Tuesday's Best Bet: Heldish lifts off in Hickory Tree Stakes
Tuesday’s fifth race from Colonial Downs is the $150,000 Hickory Tree Stakes for 2-year-olds dashing five furlongs on the main track. Post time is 3:37 p.m. EDT.
Click here for Colonial Downs entries and results.
No. 4 Heldish (7-2) broke on top and stayed clear throughout in a sharp debut victory as the favorite at Laurel Park July 1, and the top two were well clear of the rest. Brittany Russell is 3-for-5 at Colonial Downs, and this one will probably try to go all the way again.
No. 5 Simply Super (9-5) dueled and edged away in his Keeneland debut in the spring, and he was overmatched in his last two stakes starts at Churchill Downs. He probably will be competitive in this spot, but I would not want to take a short price.
No. 6 Bandits Heart (12-1) is a first-time starter for sharp trainer John Robb. His stakes-winning dam has produced four winners from as many starters, and Xavier Perez wins races with this barn. He had a decent gate move at Laurel Park July 24.
No. 2 General J R (5-1) completed the exacta in three of four starts, and John Robb’s gelding cuts back two furlongs and might rally for a share.
Wagers:
No. 4 to win
Exacta box 4-6
Trifecta key 4/2-5-6
Recent best-bet winners
Friday - Ready to Purrform ($9.80), trifecta ($469.00)
Saturday - Nations Pride/Annapolis exacta ($29.20)
Sunday - With the Moonlight ($4.30), exacta ($7.50)
Monday - Loyalty ($7.00), exacta ($23.80)