STANFORD LOOKS TO REPEAT IN CHARLES TOWN CLASSIC

By Rick Francis —-

CHARLES TOWN

Race 11) 1&1/8th Mile. Charles Town Classic S. Grade II. Purse $1,250,000 FOR FOUR YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD Post Time: ( 5:35)/ 4:35/ 3:35/ 2:35

Stanford 1), Pletcher/Velasquez, J; Malibu Moon 5-year-old was a driving winner of 2016’s edition, and today comes in fresh off an overnight score at Tampa; Hall of Fame jock Johnny V, aboard for a pair of wins and a head second stays.

Sunny Ridge 2), Servis/Franco; enters having won two straight, both stakes contests over the inner track at Aqueduct. His last start in the Stymie posted the fields highest last out speed figure; 4-year-old out of Holy Bull is a legit win threat.

Gangster 3), O’Neill/Gutierrez; following three straight on the turf, connections went all in with a start in the Santa Anita Handicap, didn’t end well. If I’m missing something here, then he beats me, but I just don’t see it.

Matt King Coal 4), Rice/Karamanos; Cool Coal Man colt has missed a top three spot only once in his eight career starts, and today rolls in off two straight wins at Laurel. Trainer Linda Rice has something here as this 4-year-old was a win threat in last year’s Grade 1 Wood at Aqueduct; looks like he’s regaining that form.

Imperative 5), Hess/Castellano; 7-year-old work horse by Bernardini is a threat each and every time he walks onto the track; lately however is form has been up and down, win one, next out get beat by double-digit lengths; with the current cycle tilting upwards and the addition of Javier Castellano, well this won’t be a surprise.

War Story 6), Navarro/Gaffalione; after an overnight victory at Aqueduct, these connections pushed all their chips into the center of the table with a start in the Pegasus $12 million, where he finished a respectable fifth. The four that beat him that day aren’t here, so I guess he’s got a shot, just not with my money.

Bodhisattva 7), Corrales/Perez; a bit player at Laurel, winning two back in a 75k stakes, but getting drilled last out facing similar. His only Charles Town start came against minor allowance foes where he failed to hit the board.

Cautious Giant 8), Radosevich/Radosevich; exits a near miss coming down the Santa Anita hill, today he makes his first start under Jeffery Radosevich, who with the turf-to-dirt angle is a strong 26 percent. 6-year-old gelding by Giant’s Causeway is Graded Stakes proven, showing a couple G3’s at Santa Anita, but they were all sprints; nevertheless, a lot of solid training angles working here.

Selections: 1, 2, 5, 8

Cover Photo: Stanford; Coglianese/Lauren King Photo