Coastal Mission carries local hopes in Charles Town Classic

Skippylongstocking on Friday night at Charles Town has a decent chance of becoming the fourth repeat winner of the $1 million Charles Town Classic, a race inaugurated in 2009.

Standing between Skippylongstocking and his second Classic are nine rivals, one trained by Jeff Runco, who sent out the winner of the first two Charles Town Classics. Researcher, a Virginia-bred, won the first Charles Town Classic and came back for another in 2010. Could West Virginia-bred 5-year-old Coastal Mission follow in his hoofprints?

“Hard to say. He’s done a lot of good things this year,” Runco said.

Skippylongstocking won his only start over the six-furlong Charles Town oval, a small course not for every horse.

Coastal Mission lost once at his trainer’s home track – and won his other 10 Charles Town starts.

Coastal Mission won 8 of 10 in 2023 but rather than running up the score against overmatched competition this year, he’s campaigned in graded stakes competition, most recently finishing a strong second July 6 in the Grade 2 John Nerud at Aqueduct.

“We got a lot of miles underneath him the last seven weeks, lots of good gallop-outs. He’s ready to go,” Runco said.

The 1 1/8-mile Classic starts on the backstretch and encompasses three turns, ending with a 660-foot homestretch – about half as long as the stretch at Saratoga, where Skippylongstocking finished fifth Aug. 3 in the Whitney.

“If we duplicate his race from last year, we should be tough, and we’re seeing the right signs to send him,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said.

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Right signs, different pattern. A year ago, Skippylongstocking came to the Aug. 25 Classic following a start July 8 in the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker. Winner this year of the Grade 3 Challenger and the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap, and third in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster before his Whitney, Skippylongstocking merits favoritism based on accomplishment. But other things, including a jockey change from Tyler Gaffalione to Jose Ortiz, look different this year than last, especially the Classic pace scenario. Skippy made an easy lead and coasted to victory last summer; he’s not a likely leader Friday night.

Frosted Departure figures to make the front, especially since he must be hustled out of the gate breaking from post 9 under Julien Leparoux. Frosted Departure comes off an easy, front-running victory, his first over 1 1/8 miles, facing lesser foes July 28 in the Deputed Testamony at Laurel.

“Admittedly, he’s not always consistent, but when he runs a big one, he runs huge. He’s going to need that this weekend,” trainer Kenny McPeek said.

Coastal Mission breaks from post 6, immediately inside Skippylongstocking, and both could be going for the same pressing or stalking spot.

“He wants to be forwardly placed, but he wants to take his time getting there,” said Runco, who sees in Coastal Mission’s training a horse suited to 1 1/8 miles, at least with this track configuration. Coastal Mission beat West Virginia-breds in his lone start at the distance.

Bendoog cuts back a furlong, probably a good thing, after finishing second in his last start, the 1 1/4-mile Suburban on June 8 at Saratoga. Bendoog raced about four paths wide on the first turn of the Suburban and gave up more ground around the second bend. Crupi, subsequently second in the Whitney, ran him down with a sustained outside bid. Bill Mott, who won this race in 2021 and 2022 with the late Art Collector, trains Bendoog.

“I was looking maybe to run him [at Saratoga] in something and he got a little sick on me and I lost some days,” Mott said. “I guess just the timing of the race down there seemed to work out. He’s a big horse, but for a big horse he shows a little bit of speed.”

Warrior Johny also exits the Whitney, though he hardly ran a step, beaten more than 26 lengths after a troubled start over a sloppy track he loathed, according to jockey Tyler Gaffalione.

“Tyler said he hated it and he kind of just took care of the horse,” trainer Phil Bauer said. “He’s trained really forwardly since, showed tremendous energy, so I guess you act like it didn’t happen and move on.”

Komorebino Omoide, a Japanese-bred son of California Chrome bred and owned by California Chrome’s part owner Perry Martin, has Beyer Speed Figures to contend and speed to challenge Frosted Departure for the lead.

Velocitor, third in the Cornhusker, looks like he might not quite stay nine furlongs and could be in a notch too tough. Piroli rates behind him, while Joseph’s second entrant, Lord Miles, would be the second-longest price in the race were Irad Ortiz Jr. not riding. Double Crown is the outsider, both in terms of ability and post position.

The weather looks great for Charles Town’s big night, with the Classic, the last of the card’s four major stakes, scheduled for 10:20 p.m. Eastern. That’s a late race. Skippylongstocking was up for it a year ago.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.