Casey barn showdown at Charles Town

Owner-trainer John Casey has done a good job of keeping his talented 2-year-old fillies Down Town Allen and I Got a Answer separated so far this season. But Casey will allow them to go head to head in Saturday night's $50,000 Eleanor Casey Memorial Stakes - which is named for his mother - at Charles Town.

Down Town Allen, first or second in 7 of her 8 lifetime starts, will race coupled with I Got a Answer, who became a stakes winner last time out. Although there are 10 2-year-old West Virginia-bred fillies entered for the seven-furlong Casey, there are just seven betting interests because of couplings.

Both of Casey's fillies are coming off victories in divisions of the West Virginia Futurity on Nov. 28. Down Town Allen ran nearly a second faster in the first division, collecting her third consecutive stakes victory and fourth added-money score of the season.

Down Town Allen has crossed the wire first in each of her last three races, though she was disqualified and placed seventh after finishing more than seven lengths in front of her closest rival in the $126,000 Triple Crown Nutrition in mid-October.

The biggest threat to Casey's formidable entry may come from Glenorie, who won her career debut going seven furlongs by nearly 10 lengths. She runs for the white-hot connections of trainer Gary Capuano and owner Nancy Terhune. As a team, Capuano and Terhune are 19 for 42 (45 percent) this season.

Leading trainer Jeff Runco has a shot with his coupled entry of Lolibop and Stowe White. Lolibop is 2 for 2, both in 4 1/2-furlong sprints. Stowe White most recently was second to the gelding Son of a Bear, a three-time stakes winner. Earlier this season, Stowe White was whipped twice by Down Town Allen and once by I Got a Answer.