The Arlington Million Stakes and the Beverly D. Stakes co-headline a sturdy Competition of Racing card Sunday at Colonial Downs, however the $500,000, Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds seems to be probably the most fascinating of the three graded stakes from a betting perspective. When alternative knocks, why not come charging out of the beginning gate and assault the race?
NOTE: The Competition of Racing initially was slated for Saturday, however due to inclement climate within the space because of remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, Colonial pushed the marquee card again a day to permit for the turf programs to dry a bit and guarantee a greater racing floor.
There seems to be vital early velocity entered within the Secretariat Stakes. Colleague Noel Michaels famous in his Colonial Downs betting primer that off-the-pace runners fare particularly nicely at this one-mile distance on Colonial’s interior turf course, so I really feel inspired to have landed on a key horse at interesting odds who does his greatest working from off the tempo.
There may be a lot to love about #5 Fulmineo along with his 10-1 morning-line odds. He’s received two straight races from off the tempo on tender turf, so if there may be nonetheless some give within the grass due to the rain, the Bolt d’Oro colt ought to deal with it. His file is a bit deceiving as a result of he’s made three begins on dust, however on grass Fulmineo has three wins and three seconds in seven tries and his lone unplaced end got here in final yr’s Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He misplaced by 5 ½ lengths in that million-dollar race and was removed from disgraced.
Fulmineo is also 2-for-2 on the turf at Colonial and has been stabled on the Virginia monitor with three timed exercises there for coach Arnaud Delacour because the begin of July. He’ll be doing his greatest working late with an enormous shot to tug an upset.
I additionally actually like #9 Trikari (3-1), though the put up place doesn’t assist his probabilities. Happily, the Graham Movement-trained Oscar Efficiency colt has sufficient early velocity to achieve tactical place early within the race. Since an unplaced end in his debut, Trikari has been superb and constant, and his final three begins, all on turf, have been his greatest.
Trikari received the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes offered by TwinSpires by 1 ½ lengths on the Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve undercard Might 4 at Churchill Downs. Most just lately, he rallied to win the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes by a head July 6 on the Belmont on the Huge A assembly. Sandwiched in between was a third-place end, crushed by a neck, within the Grade 3 Penn Mile Stakes. He’s in terrific type and horses along with his working model (inside one to 4 lengths of the tempo) received 39% of the turf routes at Colonial in 2022-23.
Nearer #1 Good Berti (5-2) rides a three-race successful streak into the race and has an enormous shot for coach Cherie DeVaux, as does Penn Mile Stakes winner #7 First World Struggle (7-2). I’ll use them beneath my prime two in a small trifecta play in hopes of getting Fulmineo in first or second.
Wagering Technique on a $20 Finances
$7 exacta field: 5,9 ($14)
What to say on the betting window: Colonial Downs, Race 9, $7 exacta field 5,9
50-cent trifecta: 5,9 with 1,5,7,9 with 1,5,7,9 ($6)
What to say on the betting window: Colonial Downs, Race 9, 50-cent trifecta half wheel, 5,9 with 1,5,7,9 with 1,5,7,9
