CHARLES TOWN PICKS AND HORSES TO WATCH: MAR. 19

Sleepy Eyes Todd
Sleepy Eyes Todd won the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic. Photo by Coady Photography.

Charles Town Races has an eight-race card on tap for this evening. Post time for the opener is 7:00 p.m., and we’ve got Charles Town picks.

Check out our other handicapping here!

RACE NUMBERCONTENDERSCOMMENTS
Race 52-5-1-3This allowance contest figures to be a Jeff Runco-Tim Grams showdown; each of the trainers has two of the six entered… The morning line favorite is #5 Stowe Angel (7-5). The Jeff Runco trainee has won five of seven career starts, including last August’s Leavitt Stakes, and she was a stubborn winner in her most recent start, at the end of last October. She’s been training forwardly towards her return, but you have to wonder if the pace may present challenges. Though she’s done her best work on the front end, she’ll have to hustle to get there this evening, particularly given the presence of #1 Our Diamond Girl (9-2), a Grams trainee stretching out from 4 1/2 furlongs for the first time. That all might best suit the other Grams-trained runner, #2 Malibu Splash (3-1) who’s shown the ability to run into the pace and has been in pretty good form of late…
Race 74-3-6-2It’s been three months since morning line favorite #4 See Ya Manana (7-5) faced the starter, and while that last start doesn’t look great, let’s not judge it too harshly: the top pair, Star of Night and Bridging the Gap, were settling top-distaffer-on-the-grounds honors that night. This one’s plenty capable here… It feels like a long time since #3 She Figures (6-1) ran away from the field in the WVBC Distaff last October, and her two starts since don’t offer much. But if she can recapture her better form, she can have an impact here… Trainer Mike Jones wheels the consistent #6 Sherwood Lady (5-2) back on short rest, presumably attracted by the short field an good purse. She’s been first or second three straight against starter allowance rivals… #2 Grace Elizabeth (3-1) makes her second start of the year for trainer Runco and has past efforts that would put her right there…

LATEST HANDICAPPING