Quartet of stakes rewards regulars

Horses who have been regularly running at Charles Town get a chance to compete for bigger purses than usual during Sunday's Horseman's Benevolent and Protective Association Owners' Day program.

Four stakes worth $40,000 apiece, ranging in distance from 4 1/4 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, all attracted full fields of 10. Preference was given to horses who have raced at Charles Town in their last five starts.

The best betting race among the four stakes, which will be run as races 6 through 9 on the 10-race card, appears to be the seven-furlong West Virginia Oaks for fillies and mares.

Shesanothergrump has been off for a month after running second in three consecutive starts against allowance company. She matched her career high by pairing up 84 Beyers in her last two races.

Free Juice maintained a three-length lead for six furlongs of a seven-furlong race against high-proced optional claimers on July 10, only to be overtaken in deep stretch. She still earned a career-best 81 Beyer for her second-place finish.

Sweet Annuity, coupled with stablemate Shesanothergrump, comes into the Oaks off a win against allowance runners. A two-time stakes winner at seven furlongs in 2001, Sweet Annuity was ninth in last year's Oaks and fourth in the 2001 running.

Nasty Sabrina was a five-time winner in 2002, including a win at 24-1 in the Oaks over a muddy track. She hasn't been better than third in two starts this season.

The other race restricted to fillies and mares is the Almost Heaven at 4 1/2 furlongs. Double Talkin, a 7-year-old mare with 13 lifetime wins at the distance, looks like the horse to beat. She has won 2 of 4 starts this year and makes her second start off a layoff.

The other intriguing mare is 6-year-old Power Phan. She began last season running for a $3,500 tag and improved so much she won the Cacapon Handicap in May. That was her last start until she ran in this year's Cacapon on June 21, when she was a non-threatening fourth after getting bumped at the start.

Turbotaxman, who has been first or second in 20 of 28 lifetime starts at Charles Town, appears formidable as he tries to stretch out from seven furlongs to 1 1/8 miles for the Jefferson County.

Amy Albright's entry of Rocaco and Wise Sweep looks tough in the 4 1/2-furlong Opequon. Rocaco returned from a five-month layoff to win his only start this year in May. Wise Sweep has won four in a row dating back to last November.