The stakes-packed Friday evening card at Charles Town provided a chance for proven stakes winners to add rich victories to their decorated resumes.
The $1 million Charles Town Classic (G2) served as the feature event, and for the second straight year Skippylongstocking proved much the best. The five-year-old son of Exaggerator dashed to the lead under Jose Ortiz and set splits of :24.15, :47.88, and 1:12.64 before powering away to dominate the 1 1/8-mile contest by 5 3/4 lengths, improving upon his five-length margin from 2023.
Longshots Velocitor and Komorebino Omoide ran well to secure the placings behind the 11-10 favorite, who is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. on behalf of owner Daniel Alonso. Coastal Mission, Warrior Johny, Bendoog, Frosted Departure, Double Crown, Piroli, and Lord Miles completed the order of finish.
Skippylongstocking’s winning time of 1:50.34 was likewise impressive, bettering by more than one second his clocking of 1:51.37 from 2023. The victory marked his sixth success in a graded stakes and his ninth win overall, boosting his career record to 26-9-2-5 with earnings of $2,992,985.
The Charles Town Classic completed a lucrative stakes double for Joseph. One race prior, the $750,000 Charles Town Oaks (G2) for three-year-old fillies went in impressive fashion to Joseph’s Mystic Lake, a three-time stakes winner coming off a victory in the Miss Preakness (G3) and a runner-up effort in the Victory Ride (G3).
Stepping up to the Grade 2 level proved to be no obstacle. Under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Mystic Lake tracked fractions of :23.16 and :46.51 set by longshot Overnight Pow Wow before taking over and powering clear to win the seven-furlong sprint by 5 3/4 lengths in 1:24.18.
My Mane Squeeze finished a distant second, followed by Princess Madison, Overnight Pow Wow, Vincey Girl, Sing a Little Song, Haulin Ice, Roswell, Deviletta, and Nay V Belle. The winner, a daughter of Mo Town owned by C2 Racing Stable and Stefania Farms, has compiled an 11-5-3-1 record with earnings of $758,554.
The form of a past Charles Town Oaks was flattered when Free Like a Girl and jockey Luis Saez took the $500,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon S. for fillies and mares sprinting seven furlongs. A 15-time stakes winner in Louisiana, Free Like a Girl finished second in the 2022 Charles Town Oaks behind future Grade 1 winner Society.
The Pink Ribbon marked Free Like a Girl’s first stakes win outside of Louisiana. Tracking fractions of :22.69 and :45.92 in third place left Free Like a Girl with enough in the tank to wear down Clearly Unhinged and prevail by three-quarters of a length in 1:24.51. Just Katherine, Princess Indy, Apple Picker, Night Cap, Happy Clouds, and 9-10 favorite Spirit Wind completed the order of finish.
A five-year-old daughter of El Deal, Free Like a Girl is trained by co-owner Chasey Deville Pomier who races her in partnership with Gerald Bruno Jr., Carl J. Deville, and Jerry Caroom. Her 41-18-11-6 career tally has accumulated earnings of $1,916,978.
In the $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial S. for three-year-olds, Valentine Candy worked out a perfect trip to secure victory. After saving ground in midfield through fractions of :22.97 and :45.95, jockey Cristian Torres guided Valentine Candy up the rail as pacesetting Tapalo drifted out and carried favored Bentornato wide. The latter tried to come back at Valentine Candy, but the rail-rallying son of Justify held firm by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:23.58.
Tapalo lasted to secure third place, 3 1/4 lengths behind Bentornato, followed by Jubawithatwist, Grand Opening, Petingas Twin, Mr Fillip, and Wants N Needs.
Owned by the partnership of William L. Heiligbrodt, Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm, and Coteau Grove Farms, Valentine Candy has put together a 12-6-1-2 record for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Along the way he’s won five stakes and earned $818,875.
