Charles Town: Dutrow forced to scratch I Want Revenge; Thomas Got Even now favored

Thomas Got Even will inherit the role of favorite for Tuesday night’s $35,000 Harrison Johnson Memorial, an overnight handicap for older horses going 1 1/16 miles at Charles Town.

The West Virginia track was expecting I Want Revenge, winner of the Grade 1 Wood Memorial as a 3-year-old of 2009, to make the second start of his comeback following eight months on the sidelines. He would have been a prohibitive favorite against five rivals. But late Friday, the stewards at Charles Town ordered I Want Revenge scratched because he was entered under the name of trainer Tony Dutrow. New York racing officials confirmed to the Charles Town stewards that I Want Revenge remains in the barn of Richard Dutrow Jr., Tony Dutrow’s brother.

“Tony Dutrow admitted to us that he is not the trainer of this horse, and the horse will be scratched.,” said Danny Wright, chief steward at Charles Town.

As a result, the Johnson Memorial will go with just five horses, led by the 5-year-old Thomas Got Even, who has been running well since being transferred fron Nick Zito to Mark Shuman. Thomas Got Even comes into the race with three wins in his previous four starts. After closing 2011 with three straight victories, two of them at the Harrison Johnson’s 1 1/16-mile distance, Thomas Got Even will be making his first start since finishing sixth in an optional $40,000 claimer at Laurel Park on Jan. 11. Antonio Lopez will ride Thomas Got Even for the first time.

Stakes winner Tup Take’ Please will be looking for his first victory going longer than seven furlongs. In his lone try beyond a mile, Tup Take’ Please ran a game second behind Plantation in the 1 1/8-mile A Huevo in November.

Son of a Bear, a winner going seven furlongs last time out; Oilton, who has put together back-to-back wins at Laurel; and Twenty Hawks, who won in the mud the last time he raced 1 1/16 miles at Charles Town, complete the field.