The sentiments Velazquez expressed were common to the out-of-town riders who flocked to West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle for a card in which the five open stakes were worth a combined total of $2.6 million, with the Oaks now the richest sprint in the nation for sophomore fillies. Racing at night, the tight turns, two-turn sprints – these are all different from what the big-name riders typically experience. And that’s to say nothing of the sizable crowd, which enjoyed the festivities – and is right on top of the track.

“This is kind of a little out of my comfort zone,” fellow rider Junior Alvarado agreed. “But I always say, you have to have probably the right horse to help you.”

Alvarado had the right kind of horse himself, the speedy Damon’s Mound, who pressed a wicked early pace and then held off the closers comfortably to win the $250,000 Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes.

“I knew I was rolling [early],” Alvarado said of the sub-46 second opening half-mile Damon’s Mound turned in. “When we turned for home,I couldn’t believe he was still digging there for me. He fought very hard that race.”

The win checked a box few, perhaps, other than Alvarado would have known about.

“My first win at Charles Town – it does feel good,” Alvarado added. “You know, I win many races everywhere around, but it was on the bucket list to win a race here.”

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If Damon’s Mound impressed with the grit he showed in pressing the pace and digging in, Grade 1 winner Society simply dazzled. Under Tyler Gaffalione, Society, winner of last year’s Charles Town Oaks, returned to the Mountain State to register a sharp score in 1:23.11 for seven furlongs in the $250,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes. After breaking alertly, she controlled the pace easily and drew away to win by five over defending Pink Ribbon champ Frank’s Rockette, who, parenthetically, had Alvarado in the irons.

“She’s a true professional,” Gaffalione said. “She stands and she’s ready to go. She was on her toes today. The main key was getting her out of the gate, and from there I felt like we were very comfortable.”

The Pink Ribbon field scratched from nine to five, but left intact was the matchup everyone wanted, that of Society and Frank’s Rockette. Which, in the event,was a mismatch, leaving Gaffalione all smiles.

“Honestly, I love coming here. It’s a really fun course to ride. The turns are tight,” Gaffalione said, adding with a big smile, “When you’ve got speed, it’s a lot of fun.”

It’s a lesson Gaffalione learned well. So well, in fact, that he repeated later on the card when he piloted Skippylongstocking to a front-running triumph in the Grade 2, $1 million Charles Town Classic.

Yet if speed was often decisive on the evening, Vahva and Velazquez fashioned a stalk-and-pounce trip to win the Oaks. The early running went to 96-1 bomber Late Frost with pressure from Undervalued Asset, while Vahva bided her time in third, a couple of lengths farther back.

Undervalued Asset moved to even terms entering the lane, but that’s when Velazquez took his mount outside, and she surged to the win in 1:25.01 for seven furlongs on a wet fast main track.

“We got good position on the first turn, and she stayed close in there the whole time,” Velazquez said. “She was in good position when I called on her turning for home.”

Undervalued Asset held second, while Late Frost far outran her odds to hold third. Vahva went off the 7-5 favorite and returned $4.80 to win. While the exacta paid just $8.80, the trifecta, spiced up by the longshot, paid $326.10 on a one-dollar wager. Morning line favorite Hoosier Philly went off the 2.30-1 second choice and never factored en route to an eighth-place finish.

The win was Vahva’s third from nine career outings and pushed her bankroll to $662,235. A $280,000 yearling, the sophomore Gun Runner filly is trained by Cherie DeVaux for a partnership spearheaded by Belladonna Racing LLC.