Charles Town: At age 9, Congressional Page being asked to stretch out

Supposedly, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Maybe it’s a different story with horses.

The 9-year-old Congressional Page, almost exclusively a sprinter during his 32-race career, will be asked to stretch out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time in Tuesday night’s $35,000 Blue Ridge Handicap at Charles Town.

Congressional Page has a ton of back class. In 2010, he was second in a pair of Grade 2 stakes going seven furlongs, the Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship and the Commonwealth at Keeneland. He also won the 2009 Schaefer Mile at Hoosier Park.

Owner and trainer Mike Trombetta must have felt that there’s still more good racing left in Congressional Page. Two starts after losing Congressional Page for a $35,000 claim at Saratoga last summer, Trombetta reclaimed the gelding for $62,500 at Belmont Park.

Congressional Page didn’t show much in two subsequent starts and will now stretch out while making his first start since Dec. 8.

Trombetta’s record with horses switching from dirt sprints to routes following a break of 31 to 60 days is only 2 for 25 (8 percent) over the past two years.

Warrioroftheroses, the 5-2 favorite on the track’s morning line, is also stretching out following a close third in the $100,000 Fire Plug at Laurel three weeks ago. The last two times Warrioroftheroses made similar distance switches, he missed by a neck going a mile and 70 yards at Monmouth Park and was second by a head in a restricted stakes at that same distance at Delaware Park.

Warrioroftheroses, who breaks from the far outside in the field of eight, is likely to contest the early lead with the rail-drawn Burnt Offering. A 6-year-old gelding, Burnt Offering is 11 for 31 lifetime at Charles Town, including a 7 1/2-length win the last time he raced 1 1/16 miles in October.

Golden Set, beaten only 2 1/4 lengths in the $450,000 West Virginia Breeders’ Classic in October, will be making his first start since finishing a distant second to West Virginia-bred star Lucy’s Bob Boy in November.

High-percentage trainer Jeff Runco does not have much success with horses returning from a break of 61 to 180 days in routes. Over the past five years, Runco is just 4 for 34 (12 percent) in that category. Golden Set’s most recent win came sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs against statebreds.