Best Horse Racing Bets Today | Colonial Downs

The newest race on the road to the Kentucky Derby, Saturday’s $500,000 Virginia Derby will be the headliner of a short three-day meet at Colonial Downs. Formerly a turf race in the summer, the 9-furlong test will now be contested on the dirt and at one turn. Bob Baffert’s multiple stakes winner Getaway Car is the favorite, but he will have to deal with eight other sophomore males gunning for qualifying points for the first Saturday in May.

For the distaff set, a field of eight 3-year-old fillies will contest the $250,000 Virginia Oaks. The 1 1/16-mile affair is led by the Kenny McPeek-trained Gowells Delight, who is coming off a second behind the highly regarded Good Cheer in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds. Among her opposition is the impressive debut winner Fondly. Without further ado, let's get to my analysis, top picks, and suggested wagers for this solid afternoon of racing from Colonial Downs.

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Race #7 Allowance $85,000 1-Mile Dirt- 3:28pm EST

Fresh off a win last time at Tampa Bay Downs, Lure Him In is the morning line favorite in a field of ten older males going one mile in an $85,000 allowance optional claimer on Saturday at Colonial Downs.

An 8-year-old son of Khozan, Lure Him In leads the field in races won, with nine, and money earned, with $565,073. A stakes performer throughout his career, his victory in January demonstrates that the veteran can still deliver pretty high quality racing. A tactical runner, he should be within striking distance early. He is the one they will have to beat here. 

Another runner with back class is Two Eagles River. The pacesetter of the 2023 Arkansas Derby has not visited the winner’s circle very often of late, but at his best he can compete with these. He has been sprinting lately, so this will be an interesting spot as he stretches out to a flat mile on Saturday for trainer Mike Maker.

Others who cannot be ignored here include the two on the inside. Eloquest ships in from Parx where he is often in the mix, including a solid second just ten days ago for trainer Jamie Ness. Just Call Ray is another veteran who is consistently involved and was second last time at Aqueduct. Lure Him In looks tough, but I think this could be a good spot for Two Eagles River. He will be the top pick.

My Play

• $5 Daily Double Part Wheel - Two Eagles River and Lure Him In with Icona Mama, Gowells Delight, and Fondly = $30

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Race #8 Virginia Oaks $250,000 1 1/16-Miles Dirt- 4:25pm EST

Trainer Kenny McPeek will try to strengthen his chances for a second straight Kentucky Oaks score when he sends out Gowells Delight as the morning line favorite in Saturday’s $250,000 Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs.

A daughter of Practical Joke, she broke her maiden nicely at first asking late last year and has moved right up into stakes company, where she has faced some of the top sophomore fillies in the land. Two starts back she faded to fourth behind Take Charge Milady and Quietside in the Honeybee at Oaklawn Park. Building upon that stakes debut, Gowells Delight was second to the current Kentucky Oaks favorite in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds.

The other filly who could challenge for favoritism has only started once in her career. Her name is Fondly and she overcame traffic problems before rolling to victory in a Tampa Bay Downs maiden race last month. Trained by Graham Motion, she could be any kind, but will get a stern test for class in this one.

Several of the other fillies in the field have stakes experience, but the only stakes winner is Icona Mama. A Pennsylvania-bred, she showed both speed and quality while winning two of five starts as a juvenile. In her return race recently, she was bumped and fell too far back early before rallying up for third at Laurel Park. She should offer value here and I look for an improved effort on Saturday. Icona Mama is my top pick.

My Plays

• $5 Exacta Box - Icona Mama, Gowells Delight, and Fondly = $30

• $5 Daily Double Part Wheel - Icona Mama, Gowells Delight, and Fondly with Rapture = $15

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Race #9 Virginia Derby $500,000 1 1/8-Miles Dirt- 5:10pm EST

With the scratch of the unbeaten stakes winner John Hancock, there should be little doubt that the Bob Baffert-trained Getaway Car will be the favorite on Saturday in the $500,000 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs.

The Curlin colt was a graded stakes winner at 2 and ran a respectable fourth in last fall’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile among his six starts. In his sophomore debut, he proved extremely game when a dueling winner of the $400,000 Sunland Park Derby last month. With good speed and plenty of class, he will be the one to beat here. Wiring the field while going 1 1/8-miles at one turn is not a simple task, however. 

Chief among his opposition in this Kentucky Derby points qualifying race will be the lightly raced Rapture. Trained by Brad Cox and to be ridden by Flavien Prat, the son of Uncle Mo faced a good colt when second in his career debut at Gulfstream Park in December. Off that effort, he came back six weeks later to trounce the competition at Oaklawn Park. He has talent and should be able to track the favorite early. 

Of the rest, perhaps Authentic Gallop is the most dangerous. The Authentic colt is improving with each start for trainer Tom Amoss and has won two races at Oaklawn Park in his last three starts. I expect this to come down to the top two, however, and I am going with Rapture for the mild upset. He is my top pick.

My Plays 

• $20 Exacta - Rapture over Getaway Car = $20

• $5 Daily Double Part Wheel - Rapture and Getaway Car with Passing Game and Smart Mo = $20

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Race #10 Allowance $80,000 1 1/16-Miles Dirt- 5:50pm EST

Coming off a pair of large margin victories, Supreme Law has been installed as a heavy 6/5 favorite in the day’s final race, an $80,000 allowance race going 1 1/16-miles at Colonial Downs.

It’s always interesting to handicap a race when a horse comes in having won recent starts by open lengths. Often the horse is overbet and vulnerable, and I believe that will be the case on Saturday. Both of the big wins for Supreme Law came on wet tracks and when he had the early lead to himself. Neither should be the case here. I will try to beat the big favorite.  

One of the most likely candidates to win is the recently gelded Smart Mo. Not only will he run as a first-time gelding, but he will also add blinkers for this one. Trained by Peter Eurton, he has flashed potential before and has speed. He looks like a prime candidate to wake up and run well on Saturday.

The one I like the best, though, is the other Eurton runner Passing Game. The Medaglia d’Oro gelding has only run three times, but has run well each time. He will cut back in distance for this one after running long at Turfway Park last time. There should be enough speed to set up his move and picking up Flavien Prat to ride is a plus. He is my top pick.

My Plays

• $20 Win - Passing Game = $20

• $10 Win - Smart Mo = $10

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