Wednesday’s Best Bets and Quick Picks: Cold double at Colonial Downs

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares best bets and quick picks for Wednesday, Sept. 3 at Colonial Downs and Finger Lakes, including a cold double bet.

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Today’s TwinSpires tournaments include:

• $240 Colonial Downs Bonus Feeder to 9/4 Kentucky Downs MMBC Qualifier
• $50 Colonial Downs Challenge
• $100 Mountaineer Feeder to 9/13 Woodbine Mile/Churchill Downs KDBC Qualifier

Best Bets and Quick Picks

Colonial Downs: Race 2: $40,000 Maiden Claiming (six furlongs on dirt, 1:00 p.m. ET)

#6 State Conceal (7-5) is dropping in class after finishing fourth in both the Hickory Tree S. and Jamestown S. at Colonial Downs. His Hickory Tree performance earned a 74 Brisnet Speed rating that tops Wednesday’s field.

Squaring off against easier competition should send State Conceal to the winner’s circle. Let’s single him to start a double wager.

Selections

• #6 State Conceal (7-5)
• #4 Coco No Loco (7-2)
• #5 Brazilian Conexao (4-1)

Wagers

• $20 Double: 6 with 5

Colonial Downs: Race 3: $30,000 Maiden Claiming (one mile on turf, 1:30 p.m. ET)

Although #5 Kid Charlemagne (1-1) was beaten 12 1/4 lengths when fourth in his debut, that was a seven-furlong maiden special weight over the Colonial Downs main track, and he finished only 3 1/2 lengths behind next-out maiden special weight winner Antrax.

Dropping in class, stretching out in distance, and switching to turf could all trigger improvement from Kid Charlemagne. In particular, the surface switch is noteworthy since trainer Jonathan Thomas wins at a lofty 30% rate with horses trying grass for the first time.

Let’s key Kid Charlemagne over #1 Colt Forty Seven (9-2) and #6 El Orejon (4-1) in a trifecta.

Selections

• #5 Kid Charlemagne (1-1)
• #1 Colt Forty Seven (9-2)
• #6 El Orejon (4-1)

Wagers

• $5 Trifecta: 5 with 1,6 with 1,6 ($10)

Finger Lakes: Race 8: $11,000 Claiming (5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, 4:38 p.m. ET)

Pacesetters win 55% of the 5 1/2-furlong sprints at Finger Lakes. There are many speed horses entered in Race 8, but #1 Kaymus (4-1) might be the quickest of them. She’s the only entrant who has recently posted triple-digit Brisnet E1 and E2 Pace ratings, earning matching 100s when wiring a June 10 $5,000 claimer over this track and distance by 4 1/2 lengths.

Kaymus misfired when breaking slowly and racing off the pace in a Finger Lakes allowance last time out, but if she returns to pacesetting tactics in her first start off a two-month freshening, she can wire Race 8 at nice odds. A win bet is in order.

Selections

• #1 Kaymus (4-1)
• #3 Sky Travel (5-1)
• #2 Gringotts (5-1)

Wagers

• $25 to win on #1 Kaymus

Good luck!