Claire's Charm set to leave maiden ranks

Jonathan’s Way trained strongly enough into the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes last weekend at Churchill Downs that he made himself the post-time favorite. Trainer Phil Bauer, watching the colt work toward a race he ultimately won impressively, had some thoughts.

“He’s ultra-talented, and you feel sorry for his workmate, at times,” Bauer said.

That workmate, Claire’s Charm, looks to win her maiden in her second career start Sunday at Churchill Downs, in a $120,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies going a one-turn mile. That distance should be within her scope, based on her pedigree and her strong finish in her debut.

Claire’s Charm, a $385,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Bauer’s patron Rigney Racing, is by Violence and is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Muth. The filly made her debut going six furlongs Aug. 18 at Saratoga. She was bumped at the start and pinched back, but came on to finish second by a neck, earning a respectable Beyer Speed Figure of 76.

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Claire’s Charm came out of that effort with the light bulb on, firing a bullet breeze at Saratoga before a Sept. 7 work at Churchill in company with Jonathan’s Way, with the two both going in 47.80 seconds for a half-mile.

Bauer thinks so highly of the filly that he entered her in the Grade 3 Pocahontas, the sister race to the Iroquois, last weekend. She failed to draw in off the also-eligible list in the overflow field.

“We were hoping on a scratch, and maybe she could put a performance together,” he said.

The foes for Claire’s Charm on Sunday include Crimson Sun, a $700,000 daughter of Curlin debuting for Eddie Kenneally. Buriana, a $625,000 Justify filly, was fifth behind Briland and Claire’s Charm in her third career start for D. Wayne Lukas.

This race, the seventh on the 10-race card, is one of two maiden special weights on the program. The nominal feature as the richest purse on the card is the day’s ninth race, a $134,000 allowance/optional-claiming race going six furlongs on dirt. The race is for 3-year-olds and up who have never won two races other than, or who have never won three races, or for a claiming price of $80,000. The field of 12 includes the graded stakes-placed runners Deer District, Fort Warren, and Gilmore.

◗ Jockey Keith Asmussen was set to return to race riding this weekend at Churchill Downs. He has been sidelined since suffering a fractured femur and broken ribs in a spill on June 1.

Asmussen, who began getting on horses in the mornings in August, was named to ride Payne in a claiming race on Saturday’s card and Vittorio in the nominal feature on Sunday. Both horses are trained by his father, Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.

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