Society blows 'em away for second straight year at Charles Town
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For the second year in a row at Charles Town, Society displayed distinctly antisocial tendencies, running away from her four rivals in the Pink Ribbon Stakes on the way to a 5 1/2-length victory.
Society aired a year ago in the Charles Town Oaks and was similarly dominant Friday night under Tyler Gafffalione, making an early lead she never came close to relinquishing.
Society set splits of 23.54 and 46.86 in the two-turn, seven-furlong Pink Ribbon, with 2022 Pink Ribbon winner Frank’s Rockette chasing a few lengths behind. Frank’s Rockette is more naturally a one-turn sprinter, and when Society cornered into the short Charles Town homestretch there was no catching her in the $250,000 Pink Ribbon.
Society stopped the timer in a sharp 1:23.11 on a track listed as wet-fast and paid $2.40 as the heavy favorite. Frank’s Rockette was second by more than three lengths over Heartyconstitution in a race cut nearly in half by four scratches.
Society was coming off a powerhouse score June 24 in the Grade 3 Chicago Stakes, a one-turn, seven-furlong contest at Ellis Park that she won by more than 10 lengths. Late last summer, following her Charles Town Oaks romp, Society won the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Society is a Peter Blum Thoroughbreds homebred who now has won seven times from 11 starts. The 4-yeaar-old filly is by Gun Runner out of Etiquette, by Tapit.
Damon’s Mound breaks through in Hilton
Damon’s Mound won his career debut last summer at Churchill Downs and the Saratoga Special in his second start like a standout performer. Caught in a speed duel trying two turns in the Iroquois Stakes, he faded to sixth in his final start at 2, and this year, at age 3, Damon’s Mound lost his first four outings. Damon’s Mound had the look of a purely precocious racehorse whose zenith had come as a juvenile – until he ran a bang-up race to win the $350,000 Robert Hilton Memorial on Friday night at Charles Town.
Swirvin was sent hard to the lead from the rail and went the first quarter of the Hilton Memorial in an intemperate 22.52 seconds. Glued to his flank was Damon’s Mound, and while Swirvin was being ridden hard to hold his position down the backstretch and into the second of two turns in this seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds, Junior Alvarado on Damon’s Mound was sitting chilly. Damon’s Mound easily put away a tiring Swirvin in upper stretch and had plenty left to hold clear the stalkers and closers.
As Swirvin faded to sixth, Damon’s Mound raced to a two-length win over Lord Miles, who capitalized on the hot pace rallying from last to second. Ghost Hero finished third, three-quarters of a length out of second and a neck clear of third-place Prince of Jericho. Ryvit, the 9-5 favorite, was sent hard from post 9 but failed to make the lead and checked in fifth.
Bred by Cliff Love, who co-owns the colt with Michele Love, Damon’s Mound is trained by Michelle Lovell. Damon’s Mound, by Girvin out of San Antonio Stroll, by Stroll, took plenty of betting Friday night and paid $8 as the second choice. The hot early pace led to a slow finish, Damon’s Mound clocking a modest 1:25.88 for the seven furlongs.
* Charles Town-loving Coastal Mission handled the jump into open stakes competition and won the $250,000 Russell Road by 2 3/4 lengths over pacesetting Mish. Trained by Jeff Runco and ridden by Arnaldo Bocachica, Coastal Mission ($10.40) swept to the lead in upper stretch, running his local record to 10-9-1-0.
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