Art Collector back quick but should handle Charles Town Classic turns
The Charles Town Classic is the richest race run at Charles Town, but that doesn’t differentiate it from the rest of the contests at Charles Town’s compact six-furlong oval. With a 660-foot homestretch, a horse had better handle the tight turns and have position cornering for home, be it in a low-level maiden race or the Grade 2, $800,000 Classic, which will be run for the 13th time on Friday night.
The three-turn, 1 1/8-mile race drew 10 entrants, three of whom have Charles Town experience, including 2020 winner Sleepy Eyes Todd, seeking to become the third horse, following Researcher and Imperative, to win this race more than once. Bourbon Calling won the seven-furlong Russell Road in August 2020 at Charles Town, while longshot Air Token was second in a seven-furlong allowance race over the surface this past May.
The rest, including favored Art Collector, are Charles Town newcomers, their connections, lured by a fat purse, hoping their horses can adapt.
“He’s pretty handy. I’d think he would be all right,” said Art Collector’s trainer, Bill Mott.
The Classic is one of two graded stakes along with the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks on a 13-race card that starts at 5 p.m. Eastern. The feature goes as race 12, post time set for 10:18 p.m. As of Wednesday, the National Weather Service forecast a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms Friday evening.
Art Collector, making his first start for Mott and second as a 4-year-old, stormed to victory Aug. 6 in the restricted Alydar Stakes at Saratoga, his first victory since a five-race winning streak ended last October in the Preakness Stakes.
“He did come out of it good. We’re coming back on short rest but he’s doing fine,” Mott said.
Art Collector won the Blue Grass Stakes in July 2020, looking like a top member of his 3-year-old class before he went off form.
“He came back and repeated that in his last race. It looks like he’s quite nice,” Mott said.
Art Collector has Luis Saez named to ride and breaks from post 8, bringing tactical speed into the fray. The colt, by Bernardini, is 3 for 3 going nine furlongs, though, obviously, never in a race configured like the Classic.
Rushie finished third behind Art Collector in the Blue Grass and is one of two horses, along with turf-favoring Restrainedvengence, coming from California to take him on. Rushie began his 2021 campaign with a fine second behind By My Standards in the Oaklawn Mile, finished fourth going 1 1/4 miles, farther than his best, in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup, but comes off a disappointing sixth-place finish July 17 in the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar. There, Rushie disputed the pace but folded up in the stretch.
“You could have blown me over with a feather the way he ran,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “I thought he had a big one in him. From what I’ve seen of him coming back working since then I have to draw a line through it. I’m hoping I don’t have to draw a line through two races in a row – I’m hoping the three turns will suit him.”
Rushie on a full-sized oval might prefer a slightly shorter trip but ought to be able to get this distance with such a short homestretch. Ridden by Victor Espinoza, he also brings rateable speed to the Classic.
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Warrior’s Charge, drawn on the rail, was second to high-class Maxfield in the Stephen Foster Stakes, his most recent start, but enters on an eight-race losing streak dating to February 2020. He’ll be a fairly short price for trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux, and likely is negative value.
Sleepy Eyes Todd won this race a year ago by more than seven lengths, earning a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure, and has validated his fondness for small-oval racing with strong performances in the Bosselman Gus Fonner at Fonner Park in Nebraska. But Sleepy Eyes Todd might not be the same horse he was a year ago having returned from starts in the Saudi Cup and the Dubai World Cup – neither one competitive – with a flat third April 21 at Fonner. Trainer Miguel Silva has since freshened his horse, and Sleepy Eyes Todd should be an attractive price under capable Canterbury Park-based jockey Ry Eikleberry.
Trainer David Fawkes won the 2011 Classic with Duke of Mischief and sends Noble Drama, a marginal contender on paper, while trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. tries Ny Traffic, who ostensibly would suit this spot. Over the last month, however, Joseph has won just three times with 53 starters outside of Gulfstream Park.