CHARLES TOWN PICKS AND HORSES TO WATCH: September 10

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.

Carryovers: Jackpot Pick 6, $13,991

Check out our other handicapping here!

RACE NUMBERCONTENDERSCOMMENTS
Race 1Just gonna watch the lid-lifter to see the return of #4 Fiona Bella (3-5). The daughter of Fiber Sonde is a full sister to multiple graded winner Late Night Pow Wow and had a useful debut when rallying from last to be second, beaten a length by Mackenzie’s Music, who returned to win next out. She hasn’t raced since that May 6 bow, and she’s a big filly who looks like she may want more ground than this evening’s 4 1/2 furlongs…
Race 21-5-3-4It’s not every day you see a $210,000 weanling debut at Charles Town, but that’s the case here with top pick #1 Happy Charlie (5-1). The sophomore Runhappy gelding subsequently was an RNA for $340,000. We don’t know what happened in the meantime, but he arrives here with an OK work tab, including a solid gate move August 21, and attracts the services of leading rider Bocachica… Good debut for #5 Running Roy (5-2), who finished second first time out while defeating another main rival here in Hello Carlo… Trainer Stacey Viands might be looking at sweeping the exacta here with #3 Hello Carlo (3-1), who was up close before fading late and finishing third on debut. He owns the right to improve here… #4 Chasing Anna (8-5) certainly has an effort or two on the page that would win this race, but they’re a while back, and he’ll need to recapture that form. He’ll make his first start since January here and shows a couple of solid works…
Race 47-2-5-4Juvenile maidens square off in the fourth, and #7 Casa Grande (5-1) caught a tough group at Pimlico when making his debut for trainer Crystal Pickett; place horse Buff Hello graduated next out and show horse Slaats most recently was second in the Timonium Juvenile Stakes. Last out he ran pretty evenly around the track, but he owns the right to improve, will race on Lasix for the second time, and entices jockey Araujo to remain aboard (he also rode another in this race last out)… Trainer Anthony Farrior has a remarkable 9-for-20 record when moving horses from maiden claiming to maiden special company, as he’s doing with #2 Cash Flowing (2-1), most recently second in a maiden $16,000 at Timonium… Sire Great Notion has an impressive 17% strike rate with first-time starters like #5 Great Big Notion (12-1), who had a solid gate work August 20… #4 Agent Stone (5-2) has been second two straight, including last time against similar here…

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