Colonial Downs: Singles for the mandatory-payout $3,509 Pick 6 carryover

The 2023 Colonial Downs meet wraps up this Saturday with a stakes-packed card featuring the mandatory payout of a $3,509 carryover in the $1 “Old Dominion 6” Pick 6.

The card contains half a dozen stakes worth a combined $1.3 million, including the $500,000 Virginia Derby (G3). If you like handicapping stakes, you’ll be happy to know the six stakes are the six Pick 6 races.

The Pick 6 gets underway in Race 6 at 3:58 p.m. ET. Looking for singles to build tickets around? We’ve got you covered with a pair of compelling choices:

Race 8: #5 No Nay Mets (5-2)

Race 8 is the $125,000 Rosie’s S. for two-year-olds dashing 5 1/2 furlongs over the outer turf course. A large field of 11 has been entered, but morning line favorite No Nay Mets looks mighty tough to beat.

No Nay Mets debuted in the Royal Palm Juvenile S. sprinting five furlongs at Gulfstream Park and led all the way through quick fractions to beat next-out winner Mattingly by 3 1/2 lengths, earning an 86 Brisnet Speed rating. Then, following a ninth-place finish in the Norfollk (G2) at Royal Ascot in England, No Nay Mets returned to the U.S. for the five-furlong Tyro S. at Monmouth Park and led from start to finish to score by 5 1/2 lengths with a 93 Brisnet Speed rating.

The form of the Tyro has held up impressively. Runner-up Ship Cadet returned to win the Skidmore S. at Saratoga, while third-place finisher Shea D World came back to crush a $62,500 allowance optional claimer at Delaware Park. None of the other Rosie’s entrants have posted a Brisnet Speed rating higher than 86, so No Nay Mets is an obvious choice to take home top honors.

Race 9: #7 Mission of Joy (8-5)

What’s not to like about Mission of Joy in the $250,000 Virginia Oaks for three-year-old fillies racing 1 1/8 miles over the outer turf? Nothing obvious. Her 4-for-6 record on grass includes victories in the 1 1/16-mile Florida Oaks (G3) and 1 1/8-mile Regret (G3) plus a close third-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Edgewood (G2).

Mission of Joy didn’t quite stay 1 1/4 miles when stepping up against top-tier competition for the Belmont Oaks (G1) last time out, but she was only beaten three lengths after tracking and pressing the pace. Cutting back to 1 1/8 miles and dropping in class can send Mission of Joy to the winner’s circle under hot jockey Antonio Gallardo, a lofty 24% winner on turf this year.

Good luck!