Starship Reina pursues first stakes victory

Starship Reina has done little wrong in the nine starts she’s made for her new connections, and on Saturday night she could go favored when she seeks her first stakes win in the $50,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon at Charles Town.

The Bennett is one of five stakes supporting the Grade 3, $300,000 Charles Town Oaks. It goes right before the main event, as the 10th on a 12-race program. There is a special first post of 5 p.m. Eastern.

Starship Reina has run first or second in eight of the nine starts she has made for Chris Oakes and trainer Jorge Navarro, earning $117,740.

“She was claimed for $12,500,” Navarro said. “We’re having a good time.”

The Misty Bennett is for fillies and mares and at seven furlongs, which is a two-turn configuration at Charles Town. Starship Reina comes into the race off an 8 1/2-length win in an optional $25,000 claimer Aug. 25 at Parx Racing. She earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 89 after covering six furlongs in 1:10.80. The number is the best last-race Beyer in Saturday’s field of 10.

“She’s going into the race doing everything right, and I think she’s getting better,” Navarro said.

Navarro said Starship Reina, who was originally based in South Florida, has responded to the cooler temperatures at tracks such as Parx.

“Coming from South Florida, and how hot it gets there, the heat was getting the best of her,” Navarro said. “She was getting to be a non-sweater. She got up here, her coat came back; sweating-wise, that came back. That helped her. She’s happier up north and now, going to the mountain, that will be perfect, nice and cool, and that’s going to help.”

Starship Reina worked five-eighths in 59 seconds Sept. 15 at Monmouth in her final prep for the Bennett.

“She was under wraps,” Navarro said. “She’s ready to go for that race.”

One new variable will be the configuration, Navarro said.

“Hopefully, she takes to the two turns,” he said. “We’re taking a chance.”

Navarro said jockey Emisael Jaramillo, who twice has ridden Starship Reina, told him he believes she will be better going longer distances. Jose Ferrer has the mount Saturday, from post 6.

The chief threat appears to be Lake Ponchatrain, who won an allowance prep by 4 1/2 lengths Aug. 25 to improve her Charles Town record to 10 for 21.

The other supporting stakes on the card are all restricted to horses bred in West Virginia.

The action starts in the fifth race with the running of the $50,000 Henry Mercer Memorial for 2-year-olds at 4 1/2 furlongs. Blushing Owen, a son of Limehouse, enters off a debut win against maiden special weight rivals at Timonium. He could go favored over a field that includes Windsors for It, who is back with statebreds after running third in a Laurel allowance in his most recent start Aug. 3.

Runnin’toluvya will be seeking to win his fifth straight race when he starts in the $50,000 Frank Gall Memorial, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up. He began his streak June 15. Runnin’toluvya has registered his last four wins at Charles Town, at distances of 6 1/2 furlongs or seven-eighths. He exits an allowance prep for the Gall Memorial, winning over statebreds on Aug. 17.

Parisian Diva and Battleground Star will get good support in the $50,000 Rachel’s Turn off smart debut wins. The 4 1/2-furlong stakes is for 2-year-old fillies. Parisian Diva romped by 7 1/4 lengths Sept. 8 at Charles Town. She earned a Beyer Figure of 58, which is the best number in the field Saturday. Battleground Star won her debut Aug. 4 at Charles Town with a Beyer of 54.

The card closes with the $50,000 Sadie Hawkins for fillies and mares at seven furlongs. Moonlit Song will be seeking the 14th victory of her career and her third straight win. She enters off an allowance score over open company Aug. 30 at Charles Town. Overall, she is 13 for 19 over the local strip, among her wins is the 2017 edition of the Sadie Hawkins.