Skippylongstocking gallops Charles Town Classic rivals into submission
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The trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. came into the Charles Town Classic on Friday night with but one winner from 18 Charles Town starters over the last four years, but Joseph came out of the Grade 2, $1 million fixture with a one-two finish as Skippylongstocking dominated on the front and O’Connor ran late to get second.
In 18 previous starts Skippylongstocking never had led at the first call, but after breaking sharply under Tyler Gaffalione, Skippylongstocking was all by himself into the first turn, expected pacesetter Giant Game nowhere to be found.
“I was surprised to see him on the lead, and then the fractions were reasonable enough,” Joseph said.
They were, indeed. Gaffalione rated Skippylongstocking through a half-mile in 48.88 and six furlongs in 1:14.17. The colt had his ears up, coasting, and when Gaffalione asked for more at the quarter pole, Skippylongstocking opened up and galloped home a five-length winner.
O’Connor came from last to get second by 1 1/4 lengths over Dash Attack. Skippylongstocking was timed in 1:51.37 for 1 1/8 miles on a wet-fast track, the second slowest Charles Town Classic since at least 2009.
Joseph’s first three starters in the Charles Town Classic had finished fourth, fifth, and sixth, but someone was high on Skippylongstocking on Friday night, as the 4-year-old was heavily bet from the start and paid $4.80 as the favorite.
Owned by Daniel Alonso, Skippylongstocking easily is the highest-earning horse sired by Exaggerator, and the $534,000 he earned his connections Friday night ran his bankroll to $1.46 million. Bred in Kentucky by Brushy Hill, Skippylongstocking is out of the War Chant mare, Twinkling.
This was the colt’s second major win in West Virginia following the West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park last summer. Victorious to start his 2023 campaign in the Harlan’s Holiday at Gulfstream Park and a winner of the Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs this past March, Skippylongstocking had been second behind Giant Game last out in the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker but easily turned the tables on that rival Friday night.
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