Thursday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Maidens at Colonial Downs, Saratoga

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Thursday, Sept. 3 at Colonial Downs and Saratoga, along with horses to play in carryovers at Colonial Downs and Del Mar.

Today’s special offers from TwinSpires include:

• New Players $200 Sign-Up Bonus: Open your TwinSpires.com account using the offer code BET200 to start earning a $200 bonus.
• 8x Rewards Points at Woodbine Mohawk: Opt in and receive 8x rewards points on all wagers at Woodbine Mohawk each racing day in September.
• 15% Odds Boost at Saratoga: Opt in to receive a 15% odds boost (up to $25 per day) on your winning single-horse win wagers at Saratoga each racing Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday until Sept. 4.

Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $300 King of the Turf Handicapping Challenge Qualifier
• $100 Colonial Downs Feeder to 9/11 Churchill Downs KDBC/BCBC Bonus Feeder
• $90 Saratoga Bet and Set Feeder to 9/7 Mint Millions Cash Challenge
• $50 Kentucky Downs Challenge
• $200 Saratoga Feeder to 9/12 Churchill Downs KDBC/BCBC Qualifier
• $40 Saratoga Challenge
• $150 Saratoga Challenge
• $60 Penn National Feeder to 9/6 Kentucky Downs Bonus Feeder

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Colonial Downs: Race 4: Maiden Special Weight (5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 10:25 p.m. ET)

Trainer Jamie Ness wins at a 20% rate with first-time starters, and at Colonial Downs this meet, he’s compiled an eye-catching 2-for-4 (50%) record with two-year-olds.

These stats bode well for #8 Jack Rabbitness (3-1), an unraced two-year-old son of Lexitonian, who is siring 18% winners from first-time starters. Jack Rabbitness breezed a bullet half-mile from the Delaware Park starting gate in :48 2/5 last month and looks like a threat to score on debut.

Let’s place a win bet on Jack Rabbitness, then single him to start a daily double.

Selections

• #8 Jack Rabbitness (3-1)
• #5 No Substitute (6-5)
• #4 Prince of Peace (7-2)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #8 Jack Rabbitness
• $5 Double: 8 with 3
  Total: $30

Colonial Downs: Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (six furlongs on dirt, 10:52 p.m. ET)

Unraced juvenile #3 Grind It Out (2-1) has shown speed in the mornings at Colonial Downs, most recently clocking a bullet half-mile in :47 2/5.

Grind It Out has the pedigree to shine from an early age. His sire, elite sprinter/miler Vekoma, sires an excellent 21% winners from first-time starters. And Grind It Out’s dam, Surrender, previously foaled juvenile stakes winners Red Flag and Surrender Now.

Throw in the fact trainer Jorge Duarte Jr. has gone 2-for-4 (50%) saddling two-year-olds at Colonial Downs this meet, and Grind It Out is a compelling win threat. We’ll single him to conclude our daily double, then place a large win bet on the chestnut colt.

Selections

• #3 Grind It Out (2-1)
• #7 Ring for Peace (9-2)
• #6 Indyscript (20-1)

Wagers

• $45 to win on #3 Grind It Out

Saratoga: Race 8: Maiden Special Weight (6 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 5:09 p.m. ET)

#2 Zatopek (4-1), a $625,000 yearling acquisition, is a well-bred son of two-year-old champion and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist out of a mare by perennial leading sire Into Mischief.

Zatopek has put together a lengthy string of workouts for trainer Chad Brown, including a recent half-mile in :47 3/5 at Saratoga. Two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat (a 21% winner at Saratoga this meet) is named to ride, so there’s a lot to like about Zatopek.

At 4-1, a win bet is in order.

Selections

• #2 Zatopek (4-1)
• #4 Originality (6-1)
• #5 Summer of George (12-1)

Wagers

• $30 to win on #2 Zatopek

Carryover Watch

Colonial Downs: Race 6: $4,618 Pick 6 carryover (11:19 a.m. ET)

You’ll have to bet early if you want to pursue Thursday’s $4,618 carryover in the “Old Dominion 6” Pick 6 at Colonial Downs. The 50-cent wager gets underway in Race 6 at approximately 11:19 a.m. ET.

Bettors looking for a single to build tickets around are advised to favor #6 Outrunner (1-1) in Race 7, a $50,000 claimer for three-year-olds and older horses who have never won two races. Eight horses have entered the one-mile turf test, and Outrunner—a four-year-old son of American Pharoah—brings formidable credentials to the table.

As a three-year-old in 2025, Outrunner ran well against stakes competition on turf. He finished second in the 1 1/16-mile Tale of the Cat S., third in the 1 1/16-mile Commonwealth Turf (G3), and third in the 1 1/8-mile Old Dominion Derby (G3). The latter race took place at Colonial Downs.

Outrunner hasn’t been as successful this year, but he’s finished third and fourth in a pair of one-mile allowances at Colonial Downs this summer, and dropping in class for a $50,000 claimer might be all Outrunner needs to secure victory under hot jockey Paco Lopez.

Del Mar: Race 8: $31,321 Super High 5 carryover (8:42 p.m. ET)

There’s an enticing $31,321 carryover up for grabs in Thursday’s $1 Super High 5 at Del Mar.

The carryover is available to chase in Race 8, a $50,000 maiden claimer for California-bred three-year-olds and older horses racing 1 1/16 miles on turf. #5 High King (5-2) is the favorite after recording 13 top-five finishers from 16 starts in maiden special weights for California-breds, but while his consistency is admirable, he’s not typically in the hunt for victory, and his 0-for-16 lifetime record suggests he isn’t guaranteed to win even while dropping in class.

High King is still worth building tickets around since a top-three finish appears likely. But other runners are worth using on top as backup, including #1 Heroic Dose (7-2), who gobbled up ground to finish second by 1 1/4 lengths in a recent start racing one mile at this course and class level.

Also, consider backing #9 Milken Cookies (8-1) at a price. The son of Acclamation has only run once, finishing seventh in six-furlong maiden special weight for California-breds at Santa Anita 15 months ago. But trainer Phil D’Amato wins at a strong 24% rate with horses running long for the first time, so there’s a chance Milken Cookies will improve meaningfully while stretching out in distance and dropping in class for his return.

Good luck!