Society cruises to victory in Charles Town Oaks

Tyler Gaffalione rode Society like she was the best filly in the $500,000 Charles Town Oaks – because she was.

Gaffalione hustled the 7-5 favorite to the lead in the seven-furlong, two-turn Charles Town Oaks, and no one ever got close to Society. Dropping from the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, where her performance was compromised by a stumbling start, Society led through an opening half-mile in a quick 46.54 seconds that didn’t come close to stopping her. She passed six furlongs on a clear lead in 1:10.60 and easily surpassed crack 5-year-old mare Frank Rockette’s winning time of 1:23.60 in the Pink Ribbon Stakes, the fastest seven furlongs of the night so far at Charles Town, with a stakes-record 1:23.42.

Free Like a Girl’s racing experience at Delta Downs, which has a six-furlong racing oval, same as Charles Town’s, served her well, as she chased the winner all the way around the track and held of Delaware Oaks winner Midnight Stroll to finish second. Society, who was odds-on for much of the betting, paid $4.80 to win.

Society won the first three starts of her career before finishing fourth, beaten more than 17 lengths by victorious Nest, in the Coaching Club. Maybe that race over 1 1/8 miles was too far for the filly, but after breaking badly and failing to make the front, Society got rank and had no finish. She responded favorably Friday night to Gaffalione’s hustling ride and looked like a filly ready to tackle stiffer competition again in her next start.

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Society is trained by Steve Asmussen, who won the 2021 Charles Town Oaks with Pauline’s Pearl, for her breeder, Peter Blum. The filly is by Gun Runner out of Etiquette, by Tapit, and she is pretty good.

Pink Ribbon

Frank’s Rockette’s two-turn debut Friday night at Charles Town was a smash hit.

The 1-5 favorite whipped past pacesetting Fille d’Esprit midway around the far turn and cruised to a six-length victory in the $250,835 Pink Ribbon Stakes.

Frank’s Rockette had raced as far as one mile before, but all 22 of her starts had come around one turn. The seven-furlong Pink Ribbon proved well within her scope. Put right into the race by jockey Luis Saez, Frank’s Rockette rated off Fille d’Esprit’s even splits of 23.78 and 47.48, and when Saez asked his mount to take the lead, she did so willingly midway around the second bend. Fille d’Esprit tried to counter, but Frank’s Rockette is a fundamentally better racehorse, which she proved in the final quarter-mile, drawing easily away. Fille d’Esprit easily was second-best, finishing four lengths ahead of Allworthy.

Frank’s Rockette clocked a strong 1:23.60 over a fast track and paid a pittance to win, $2.60. Bred and owned by Frank Fletcher and trained by Hall of Fame legend Bill Mott, 5-year-old Frank’s Rockette, by Into Mischief out of Rocket Twentyone, by Indian Charlie, has gone through some ups and downs during her career but has put together an excellent record of 23-9-9-3. She came into this race just shy of $1 million in earnings and crashed through the milestone with the $148,555 winner’s share of the purse. Frank’s Rockette had been a troubled runner-up, earning career-best Beyer Speed Figures of 103 and 102, in her two most recent starts and was second to none Friday.

Robert Wilhite

Trainer Jerry Robb had to settle for second with Fille d’Esprit in the Pink Ribbon, but one race later had his turn to shine when Alottahope scored an easy win in the $250,550 Robert Wilhite Memorial Stakes.

Coming off a 15-length blowout in the restricted Star de Naskra Stakes on July 30 at Laurel Park, Alottahope tried small-oval racing for the first time and handled it with aplomb. Racing seventh down the backstretch of this two-turn, seven-furlong contest, Alottahope got a clever ride from Jevian Toledo, sneaking up the rail, coming two paths wide to go around fading Old Homestead midway around the turn, then popping back outside again to run down pacesetting Al Loves Josie and Of a Revolution, going on to a 2 3/4-lengths score.

Of a Revolution was clearly second-best as 43-1 shot Jungle Beast got up for third. Winning time for the seven furlongs was 1:24.59, and Alottahope, heavily bet in the last minute of wagering, paid $6.60 as the favorite. Alottahope is by the War Front stallion Editorial and out of Alottalute, by Midnight Lute. He’s owned by No Guts No Glory Farm and was bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Dr. Brooke Bowman.

Russell Road

Sir Alfred James, making his 14th start of 2022, stormed to the lead at the three-sixteenths pole and went on to a 1 1/2-length win over his stablemate Eastern Bay in the $250,385 Russell Road Stakes. Owner-trainer Norman “Lynn” Cash, whose nom de course is Built Wright Stables, sent out the top two finishers.

Wondrwherecraigis, the 2-5 favorite, couldn’t get to his preferred position on the lead, instead pressing scorching fractions while racing from third. He had no answer when Sir Alfred James and jockey J.D. Acosta came calling on the far outside and wound up fourth, as Dontmesawitheme nabbed third.

Sir Alfred James paid $10.20 and was timed in 1:23.90 for seven furlongs over a fast track. The 6-year-old gelding, by Munnings out of Super Phoebe, by Malabar Gold, made his 12th start this year on July 2, but Cash gave him a well-deserved breather until Aug. 10, when Sir Alfred James won a Delaware Park allowance race that had him spot on for the Russell Road.