Nick's Picks: Colonial Downs picks July 25, 2025 * The Racing Biz

Nick’s Picks: Colonial Downs picks July 25, 2025

Nick Hahn
July 24, 2025

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 2025: Nick’s Picks returns with picks and analysis for every day of the Colonial meet.

DATE/POST TIME: 4:00 p.m.
RACES: 8

RACE 1

Opening on the dirt are two-year-old maidens, only one in the eight-horse field with prior starts. Lineage and intangibles matter.

5. Avigliano	Karamanos gets the mount for sharp-training Duarte aboard a Hard Spun colt bought out of September’s Keeneland yearling sale.
2. Sgt. Garcia	Singer’s homebred by Audible comes out of the McPeek barn with nice works earlier in the month at Colonial and Keeneland.
8. Secreto Uno	One of two Simms colts in the field sired by Mitole, this with Gallardo getting the mount and a nice recent Colonial work.

RACE 2

Female maiden claimers sprint six furlongs on the dirt, most with long race histories. Bias and past performances don’t favor closers.

6. Slanderous	Likely will find the lead and despite the layoff may find the class drop enough of a factor to maintain it. Recent bullet work at Colonial.
4. Catarina	The only one in the field that has shown some closing ability and may benefit shortening a furlong. Needs a complete race.
1. Madame Markievicz	Another with a significant layoff coming in but had a sharp uptick in her last start in October for Desormeaux.

RACE 3

Nonwinners of a race in six months sprint six furlongs on the dirt. This veteran group of claimers largely have dozens of starts each.

5. San Costantino	Gallardo gets the mount on one coming in the Presque Isle that is nearly always in contention and drops in class a little bit.
2. Daufuskie Island	Bred by Hahn (no relation) is one new to Russell’s barn who was racing competitively in New York, last win just makes condition.
6. Pressure	New to the Ward barn is a six-year-old that had a solid 2024 and ran well in his first start off the layoff at Delaware in June.

RACE 4

In the first race on the turf today, two-year-olds go a mile in a field of nine with six set to make their debut.

6. Sharons Beach	Jonathan Thomas starts another Omaha Beach two-year-old on the turf with Curtis aboard, just like yesterday.
7. Culoir	The Colts Neck homebred has been torching the Colt’s Neck turf in the mornings for Duarte, who’s having a great Colonial meet.
8. Casa Cielo	Of the two-year-olds with starts, Desormeaux’s colt has the best performance, nearly winning at 7 1/2 in his debut.

RACE 5

Virginia-restricted maidens sprint on the turf, all three-year-olds, in a field with many threatening first-time starters.

6. Holiday Express	Perkins’ gelding will benefit from his last start, one that nearly produced a win, in his turf debut with Paco aboard today.
3. Maclean’s Rook	One of two in the field trained by Trombetta with nice works and Karamanos aboard. Turf pedigree checks out.
8. Apolaustic	Woodberry Payne, who won with the first one he saddled in the meet, trains a first-time starter looking nice in the mornings at Colonial.

RACE 6

Distaff maidens sprint on the turf. It’s tough to toss anyone aside, but a few stand out early in their career.

3. Yo Adrian	On soft, on good, or on firm, Russell’s filly has been the bridesmaid in each career start, outfinishing Epic Style, also in the field.
7. Epic Style	Stidham’s Good Magic filly was a little slow out of the gate but ran well in her debut. A big threat to turn the tables.
5. Somnium	Merryman’s filly has also been a chronic bridesmaid when running on the turf but may tick up a little with Curtis aboard.

NICK’S NOTES

Picks continue below.
Thursday’s card was halted after seven races when jockey Tyler Conner was injured in a spill and transported via helicopter to the hospital. The early prognosis was positive.
Check out trainer and jockey stats through last weekend here.
Jump rider Graham Watters won the first two jump races Thursday to improve to 4-for-4 to start the meet. Alas, his streak came to an end when last in the third race…
If early dirt races at the meet seemed to favor speed, that bias may be done: the two Thursday races contested on the dirt went to horses that were last and second-to-last after a quarter-mile, and the two early leaders finished third and fifth…

RACE 7

Non-winners of three that have started for a claiming price of $30k or less sprint on the turf in a starter allowance.

6. Knockanara	Getting to two wins in the fewest number of starts is quick handicapping, but applicable here. Love the Gun Runner lineage.
8. Wild West Justice	The best race for Russell’s four-year-old was in a turf sprint at Colonial last August. Russell rides for Russell.
4. Green Beans	Back to the turf and the Godsey barn for the Richards homebred that won at Colonial last summer.

RACE 8

In the fourth consecutive turf sprint, female claiming nonwinners of two try to deny Fluffy the honor of being the first two-race winner of the meet.

3. Midnight Mary	Since switching to the turf, Catalano’s filly has found the lead and success. Will be a spoiler especially if on the firm going.
11. Fluffy	Winning once at Colonial is tough, but twice in thirteen days is even tougher for Angel Rodriguez’s four-year-old filly.
1. Hot Boss	Tim Keefe, winner of the first-ever race at Colonial, saddles a filly that is much improved on the turf.