Frank Carulli: Colonial Downs Pick 4 | Friday, July 19, 2024

If you like to handicap 5-1/2 Furlong turf sprints, Colonial Downs is the place to be this Friday, July 19. The Late Pick 4 features two allowance races, an optional claimer and a $12,500 conditioned claimer at the same distance. With 39 entrants, a good payout looms for those who solve the puzzle. Here’s a closer look:

CNL 6th race (6:56 p.m. EST) -- Runners arrive from six tracks for this restricted $87,500 allowance. Four come off turf sprint victories, but none are favored. EASTBOSTONBENNY earned that honor with a 6/1-2-3 sprint record this year on Gulfstream Park’s all-weather track. Make it an ‘ALL’ punch in the leadoff leg of the sequence.

CNL 7th race (7:27 p.m. EST) -- GOODLUCKCHUCK was first or second at the stretch call in 6 of his last 9 starts going a route of ground on the main track, but didn’t win any. Now he transitions to sprinting on the turf as an apparent underlay. He hasn’t raced on the grass in two years, but he does have a recent 7F victory from post 14 to summon and his company lines are strong, featuring the likes of Doin’ittherightway (11-35, $257K), Walk Away Joe (8 wins, $247k) and Gran Andrews (11-30, $186k), to name a few. He bid to a brief lead on the turn last out and just missed, earning the top speed figure of his career. Let’s make him today’s Pick 4 solo play.

CNL 8th race (7:57 p.m. EST) -- MRS. RIP, plagued by bumpy starts as a 3-year-old, broke cleanly in her debut on the main track last year and out-dueled Cat’s Cave, who went wire-to-wire in a $72k allowance at Ellis Park Monday. LUSTY emerged from an early duel and bumping match into the clubhouse turn with a clear backstretch lead. The fast pace and year layoff in that one-mile test took its toll at the quarter pole, but set her up as the horse to beat in this spot.

CNL 9th race (8:27 p.m. EST) -- DEE JAY got eligible for this spot in a turf-to-dirt romp in the first sprint of his career. He’s 7-for-22 in his career and is too good to pass up at 6-1 on the morning line in his first start on the lawn. WHERE’S RAY blazed 5-1/2F in 1:01-2/5 in a runaway allowance win the last time he broke cleanly sprinting. GUAPO AGAIN circled the turn and finished between a $97k turf earner who won and a next-out, wire-to-wire turf allowance victor. BOSS IS A PAL posted a 92 Beyer when he three-peated on the lawn two starts back, but he fired a blank from the outside post last out.

Suggested 50-Cent Ticket

CNL 6th Race: ALL
CNL 7th Race: 6
CNL 8th Race: 3, 7
CNL 9th Race: 2, 6, 7, 11

Cost: $32

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