Nick's Picks: Colonial Downs picks September 6, 2024 * The Racing Biz

Nick’s Picks: Colonial Downs picks September 6, 2024

Nick Hahn
September 6, 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: September 6/3:00 p.m.
RACES: 11
CARRYOVERS: Pick 6, $5,022

RACE 1

Friday’s opener (first race 3:00pm not 4:30pm) is a Virginia-restricted sprint on the dirt for optional claimers, most up for claim.

6. Meet Me At Mundis	One of a couple here with a similar stalking style that has led to a recent win. Ness’s gelding finds a way to battle in each start.
3. Rennie	Biggest challenge in Godsey’s win two weeks ago was from her stablemate, but could go without the jockey switch.
2. Naked and Famous	The last win by De Paz’s gelding was at Colonial last summer going seven furlongs on the dirt. Might have found the distance again.

RACE 2

Closing out the daily double are twelve older maidens in a turf route, up for a modest $10k claiming price.

10. Bourbon Strait	Kingsley’s English Channel gelding has been running within reach in deep fields through the entire Colonial Downs meet. Toledo rides.
8. Navy Admiral	Substantial class drop from $40k on a well-bred gelding of Trombetta’s, sired by Oscar Performance.
2. Legend’s Thunder	Here is Nuesch once again with a horse that could be a dangerous price, say 50-1 again. Pass at your own peril. Araujo returns to ride.

RACE 3

Back on the dirt are optional claimers sprinting seven furlongs with different career paths and many with 90+ Beyers this year.

7. Script	With Carrasco and Motion, If you believe in the turf specialist stereotypes, you may want to move down to the second selection.
4. Get Set	After a superb spring, Ness starts this veteran off a needed layoff returning Sanchez to the mount here.
3. Murray	Russell’s Street Sense five-year-old hasn’t produced wins recently but tough to leave off the board.

RACE 4

Optional claimers on the dirt again going 6 1/2 furlongs in a field of ten that includes leading trainers Trombetta, Stidham and Russell.

3. Think Big	Godolphin’s Twirling Candy gelding may be on a roll in the Stidham barn, rested with at least one bullet work since breaking his maiden.
5. Wickline	Russell trains another Twirling Candy that has an extra year over three-year-old winners in this meet, meaningful regarding development.
2. Love Me Tender	Both of Trombetta’s entries won broke their maidens in their last starts, yet Love Me Tender is more rested and impressive than the other.

RACE 5

Yet another sprint on the dirt, this time for maiden female claimers where you like to see some experience but not too much at this level.

1. Daisy My Name	Godsey’s older Hoppertunity filly had the lead late on the dirt in her first start at three before two higher end tests on turf.
3. Gettothstoryimdone	A daughter of Curlin that may wind up on the lead and demand that a challenger have enough talent to make a run at her.
2. Special Cap	Could consider on class, age and jockey alone but switching surfaces is a wildcard. Would be a nice way for Gary Williams to end the meet.

RACE 6

Virginia restricted “non-winners of two” in a turf route with no clear standout unless Beyers figures are weighed heavily.

3. Determind Princess	Trombetta’s filly is the Beyers standout especially since switching to the turf, but not as much separation from others as you may think.
2. She’s Magic	Maker’s shipper also is improved since switching to the turf and has a year and Good Magic lineage to like.
4. Summer Flower	Dini’s three-year-old yet another that improved going to turf, breaking her maiden by a half-dozen at Monmonth in her last start.

