The first Charles Town starter for trainer Phil Bauer and his lone client, Richard Rigney’s Rigney Racing, looks like a live one. Princess Madison enters the Grade 2, $750,000 Charles Town Oaks on a two-race winning streak, primed for her stakes debut, which comes in a two-turn, seven-furlong contest that drew an overflow field of 11 3-year-old fillies. On Beyer Speed Figures, Princess Madison has run faster than all the entrants except Roswell, whom Princess Madison defeated July 19 at Saratoga in a first-level allowance race that produced a winning 94 Beyer Speed Figure. “She’s always been one that has really touted herself from Day 1,” Bauer said. “At Keeneland first out, I thought we could win that day.” Princess Madison raced greenly and found some trouble while finishing second in that Keeneland debut this past April, and she took a step back second time out, fading to sixth in a sloppy one-turn Churchill Downs mile. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. “She was disappointing that day, but we cut her back, and she’s reeled off two in a row,” Bauer said. Princess Madison cleared the maiden ranks June 8 in a six-furlong Churchill maiden, winning by 7 1/4 lengths over Mugen, who returned to win her own Churchill maiden with an 85 Beyer. At Saratoga, Princess Madison stalked the early pace, took over in upper stretch, and after Roswell came to her at the furlong grounds laid down a field-best 12.67-second final furlong to prevail by three-quarters of a length. “I think it showed she’s matured mentally and understands [how] to listen to her rider,” Bauer said. “I guess my main concern Friday is her last two really good efforts she came on the outside, and now we’re drawn inside.” Bill Mott, who is 3-1-1 from his six Charles Town runners the last five years, thought Roswell, closing on the outside, would run right past Princess Madison. In her previous start, also at Saratoga, Roswell finished second after chasing home the very fast filly Munnys Gold, who is entered in the Grade 1 Ballerina on Saturday. “She’s run into a couple steamers the last two times. She hasn’t regressed since her last race, I’ll say that,” Mott said. Roswell races from off the pace but looks from the outside – and to her trainer – like an athletic, handy filly who can handle the six-furlong Charles Town oval. Saffie Joseph Jr. runs two horses with a real chance, Haulin Ice and Mystic Lake, the former listed at 7-2 on the morning line, the latter at 6-1, though Mystic Lake easily could be the shorter price. Joseph rated Haulin Ice his least likely winner among his three entrants July 19 in the Azalea Stakes at Gulfstream, but Haulin Ice, hard held behind the leaders after showing speed in her first start for Joseph, whistled home to win by more than nine lengths. “I’m not sure where that race came from. I need to see that again before I really believe,” said Joseph, who, outwardly at least, is more bullish on Mystic Lake. Mystic Lake last started July 4 in the Victory Ride at Aqueduct, where she set the pace before being overhauled by favored Emery, who returned to finish second in the Grade 1 Test. Joseph said Mystic Lake missed some training after contracting a mild illness following the Victory Ride. “The configuration of the course, I think she’s going to love. She looks tremendous, carrying more weight than she ever has,” he said. My Mane Squeeze, winner of the Grade 2 Eight Belles over a sloppy track in May, exits a third-place finish in the Test but returns on relatively short rest and drew poorly in post 10. Impel, second to My Mane Squeeze in the Eight Belles, will be scratched in favor of the Cathryn Sophia on Saturday at Parx Racing, trainer Brad Cox said. Robert Hilton Memorial The $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial, for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs around two turns, will lose its heavy favorite, Book’em Danno, to the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga, though Book’em Danno’s absence helps keep this overflow field of 12 from losing other key players. Joseph said he would have run Catalytic on Saturday at Parx had Book’em Danno started at Charles Town. “I liked this spot for our horse until I saw Book’em Danno in there. Nothing else really scares me,” said Joseph, whose has a second entrant, Practically Dark, as an also-eligible. The Hilton pace should be fast, with California speedster Tapalo drawn just outside of Bentornato, who races for the first time since setting the pace and holding third Feb. 24 in the $1.5 million Saudi Derby, where Book’em Danno was nipped by Japanese dirt star Forever Young. Bentornato ships from Saratoga for trainer Jose D’Angelo but did most of his work for this comeback in Florida, where the colt uncorked bullet drills in late July and early August. Wants N Needs, unraced since June 23 but a sharp winner of two six-furlong races before his break, also wants to show speed, and the faster the pace, the stronger Catalytic’s chance. Drawn wide, Catalytic will drop to the tail of the field and try for a sustained run. A cutback from 1 1/4 miles in the Kentucky Derby, where he was overmatched, to seven furlongs last month in the Carry Back at Gulfstream produced a fast-closing second-place finish. Locally-based Petingas Twin merits consideration after winning three straight races at Delaware, Penn National, and Laurel over older rivals. Petingas Twin on Aug. 14 turned in a fast Charles Town breeze, going five furlongs in 1:00.40. Pink Ribbon California-based veteran jockey Mike Smith has rides Friday night for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. in the $750,000 Charles Town Oaks and the $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial in great part because of his work with the mare Spirit Wind. Joseph and Smith had never teamed up before Joseph needed a rider for Spirit Wind on May 27 in the Memorial Day Sprint at Lone Star. Smith was riding that card and open for the race, and after winning together in Texas, Smith and Joseph made it two for two when Spirit Wind captured the Grade 2 Honorable Miss at Saratoga. “It was just kind of randomly that it happened. He’s a jockey I always watched when I was younger,” Joseph said. Smith returns for a third ride on Spirit Wind in the $500,000 Pink Ribbon on Friday night, and Spirit Wind, the even-money morning-line favorite, has a strong chance to wire this field from post 1. “She’s versatile, she does rate, but from post 1 on a small course, if she gets away from there cleanly, she should be in a nice position,” Joseph said. Clearly Unhinged, third behind Spirit Wind in the Honorable Miss, and Free Like a Girl appear to be the main challengers among seven other entrants. Free Like a Girl, who ships from Louisiana, finished second to subsequent Grade 1-winner Society in the 2022 Charles Town Oaks and has further small-track experience at Delta Downs. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.