Colonial Downs – Pick Pony Daily Tip Sheet – News, Analysis, Picks, and Predictions for August 28, 2025

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Colonial Downs presents its racing card for Thursday, August 28, 2025, with a mixed program featuring both dirt and turf action. The card includes a variety of race types from maiden special weight contests to allowance optional claiming events, with purses ranging from $34,500 to $87,500.

Unfortunately, comprehensive race entries and detailed track information for today’s specific card are not readily available through standard racing information sources. This limits the ability to provide detailed horse-by-horse analysis and specific wagering recommendations.

Weather and Track Conditions

Weather conditions for Colonial Downs on August 28, 2025, are not specifically documented in available forecasts. General regional weather patterns for late August in Virginia typically feature warm temperatures with potential afternoon thunderstorms, but specific track surface conditions for today’s racing cannot be confirmed.

Track management has not released official surface condition reports for today’s racing program, making it difficult to assess how the racing surfaces may be playing.

Race Analysis

Race 1 – Maiden Special Weight 5 furlongs 110 yards on dirt $87,500

This opening race features horses seeking their first career victory. Among the entered horses, several have shown recent form at Colonial Downs, including Then What Time, who finished a close second in his most recent start, losing by just 1¾ lengths. Chimney Sweep also demonstrated competitiveness with a second-place finish in July.

Race 5 – Maiden Special Weight 5 furlongs 110 yards on turf $70,000

The turf maiden features two-year-old fillies making their racing debuts alongside others with limited experience. Christmas Jones showed promise in her previous start, finishing third in a competitive field.

Race 8 – Allowance Optional Claiming 1 mile 1 furlong on turf $74,000

Race 8 at Colonial Downs is an Allowance Optional Claiming event scheduled for 8:59 PM, featuring 10 runners competing at 1 mile 1 furlong on the turf course. The race carries a purse of $74,000, with $46,620 going to the winner.

Key Contenders Analysis

Boppy O
Currently the 7-5 morning line favorite, Boppy O enters this race in excellent form having won his most recent start at Colonial Downs in August. Racing at one mile on good turf, he drew clear late to defeat Bring Me A Check by 1¾ lengths in a five-horse field. His running style shows tactical speed with the ability to move outside and draw away, as indicated by the “inside, tipped three-wide, drew clear” comment. The step up to 1 mile 1 furlong should suit his running style, and his recent Colonial Downs form makes him a logical choice.

Mister Abarrio
The second choice at 14-5 odds brings solid credentials, having won at Colonial Downs over one mile in July. He defeated Divino by 1¼ lengths in a nine-horse field, showing a patient trip before rallying in the lane. His form line indicates he settled in second early, floated seven-wide in the lane, and finished with authority. This closing kick could be advantageous in the longer distance, and his proven ability at Colonial Downs on turf makes him a serious threat.

Curly Larry And Mo
This runner scored an impressive victory at Colonial Downs in August over today’s exact distance of 1 mile 1 furlong. As the 13-10 favorite in that race, he pressed the early pace from the inside, took the lead, and held on well to win by an undisclosed margin over Neon Nights. His proven ability at this specific distance and surface combination makes him extremely dangerous, despite not being listed among the morning line favorites.

Secondary Contenders

Coringa
Recently finished a strong second at Colonial Downs over one mile in August, losing by just ¾ length to Dear Dad as the 9-5 favorite. His form shows he settled in second early, moved four-wide in the stretch, and closed well but came up just short. The slight distance increase could help his closing kick, and his recent Colonial Downs form keeps him competitive.

Dean Martini
Finished third in his most recent start at Colonial Downs over 1 mile 1 furlong in July, beaten 4 lengths by Raptor’s. His form indicates he raced inside, made a bid moving two-wide, but lost his crop in the final eighth of a mile. The distance and surface are proven, but he needs to find improvement to compete with the top choices.

Longshot Considerations

Eye Witness
At 5-1 odds, Eye Witness brings class from his Hawthorne appearance in July, though he finished third and was beaten 7 lengths. His form shows he dueled for the early lead inside, chased the pace, but proved stubborn. The distance stretch to 1 mile 1 furlong might not suit his early speed style, making him a risky proposition.

Pace Analysis

The race appears to set up well for closers, with several horses showing early speed tendencies that could set up a contested pace. Boppy O has shown tactical speed but can also rate, while Street Earnings and Eye Witness both show inclinations to press early. This scenario could favor the late-runners like Mister Abarrio and Coringa, who have demonstrated strong finishing kicks in their recent performances.

Key Angles

The Colonial Downs turf course advantage cannot be overstated in this field. Horses with recent success over the track’s specific turf characteristics hold significant edges. The distance of 1 mile 1 furlong favors horses with proven stamina and tactical speed rather than pure early burners.

AI picks

Wagering Recommendations

For win betting, Boppy O represents solid value at 7-5 odds given his recent course and distance success. Mister Abarrio offers excellent place value at 14-5 odds with his proven closing ability.

In exotic wagering, consider keying Boppy O and Mister Abarrio in the top two positions of exactas, with Curly Larry And Mo and Coringa as potential upset winners underneath. A trifecta box using these four horses provides coverage of the most likely scenarios while maintaining reasonable cost.

The superfecta could include Dean Martini as a potential fourth-place finisher given his recent course form at this distance.

Final Selection

Win: Boppy O
Place: Mister Abarrio
Show: Curly Larry And Mo

The combination of recent form, course familiarity, and distance suitability makes Boppy O the logical choice, while Mister Abarrio’s closing ability and proven track record provide excellent place value in what should develop into a competitive renewal.

Jockey and Trainer Notes

The current jockey standings at Colonial Downs show Curtis leading with 28 wins from 119 mounts, followed by Paco Lopez with 26 victories and Mychel Sanchez with 22 wins. Axel Concepcion has contributed 15 victories to round out the leading riders.

Lopez appears on multiple races today and brings strong form to his mounts. Sanchez also has riding assignments and represents one of the meet’s most successful jockeys.

Specific trainer patterns and recent performance data for today’s entries could not be accessed through available sources.

Wagering Considerations

Colonial Downs offers standard wagering options including win, place, and show bets with an 18% takeout rate. Exotic wagers including exacta, trifecta, and superfecta carry a 22% takeout.

The track features carryover wagers including Pick 5 bets on both the early and late sequences, along with a Pick 6 covering the final six races. These multi-race wagers offer potentially lucrative payouts but require successfully selecting multiple winners.

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