The Pink Ribbon took some cutting this year. The only one of the six stakes on the undercard of the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks not restricted to West Virginia-breds, the Pink Ribbon was worth $100,000 in 2016 but is just a $50,000 race this year. Nevertheless, the seven-furlong Pink Ribbon is filling some sort of niche since the race attracted 13 entrants, including shippers from as far afield as Kentucky. The Kentucky horse, Kathballu, was not so warmly welcomed with post 10, a tough spot from which to break going two turns around the six-furlong Charles Town oval. But Kathballu might still be up to the task. Trained by Kenny McPeek, she has Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano named to ride, but perhaps even more important, Kathballu has proven her mettle around bullring ovals like Charles Town. Last November, Kathballu ran in the Orleans Stakes, a two-turn seven-furlong race at Delta Downs, and won by eight lengths. Her most recent showing, in the Chicago Handicap at Churchill Downs, was below form, but McPeek has freshened the mare since that June 24 start, and a bounce back to her standard performance level gives Kathballu a strong chance. Lake Pontchartrain probably goes off well below her 15-1 morning-line odds, but she’s worth a bet if she doesn’t. The mare was third in April going seven furlongs at Charles Town in the $100,000 Sugar Maple and is a seven-time winner from 17 races over this surface. :: Get PPs and watch Saturday's Charles Town Oaks card live ◗ Charitable Annuity is only a 5-year-old, but one wonders if his best racing is behind him. Among the best West Virginia-breds of recent racing seasons, Charitable Annuity has won 14 of 26 starts and almost $700,000, but he has one win from five races and earnings of barely more than $30,000 in 2017. On respect alone, Charitable Annuity is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the $50,000 Frank Gall Memorial Stakes, but he is far from a cinch based on his previous starts this year. Charitable Annuity managed an allowance win in June at Charles Town, but that was his high-water mark this season, and when last seen, the gelding was dead-heating for a distant second in a July 21 allowance race. ◗ The Gall Memorial’s sister race, the $50,000 Sadie Hawkins for older West Virginia-bred females, has a 3-1 morning-line favorite, Moonlit Song, drawn wide in post 10. Moonlit Song might be good enough to win anyway. The 3-year-old filly is 7-1-1 from 10 Charles Town starts, and while most of those races came at 4 1/2 furlongs, Moonlit Song handled her first try at the seven-furlong distance of the Sadie Hawkins with aplomb, winning a stakes race Aug. 26 by 1 1/4 lengths. ◗ Trainer Joe Sharp, who seems to be everywhere, has the horse to beat, Noblame, in the $50,000 Rachel’s Turn for West Virginia-bred 2-year-old fillies. Noblame has been stabled this summer at Indiana Grand, where she won her debut July 7 and came back Aug. 21 with a two-length win in an open first-level allowance race. Noblame has speed and has looked handy enough to get around Charles Town’s tighter track, and she should be formidable. ◗ The $50,000 Henry Mercer for 2-year-olds looks more contentious, with maiden winners True Heir, Dionysus’ Chalice, and William and Mary appearing to be the principals. ◗ The $50,000 It’s Only Money for older West Virginia-breds at 4 1/2 furlongs starts off the stakes action in race 4.