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: Aug. 22/4:00 p.m.
• RACES: 8
• CARRYOVERS: Pick 6, $4,844

RACE 1

Going a one-turn dirt mile are female $12.5k claimers that have never won three or three-year-olds.

8. Lord’s Lady	With “the other Ferris” providing some push, this Ferris Allen trainee stands to be the only closer and looking to make it three in a row.
5. Chase by the Moon	Bailes’s filly comes back after a Colonial win to the same condition (plus that win) looking to win on the front end again.
3. Blessed Candy	Should Lopez win this — and he certainly could — he’ll have a Colonial four-peat going, having swept the last three yesterday.

RACE 2

A starter allowance with hybrid conditions has a field of seven.

3. Remi’s Moon	Jacobson’s gelding chased a speedy pace at Saratoga in his last start but has rebounded off a lackluster showing before.
4. Devil’s Cay	The second leading owner in the country by wins (Madison Avenue et. al.) looks for this Good Magic gelding to rebound now back at Colonial.
2. Bebedouro	By now, we might have all learned that Curtis is much more than a European turf jockey. He’ll bring out the best in Tomlinson’s gelding.

RACE 3

Sprinting six furlongs on the dirt are female $12.5k claimers, all only one-time winners with many having seen each other before.

3. Genuine Peril	Munoz’ filly went into some higher company off her win here last year but has run decently at the level since coming back to Colonial.
9. Tinkatwo	The best recent start in the field is by the five-year-old Yates trainee, who just broke her maiden off a two-year layoff (!) at Gulfstream.
7. Countryclub Couple	Outfinishing those here returning from the July 16 race at Colonal is Brittany’s filly by Not This Time and adding blinkers.

RACE 4

In a deep field of $10k claimers sprinting on the turf, there appears to be only one rabbit coming off the dirt for the first time in a while.

1. Upsidedown Man	Somehow Magee’s gelding draws the rail again but don’t expect him to be so far out this time, especially with a small drop in class.
6. By the Sey Shore	One of Larry Johnson’s favorites that with a win, would have won at least one race at Colonial each of the last four summers.
2. Gowokegobroke	If Bowersock’s gelding does transition well back to the turf, the four-year-old will be a massive problem for many in the field.

RACE 5

Sprinting on the turf are $16k maiden claimers where some experience is preferred but long race histories are typically discouraging.

2. Wiley Willard	Switching to the turf with a little class drop is Desormeux’s gelding that nearly graduated on the front end last time out.
8. Battle Warrior	Campbell’s gelding had the lead in the stretch in making his transition to the turf in his last start at this level. Relevant again today.
6. Shear Magic	This pricey journeyman Good Magic gelding has run better on the turf and Kelly has tried to put him back on it, which happens tonight.

RACE 6

With a South African-bred and Argentinian-bred, it’s a near United Nations type of field with female allowance/optional claimers going a mile.

3. Distant Winter	Motion’s mare made a convincing US debut at Delaware and returns Ruiz to ride, looking for enough pace to run into.
6. Allamericanbeauty	Shug has one win at Colonial Downs this meet, but what a win! Starts a pricey Into Mischief that rarely races in the same venue twice.
2. Aspen Dawn	Casse’s Quality Road filly has a recent win on Woodbine’s synthetic to go with her maiden-breaking Colonial score on turf last summer.

NICK’S NOTES

• Picks continue below.
• His five-win Thursday has jockey Paco Lopez within two wins of front-running Ben Curtis. Curtis won once on Thursday and was second or third four other times. Curtis has 28 wins at the meet, while Lopez has 26…
• The Claiming Crown Preview races drew horses far and wide. Trainers Joe Sharp and Kelly Breen each won a pair of them, and for both, the wins were their first of the meet. Breen is now 2-for-2 at the meet, while Sharp is 2-for-5…

RACE 7

Delacour saddles two solid chances in a turf sprint for Virginia-restricted fillies and mares “nonwinners of one other than” sprinting on the turf.

7. Quadra	Somehow this Audley Farm homebred hasn’t found the Colonial winner’s circle this meet despite having the lead twice in turf routes.
9. Wise and Elegant	Cibelli has taken her time with her Hard Spun mare seeking to return to her fall of 2024 form after a dull 2025 debut at Pimlico.
3. Hale Bop	Lawrence’s three-year-old was a speedy pacesetter in her return to turn at Colonial in late July and cuts back to a sprint.

RACE 8

Virginia-restricted $16k claimers that have never won two go a mile on the turf where lengthy race histories are more tolerable than with maidens.

2. Sweet Tone	Woodberry Payne’s Tonalist gelding may have an affinity for Colonial, running well after his maiden breaking win earlier in the meet.
10. Gotta Have a Guy	Curtis broke the maiden of Meyers’ gelding last summer and tracked Sweet Tone when back aboard on August 1. Closer today.
8. Motion Granted	Schoenthal’s Exaggerator gelding has a sharp upturn in his return to the firm going turf last time out. A change of scenery helps.

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