Saturday, Sept. 7 marks the conclusion of Colonial Downs’ summer meet, and the turf-centric racetrack finishes up with a great 12-race card including six stakes races on the grass.

The centerpiece is the $500,000, Grade 3 New Kent County Virginia Derby for 3-year-olds, which has been one of Colonial’s calling-card races going back more than 20 years. This will be the final edition of the Virginia Derby on turf as the race will be rescheduled to be held during a brief spring meet in 2025, switched to dirt, and added to the Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve prep series as a qualifying-points event.

1. Herchee (5-1 morning-line odds): Ships in from Kentucky for his stakes debut off of two impressive wins going one mile on the grass, first at Churchill Downs and then at Ellis Park. This is a tough spot to extend a career unbeaten streak but he’s capable of pulling it off if he can continue improving, especially with a beneficial draw which should allow him to save ground before pouncing in early stretch. This colt is also entered in the $1.5 million Global Tote Gun Runner Stakes Sept. 8 at Kentucky Downs.

JOCKEY: Edgar Morales; TRAINER: Helen Pitts

2. Grand Mo the First (4-1): Was on the Road to Kentucky Derby 2024 and earned enough points for the May 4 classic, finishing a distant 18^th of 20. Resurfaced in a one-mile listed stakes on the grass at Gulfstream Park and won by a neck as the 3-5 favorite after a poor start. His form on turf and all-weather tracks is better than on dirt and he can be a factor in this race.

JOCKEY: Paco Lopez; TRAINER: Victor Barboza Jr.

3. Deterministic (3-1): Another former Kentucky Derby trail horse fizzled in his last two dirt tries and then improved in pair of graded turf stakes, finishing second to Neat in the Manila Stakes in late June and then third behind Carson’s Run and Legend of Time in the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes Aug. 11. Holding his own against Neat and Carson’s Run should make him one of the betting favorites in this race, and deservedly so.

JOCKEY: Manny Franco; TRAINER: Christophe Clement

4. Izzy d’Oro (30-1): Should be a pace factor based on his last four starts, which include a win in a 1 3/16-mile April Keeneland allowance race and then fourth- and fifth-place finishes in stakes races won by Carson’s Run, where he led early but could not seal the deal. Tough to see him hitting the board in this spot.

JOCKEY: David Cohen; TRAINER: Blake Kelly

5. Frontline Warrior (30-1): Showed promise last fall with a maiden win on turf at Keeneland but has failed reach the top three in three stakes tries this year, although he had a brutal trip in the 1 3/8-mile Kent Stakes last out, when he checked in fifth. Connections must be respected, and he can rally to grab a minor share.

JOCKEY: Vincent Cheminaud; TRAINER: Shug McGaughey

6. In a Jam (6-1): Has been active in 2024 with seven starts and finished fourth or better in all of them, his last two coming at one mile on Colonial’s inner turf course. He faded to fourth in the Boston Stakes in mid-July, a race won by Fulmineo, and then overcame traffic trouble to finish third in the Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes on Aug. 11 behind budding star Trikari and Brilliant Berti. Mark Casse has had a great meet at Colonial (as he has at other tracks this summer) and that merits respect. Might prefer a bit shorter distance, though. This colt is also entered in the $1.5 million Global Tote Gun Runner Stakes Sept. 8 at Kentucky Downs.

JOCKEY: Mychel Sanchez; TRAINER: Mark Casse

Desvio winning Kent Stakes. (Eclipse Sportswire)

7. Desvio (8-1): Debuted on turf last fall and then made four consecutive dirt starts before moving back to the lawn in May. He’s since won a 1 1/16-mile allowance/optional claiming race on soft turf at Pimlico and then rallied late to win the Kent Stakes on firm turf at Delaware Park. Might be somewhat overlooked on the tote board, but that recent form makes him a contender here.

JOCKEY: Ben Curtis; TRAINER: Madison Meyers

8. Massif (30-1): Deep closer has a good foundation to compete, having made all 11 of his starts on turf including five at Colonial. He won a 1 1/16-mile allowance/optional claimer here after a gritty stretch duel but then turned in a puzzling eighth-place finish in another Colonial allowance, this one on the inner turf course. Connections have had much success at this track, yet the gelding’s past performances indicate a late-closing third or fourth is his ceiling.

JOCKEY: Sheldon Russell; TRAINER: Brittany Russell

9. Echo Lane (15-1): Figures to be one of the horses vying for the early lead based on his last-out win on the inner turf course here, when he pressed the pace and then fought off a late challenge to prevail by a head. That win at 1 1/8 miles came in a starter allowance, however, and he was no match for In a Jam and Fulmineo in his prior two starts, both stakes races.

JOCKEY: Antonio Gallardo; TRAINER: Rohan Crichton

10. Oscar’s World (12-1): Another Kentucky shipper, he arrives off two races at Ellis Park: a four-length win in a 1 1/16-mile allowance/optional claimer and then a fourth-place effort in the KY Downs Preview Nashville Derby going 1 1/8 miles. He pressed the early leader in both starts and figures to do so in this race as well with good pace jockey Martin Garcia retaining the mount. Not out of the question.

JOCKEY: Martin Garcia; TRAINER: Brian Lynch

Fulmineo winning the Boston Stakes. (Coady Media)

11. Fulmineo (15-1): Briefly tried to join the Kentucky Derby prep parade earlier this year but his true calling is on turf and he proved that with back-to-back listed stakes wins in the one-mile James W. Murphy Stakes at Pimlico and then the one-mile Boston Stakes on Colonial’s inner turf. Both of those starts came on soft ground, and in his subsequent sixth-place finish in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes was on good turf. He was no threat in that Grade 1 event and gets class relief here, which he should appreciate.

JOCKEY: Victor Carrasco; TRAINER: Arnaud Delacour

12. Zverev (10-1): Made his stakes debut last out in a tough spot, the one-mile National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga in early August, and was solidly bet at 4-1 odds only to endure a rough start and finish sixth of eight behind top-class Neat. He was not embarrassed, however, and a return to his race prior to the Hall of Fame – when he pressed the pace in a 1 1/16-mile Churchill Downs turf allowance and then won going away by 2 ½ lengths – makes him a threat here. Will need a clean breakn from the outside post in order to use some early speed and gain a secure spot near the pace.

JOCKEY: Jorge Ruiz; TRAINER: Cherie DeVaux

THE PICK: Deterministic

LIVE LONGSHOT: Desvio

SUPERFECTA: 3-1-7-2