Charles Town picks and horses to watch: January 27, 2023
Frank Vespe- January 27, 2023
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.
Which CT jockeys are hot right now?
Carryovers: Jackpot Pick 6, $28,157
Check out our other handicapping here!
- Despite EHV, Laurel Park expecting stakes to hold togetherA case of equine herpesvirus has a Laurel Park barn under quarantine and led to fears about Saturday’s stakes card – but early returns are promising.
RACE
Race 6
CONTENDERS
11-3-8-6
ANALYSIS
Trainer Tim Grams had two first-timers entered in this maiden event but scratches Lovetheband — a half to millionaire Runnin’toluvya — which allows his other runner, #11 Born to Sin (8-1), to draw in off the AE. This one is a half to $200,000 earner Rock N Gold, attracts the services of Grams’s go-to rider in Hiraldo, and seems to have been outworking his stablemate… #3 Rockin Chair (8-1) has one advantage over several contenders here in that he’s made a couple of starts and took a nice step forward in last when facing state-breds for the first time… #8 Runaldo (3-1) is a half to some useful horses, including 13-time winner Sommelier Smarty, and has been training forwardly for his debut for trainer Jeff Runco, who wins at a 32% clip first time out… Trainer Anthony Farrior is winning at a ridiculously high clip (42% at the meet) and here sends out #6 Broad Imagination (7-2), who’s been training well towards his career bow. But do note that go-to rider Bocachica lands on Runaldo, which may (or may not) mean something about those horses’ relative merits…
Race 8
10-1-3-11
Speaking of Farrior, his #10 With Secret Energy (4-1) thrashed state-breds last out and looks well positioned to make it two straight. Farrior and Bocachica are at 45% for the meet… #1 C R’s Mandate (9-5) ran two consecutive bang-up races in the fall, winning the WVBC Onion Juice and then just missing in the Funkhouser Memorial, both at long odds. He followed that up with a clunker against a rugged group featuring likely state-bred Horse of the Year Muad’dib and likely state-bred 3yo of the year Free Sailin. He’s been away since Dec. 10, but a return to fall form puts him right in the mix… Notably, Denis Araujo, who rode CR three straight leaves to ride #3 Hot Fudge Sonde (9-2), whose best efforts are right there… #11 Monaasib (5-2) figures to get bet pretty well and be a major player if he takes to CT, but he’s got a long ship, first bullring try, and first night race all on tap here, which inclines us towards a wait-and-see approach…
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6th.”Born To Sin”does draw in but may break out
as many young ones do,so Runco’s “Runaldo” is the horse for me.
8th.The ABxAF factor is hard to bet against,so I won’t.
“Born To Sin”broke in
cyt was caught out wide
and would have been much closer,
but ABxAF was too much to overcome.
8th.What a nice price,
like finding money in the street,how sweet.