Charles Town Races hosted its first stake of the year this past Saturday, and the stakes action continues April 20 with the Confucius Say.

As the new racing week kicks off, here’s a quick look at who’s hot among trainers and jockeys. We looked at the last three weeks of racing at Charles Town and compared how often jockeys and trainers won to what their takeout-adjusted odds would have predicted. Jockeys must have made at least 10 starts to appear on the list, and trainers, more than five. Here’s what we found:

In last weekend’s stake, the Original Gold, Lightnin Runner scored a mild upset at 7-2, winning by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:26.34 for seven furlongs on a fast main track. Moonlit Shadow (9-1) was second, and 3-5 favorite Maggie’s Girl was a disappointing third. Carlos Lopez was up for Ronney Brown…

Apprentice rider Megan Reap got her first career victory when she piloted Indicator to a maiden-breaking score April 11. Off at 3-5, Indicator led throughout en route to a 9 3/4-length triumph in 51.80 seconds for 4 1/2 furlongs. Indicator is trained by Vernon Greaves. Reap is now 1-for-31 in her career…

Speaking of Carlos Lopez, he’s on quite a run. The veteran has won with six of 13 Charles Town mounts over the last three racing weekends, nearly a 50% strike rate and a rate that translates to 12.39 wins above expectations per 50 starts, by far the best in the colony…

Larry Reynolds is Lopez’ nearest pursuer in wins above expectations, having gone 5-for-13 the last three weeks, which equiates to 5.49 wins above expectations per 50 starts…

Others exceeding expectations by more than two wins include Antonio Lopez (3-for-16, 4.67 wins above expectations per 50 starts), Javier Rivera (2-for-15, 2.66), and Wesley Ho (4-for-22, 2.50)…

Lopez has taken in 28.9% of available money to lead the colony in the last three weeks, while Reynolds has 26.0%. Arnaldo Bocachica, with 22.5%, is the only other rider above 20% in recent weeks…

Arnaldo Bocachica and the comebacking J. D. Acosta are one-two in wins the last three weeks. Boca has won with nine of 37 local mounts, while Acosta is 7-for-41. Acosta’s efforts have him winning 1.34 wins above expectations per 50 starts, while Bocachica is at -0.58, meaning that even with nine wins he won slightly fewer races than his odds would have predicted…

Some of the riders scuffling in recent weeks include Gustavo Larrosa (-6.82 wins above expectations per 50 starts), Reshawn Latchman (-4.92), Andres Chavez (-3.55), Denis Araujo (-2.62), and Abnel Bocachica (-2.51)…

Of the 22 riders to make at least 10 starts in the last three weeks, 20 won at least one race…

CHARLES TOWN JOCKEYS: WHO’S HOT NOW?

Jockey	Wins above expected/50 starts	Starts	Wins
Lopez Carlos Eduardo	12.39	13	6
Reynolds L C	5.49	13	5
Lopez Antonio	4.67	16	3
Rivera Javier	2.66	15	2
Ho Wesley	2.50	22	4
Chilo Maximo	1.88	30	3
Acosta J D	1.34	41	7
Rodriguez V	1.33	24	2
Bocachica O	1.24	27	3

For the full list of trainers and jockeys and their wins above expectations for 2024 to date, check out our Handicapping page.

His win in the Original Gold helped trainer Ronney Brown to lead all trainers with seven wins during the last three weeks. Brown went 7-for-27 and had one more win than did Tim Grams (6-for-22)…

Anthony Lucas was 0-for-1 at Charles Town last weekend but still is 2-for-6 over the last three weeks, and his mark of 5.45 wins above expectations per 25 starts during that period is the highest of any trainer with at least five starts…

Others doing well in the wins above expectations category include Kristy Petty (3.36), whose barn star Hessica made her first start of the season a winning one April 11 as she hopes to threepeat in the WVBC Cavada; Ronney Brown (2.44); Kevin Joy (2.11), whose five wins were third in the colony; and Stacey Viands (1.94)…

Anthony Lucas pulled in 25.1% of the purse money available in his races, tops among trainers, with Grams, Petty, Joy, and Ronney Brown rounding out the top five, all above 20%…

Trainers winning less frequently than their odds predict include Anthony Farrior (-4.04 wins per 50 starts), Ronald Sigler (-3.64), Michael Atkins (-3.43), Bruce Kravets (-3.31), and Cynthia McKee (-3.13)…

Sixteen of 21 trainers with more than five starts won at least one race…

CHARLES TOWN TRAINERS: WHO’S HOT NOW?

Trainer	Wins above expected/25 starts	Starts	Wins
Lucas Anthony	5.45	6	2
Petty Kristy	3.36	7	2
Brown Ronney W	2.44	27	7
Joy Kevin J	2.11	15	5
Viands Stacey R	1.94	14	3
Pickett Crystal G	1.79	15	2
Grams Timothy C	1.10	22	6
Shanley Timothy	1.01	17	2
Stites Flint W	0.99	9	1
Boggs Joanna	0.56	7	1

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