racing at Colonial Downs is well into the double-digits. With those wins, the jockey standings didn’t change much on the top with Ben Curtis hanging with nine wins while Trevor McCarthy and Horacio Karamanos, both with a win on Thursday’s card, move into a second-place tie with seven each.
On Thursday, trainer Carlos Munoz won his fifth race of the season, all on the dirt, moving him into a second-place tie with Michael Stidham behind Trombetta and Brittany Russell with six each. Munoz could theoretically win the training title at Colonial Downs with no wins on the turf.
Thursday’s racing produced a $173.80 Steeplechase Pick 3 payout with trainers Keri Brion (also a guest on “Off to the Races” Saturday) and Neil Morris saddling their second winners of the meet. Riders Stephen Mulqueen and emerging pilot Graham Watters also earned their second wins of the meet.

RACE 7

Going a mile and a sixteenth, higher profile trainers bringing in their claimers, each one starting at a different venue in their last start.

4. Stella Mars	One of my favorite turf horses was Point of Entry who sires Michael Maker’s mare dropping down and traveling down from New York.
1. Miss Delicious	Look for a better outing from Klesaris’ mare who found soft going in last start among higher class of horses.
2. Ghostly Gal	Wayne Catalano has a new resident in his barn that won in Cincinnati in December, looking to win in New Kent in the summer.

RACE 8

Virginia Derby winner English Bee is back among eleven in a three-other-than allowance with notables Wow Whata Summer, Gray’s Fable and Highestdistinction.

1. Evan Harlan	So well balanced is this field top to bottom, hard to dismiss anyone, yet recent wins may separate Walsh’s son of Temple City-bred from others.
12. Yes This Time	Nolan Ramsey starts his first at Colonial Downs for his grandfather, hoping last midsummer’s form returns.
5. Highestdistinction	Schultz debuts in 2024 Point of Entry sired winner of last four who earned a rest after solid 2023 campaign.

RACE 9

These ten maidens going a mile on the turf have just enought starts to figure out what they might be able to do.

3. Biscuit	Russell, the leading trainer of the meet coming into the weekend, starts a Morgan’s Ford Farm bred in Virginia Restricted company.
6. Audibly	Trombetta, the other leading trainer of the meet coming into weekend has seen improvement since switching to the turf.
1. Steam Knot	Cooney starts a Kitten’s Joy that was more competitive in late spring but could find better results in an instant.