Math Wizard favored in Charles Town Classic
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There’s a bunch of rich boys in Friday night’s Grade 2, $600,000 Charles Town Classic.
The meet’s premier race has drawn six millionaires, with Math Wizard expected to go favored over fellow seven-figure earners Tenfold, Mr. Money, Plus Que Parfait, Mo Dont No, and War Story.
The Charles Town Classic was moved from April to August due to the pandemic. It anchors a card of seven stakes, with total purses for the program of $1.25 million. The race is part of a pick six that has a mandatory payout. The sequence runs on races 6-12. The reduced takeout rate is 12 percent.
Math Wizard’s other rivals in Friday’s field of 10 include Runnin’toluvya, winner of last year’s Charles Town Classic. He is nearing $1 million in earnings with a current bankroll of $973,403. Runnin’toluvya is 14 for 20 at Charles Town.
Math Wizard is making his first start at the track. He’s the lone Grade 1 winner in the field for his victory in last year’s Pennsylvania Derby, and he owns the best last-race Beyer Speed Figure in the Charles Town Classic, a 100. It’s the first time Math Wizard hit triple digits, and it was achieved for his fast-closing runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup on July 18.
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“On paper, that was his best race,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “And he seems like he’s improved from that race, which is a good thing. It’s hard to think you could improve off your best, but it looks like he has, so hopefully he carries it forward.”
The Charles Town Classic is at 1 1/8 miles, which is one of the reasons it was a target for Math Wizard. The race will be run around three turns.
“Nine furlongs is his best distance,” Joseph said. “My only concern is the track with the turns, as far as with how far back he’ll be. But, he’s not a big horse, so he’ll handle the turns, I’m sure.”
Christian Hiraldo has the mount on Math Wizard, who will break from post 4.
Runnin’toluvya brings speed to the table, an asset that has served him well at Charles Town. He is making his first start since May.
“He’s doing really good,” trainer Tim Grams told publicity at Charles Town. “I breezed him last week, and he did it handily. It’s going to be a tough race, but we’re going in without hesitation because of how well he’s doing.”
Antonio Lopez has the mount from post 5.
Mr. Money, a four-time Grade 3 winner who was second by a neck in last year’s Pennsylvania Derby, is stretching back out to that race’s 1 1/8-mile distance following a sixth-place finish in an allowance sprint July 12 at Keeneland. The race he exits has produced two next-out allowance winners, one at Arlington and the other at Delaware Park.
Sleepy Eyes Todd could be the pace of the race. He comes off a runner-up finish in the $75,000 Lone Star Park Mile on June 28. He set the fractions and was just edged by Hunka Burning Love. Hunka Burning Love has since won the Governor’s Cup at Remington Park. Sleepy Eyes Todd earned a Beyer Figure of 99 for his effort in the Lone Star Mile.