Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent, Virginia is gearing up for one of the most historic Virginia Derby events yet. The championship series races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks are the featured stakes races Saturday with each winner securing a spot in the starting gate for the 2025 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.
We’re just one week away from the Louisiana Derby and the start of the major 100 points prep races as the May 3 Kentucky Derby field continues to take shape, along with the 3-year-old fillies for the Kentucky Oaks. The top-5 finishers in the championship series races all receive qualifying points.
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Saturday, March 15
- Race 8: $250,000 Virginia Oaks (1 1/16 miles) at 4:25 p.m. ET
- Race 9: $500,000 Virginia Derby (1 1/8 miles) at 5:10 p.m.
FanDuel Racing Virginia Derby contenders preview and profiles are provided below for the top contenders, along with picks from Horse Racing Nation’s Super Screener, which had the winner and runner-up (exacta) for last Saturday’s Tampa Bay Derby.
Virginia Derby Picks And Profiles
Leading contender John Hancock was scratched from the Virginia Derby Tuesday by trainer Brad Cox, and instead will run next in the Louisiana Derby March 22. Six of the 9 runners in the Virginia Derby come out of Road to the Kentucky Derby points races. However, only one is off a victory and that’s the race favorite Getaway Car, who won the Sunland Derby by a nose. Getaway Car now has 36 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and a top-4 finish Saturday will secure his spot to Run for the Roses May 3 at Churchill Downs.
- #6 Getaway Car (9/5) – Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. and trainer Bob Baffert. He’s the class of the field and has raced against Kentucky Derby contenders Citizen Bull and Journalism out west finishing 2nd to each of them. HRN Super Screener makes him the most reliable board hitter (top-3), but with no value picks him just behind winner Rapture.
- #7 Rapture (5/1) – Jockey Flavien Prat and trainer Brad Cox. Finished a close second on debut with the winner of that race returning to win an Allowance race and then a distant 4th in the Risen Star Stakes. Rapture broke his maiden in his second start and now makes his stakes debut facing winners for the first time going a preferred 1-turn layout for this 1 1/8 mile race. Jockey Flavien Prat road John Hancock last race but stays aboard Rapture here.
“This colt exudes balance and he also checks the stamina breeding box,” Horse Racing Nation’s Super Screener says of it’s top value play and pick, Rapture while expecting him to close valiantly from off the pace.
- #3 American Promise (12/1) for legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas will have jockey Nik Juarez pushing his horse to the front knocking head with Getaway Car. The son of Triple Crown winner Justify, American Promise took six races to break his maiden and then finished a well-beaten 7th and 5th in a pair of Road to the Kentucky Derby points races.
- #4 Omaha Omaha (10/1) is ridden by jockey Raul Mena and trained by Mike Gorham. This colt is the top longshot pick with a slight chance to win if the leaders go through too fast of fractions, but can hit the board and add to the trifecta payouts.
- #8 Authentic Gallop (10/1) make his stakes debut off an Allowance race win for trainer Tom Amoss. He broke his maiden by beating a horse who finished second by a nose to Getaway Car in the Sunland Derby. Jockey Javier Castellano takes over to ride the son of 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic.
Virginia Oaks
Horse Racing Nation top win contenders and picks for the Virginia Oaks in Race 8 at Colonial Downs includes #6 You’ll Be Back (9/2) as the most reliable board hitter and value pick, and #8 Fondly (7/2). There are eight 3-year-old fillies entered for the Kentucky Oaks points race.
The National Horseplayers Championship started today in Las Vegas. It’s the World Series of Poker for horse players and handicappers competing for top cash prizes. You can follow the leaderboard at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association as you tune into the Virginia Derby and college basketball conference tournament action ahead of next week’s March Madness biggest betting events like the Road to the Kentucky Derby championship series races.
You can bet on it.
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