NICK’S NOTES

Picks continue below.
With five wins in twelve races on Thursday, Nick’s Picks shored up a winning meet at Colonial Downs currently sitting on a ROI of $2.17 and a current top win percentage of 33.3%. In the last 16 days of the meet, 11 were profitable, including the last three.
When Chuck Lawrence won with his two-year-old filly Hale Bop in the ninth race, a maiden special weight going a mile on the turf on Thursday evening, it was his first official win of the meet. Lawrence had one of his trainees cross the wire first earlier in the meet but get taken down after an inquiry. Lawrence now joins trainers Mary Eppler, Gary Williams, Ferris Allen and Graham Motion with wins in this 2024 meet and on grand opening day at Colonial Downs on September 1, 1997. Tim Keefe, who won the first race ever at Colonial with McGyver, sends out only his second starter of the meet tonight, My Sugar Boo, in the sixth race. All six aforementioned trainers have starters on the card tonight.
Post times this weekend: 3:00 p.m. tonight (versus the normal 4:30) and 1:00 p.m. Saturday (versus the typical 1:30). Mark the old calendar!
On Thursday night, there was no change among the top two jockeys in the rider standings at Colonial Downs with two day of racing now remaining in the meet. Ben Curtis leads with 24 wins, ahead of Antonio Gallardo with 21 victories. The training title closed ranks with Michael Trombetta getting a win to draw even with Michael Stidham, both now with 13 wins. Brittany Russell, with a number of starters on the last two cards, has ten wins.
In the $100,000 Life’s Illusion on Thursday, a steeplechase stakes going 2 1/4 miles, Harrison Beswick aboard Gold Charm took the lead around the final turn to thwart Exculpate’s attempt at a steeplechase three-peat during the meet at Colonial. Life’s Illusion is trained by Cyril Murphy and owned by Irvin Naylor of Charlottesville, Virginia.

RACE 7

Eleven maidens in a turf mile include that nearly won at this level on the yielding going earlier in the meet, a key race.

7. Banana Split	Trombetta’s improving filly, despite a somewhat lengthy resume, should get firm going in a turf route for the first time in a while.
1. She’s Arodeoqueen	Tomlinson’s filly was competitive in two one-mile turf attempts and coming from the rail will look to be up early with Conner aboard.
11. Maltese Rose	A Charles Town shipper well-bred for the turf, sees it for the first time and should see the lead sometime during the first half mile.

RACE 8

Of the twelve maiden claimers in this turf route, I don’t see any making closing charges, so who gets the lead is important.

8. British Sea	Brion’s English Channel gelding has run consistent Beyers with early speed at several different levels of racing. Just missed in last try.
9. Chaz the Chief	If you draw a line through Chaz the Chief’s last start pulled to the dirt, Falcone’s four-year-old begins to look much better.
7. Oconee Life	Gallardo’s mount will be up early as well but may not have the stamina to stay with British Sea around the entire oval.

RACE 9

Four of these eleven, all beside each other in the starting gate, won their last start and now move up a condition in a turf route.

7. Cover the Spread	Russell’s filly, whose last race was pulled off the turf, ran well on the turf the race prior and gets reunited with Toledo.
4. Stage Call	Trainer White hopes her Stage Call makes a curtain call off the layoff from her Pimlico win at a little higher claiming price.
2. Wilma Flintshire	Hoping to continue a wonderful summer is Kuhn and Smith’s sophomore filly trained by Bailes and underrated Araujo aboard.

RACE 10

In a turf sprint, eight Virginia restricted maidens, all of the ones that have started, have a start at Colonial to consider.

1. Locomotive	One of the two Braeburn Training Center maidens entered here made many nervous with his charge down the lane three weeks ago.
7. Pretty Jimmy	With the outside post in a smaller field, Curtis may not have to move up as early as his did in his last start that showed improvement.
3. Ben’s Hero	Forget all the starts on the dirt and focus on the last three starts on the turf, all competitive for the four-year-old of Klesaris.

RACE 11

In the tough twelve horse finale, $10k claimers tackle a turf route with some real CNL veterans included like Vintner with his 15th CNL start.

7. Opposites Attract	Bowersock’s gray has had some success when on the turf (20% wins) but more success when at Colonial (50% wins).
8. Ajourneytofreedom	Bourke’s Hard Spun has tried some lengthy stakes races in the past credibly, and makes only his second start in 2024.
12. Backwoods Boogie	Eppler’s veteran has a win in the meet in a sprint but has won a mile before at Colonial.