Down Town Allen pointing to Charles Town Oaks

Owner-trainer John Casey plans to point his star 3-year-old filly Down Town Allen to the $400,000 Charles Town Oaks on Sept. 18.

The seven-furlong Oaks, the richest sprint in the country for 3-year-old fillies, will be Down Town Allen’s third stakes venture against open company this season. Previously, she won the $100,000 Lady Charles Town and the $85,000 West Virginia Secretary State at Mountaineer.

Last Saturday, Down Town Allen improved her 2010 record to 5 for 5 by cruising to a 13 1/4-length score in the $50,000 Sylvia Bishop Memorial Stakes for West Virginia-bred 3-year-old fillies. She earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure, a point higher than her previous career best in her race at Mountaineer.

“We’re going to run in the Oaks and find out how she stacks up,” Casey said. “You never know how good they are until you try, but if she runs her race, the rest will have to run big to beat her.”

According to Casey, Down Town Allen just keeps getting better.

“To be honest, I didn’t think much of her as a 2-year-old,” Casey said. “But every time we’ve sent her out there this year, she seems to take it up a level.”

On the Oaks undercard, Casey plans to run Mr. Proud Allen in the $100,000 Charles Town Juvenile. Mr. Proud Allen defeated the Todd Pletcher-trained Congo by a head in the Mountaineer Juvenile on the West Virginia Derby undercard.

“Mr. Proud Allen, he’s been good from the get-go,” Casey said. “Unlike Down Town Allen, we could tell he was a fast horse right away.”

Assuming all goes well, both of Casey’s horses will be pointed to races on the West Virginia Breeders Classic program on Oct. 16.

“These horses can only run so many of these big ones,” Casey said. “And there’s a lot of money to be won locally around here the rest of the year.”