Best Horse Racing Bets Today | Colonial Downs, August 11

Turf racing will be the name of the game on Sunday, as Colonial Downs serves up six stakes races on the grass, led by the Grade 1 Arlington Million. Moved to the Virginia oval following the closure of Arlington Park, this will be the second renewal of the $1 million race at Colonial. Multiple graded stakes winners Nations Pride and Integration head the field of six older males in the 1 1/4-mile test.

In the female counterpart to the Arlington Million, Canadian champions Moira and Fed Rover headline the $500,000 Beverly D. Stakes, while Brilliant Berti, Trikari, and First World War square off in a competitive edition of the Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-old males. Without further ado, let's get to my picks and plays on this excellent afternoon of turf racing at Colonial Downs.

Race #8 Van Clief Stakes $150,000 5 1/2-Furlongs Turf - 4:40pm EST

The winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint back in 2022, Mischief Magic will look to find his top form again when he headlines a field of 12 set to sprint 5 1/2-furlongs on the grass in Sunday’s $150,000 Van Clief Stakes.

The Godolphin homebred has finished with plenty of interest in all five of his starts this year, but after a win to start the season in the Dubai Sprint, he has been unable to pick up the pieces in his last four starts. All four were in graded stakes races, however, and this looks to be the class break that the Charlie Appleby-trained runner needs to discover the winner’s circle again.

Chief among his competition on Sunday figures to be the Elizabeth Merryman-trained Witty. A hard-hitting son of Great Notion, he has finished first or second 17 times in 23 career starts. Most recently second in the Grade 2 Highlander at Woodbine, he rallied to win the King Leatherbury Stakes in his season debut back in April.

Another that cannot be discounted here is Dream Shake. Trained by Michael Stidham, the son of Twirling Candy has plenty of back class and was a winner of the Grade 2 Connaught Cup on the Woodbine turf last summer. This will be his first start in ten months, however. On a soft turf course, I like Mischief Magic best. He is my top pick.

My Plays

• $10 Exacta Part Wheel - Mischief Magic over Witty and Determined Kingdom = $20

• $10 Exacta Part Wheel - Witty and Determined Kingdom over Mischief Magic = $20

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Race #9 Secretariat Stakes (Grade 2) $500,000 1-Mile Turf - 5:20pm EST

Three of the best young turf horses in the nation will lock horns on Sunday, as Brilliant Berti, First World War, and Trikari meet in the Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes at Colonial Downs.

Brilliant Berti is a slight morning line favorite on the strength of three consecutive good looking wins at Churchill Downs. After a fifth-place finish at Fair Grounds in his career debut, the son of Noble Mission had little trouble running through his conditions when shipped up to Kentucky. He also made a strong impression last time in his stakes debut when he ran away from First World War in the American Derby. 

Trikari figures to be a tough out as usual on Sunday. After a dull outing in his first career race, the Oscar Performance colt has been in the mix in six straight starts, with four wins and two narrow losses when second and third. A three-time stakes winner in his last four starts, he was a longshot winner of the Grade 2 American Turf on Kentucky Derby Day three starts back. Following a near miss in the Grade 3 Penn Mile, he gamely won the Grade 1 Belmont Derby last time.

First World War is also a two-time graded stakes winner. A son of War Front, he won the Grade 3 Kitten’s Joy earlier this year, and also defeated Trikari in the Penn Mile. Most recently, he was second best behind Brilliant Berti in the American Derby. With plenty of speed in this race, I am going with Brilliant Berti as my top pick in the Secretariat.

My Play

• $10 Exacta Box - Brilliant Bert, Trikari, and Fulmineo = $60

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Race #10 Beverly D. Stakes (Grade 2) $500,000 1 3/16-Miles Turf - 5:50pm EST

In what will be their sixth race against each other, Canadian champions Moira and Fev Rover will renew acquaintances as the two top mare is Sunday’s $500,000 Beverly D. Stakes at Colonial Downs.

Trained by Kevin Attard, Moira is a slight morning line favorite over her rival. The 2022 Horse of the Year in Canada was a solid third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf to finish off her 4-year-old season last year. In her lone start so far this year, the daughter of Ghostzapper was second, beaten less than a length, in the Grade 1 Diana Stakes at Saratoga.

Fev Rover, meanwhile, holds a 3-2 edge over Moira and is the defending race champion of the Beverly D. A Mark Casse-trained Irish-bred, she relishes a turf course with plenty of moisture and that is exactly what she will see on Sunday. Second in the Grade 2 Nassau at Woodbine in her second start of 2024, she won three graded stakes last season, including the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes.

With plenty of speed and drawn the rail, look for Libban to set the early pace here. The daughter of Laoban was an easy winner of the Wasted Tears Stakes at Lone Star Park in her most recent outing. Given the soft course conditions, however, I cannot look past Fev Rover as the one to beat here. She will be my top pick to win her second straight Beverly D.

My Play 

• $50 Win - Fev Rover = $50

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Race #11 Arlington Million (Grade 1) $1,000,000 1 1/4-Miles Turf - 6:40pm EST

A graded stakes winner all over the world, Nations Pride will be in search of his first victory of 2024 when he headlines a compact but classy field of six entered in Sunday’s Grade 1 Arlington Million at Colonial Downs.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, the 5-year-old son of Teofilo scored his ninth career victory last fall in the Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine, but has been beaten in his last three. In his two 2024 starts, he finished third in the Grade 2 Man O’ War and then second in the Grade 1 Manhattan at Aqueduct and Saratoga respectively. The Irish-bred should have no problem with the wet turf course expected for the Million.

His top rival on Sunday is no stranger to the Colonial Downs turf course. Integration has won 4-of-7 career starts for trainer Shug McGaughey, but locally he is perfect in three tries. After romping in his career debut this time last year, the Quality Road colt came back four weeks later to dominate the Grade 3 Virginia Derby in September. More recently, he was a 6 1/2-length winner of the local prep.

Another serious contender here is the European invader Ancient Rome. Second last out in the Group 2 Summer Mile at Ascot, the 5-year-old son of War Front scored in the Grade 3 Mint Million at Kentucky Downs last summer in his only previous trip to the United States. As the third choice on the morning line, I expect him to run a good race. He will be the top pick to pull off the mild upset here.

My Plays

• $10 Exacta Part Wheel - Ancient Rome over Nations Pride and Integration = $20

• $10 Exacta Part Wheel - Nations Pride and Integration over Ancient Rome = $20

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