CT: Rugged group to contest Coin Collector Stakes
The seven horses entered in Saturday’s $75,000 Coin Collector Stakes at Charles Town Races have made a combined total of 22 starts at the race’s 4 ½-furlong distance. Remarkably, they have finished in the money 21 times, including 14 wins.
How good is the race for West Virginia-bred sophomores? This good: Every runner in the field was odds-on in his most recent start.
The morning line favorite in the hotly-contested affair is Pork Chop Pete (5-2). The Javier Contreras trainee dazzled in his debut, winning a 4 ½-furlong sprint by almost three lengths over next-out winner Indicator, one of two of his beaten rivals to follow that up with a win.
Pork Chop Pete found the going a bit tougher in his next start. Facing older horses and going the two-turn distance of 6 ½ furlongs, he was one-two until the final furlong, when he faded to fifth.
Dialed back to the one-turn distance here and back facing sophomores, Pork Chop Pete may be able to recapture his winning ways. Juan Nunez will be in the irons.
As might be expected, a number of these runners have plentiful front end speed and have done their best work on the engine. Two that have shown the ability to stalk and pounce are Marshall Peanut and Jubawithatwist. Both are 3-1.
Last year’s champion state-bred two-year-old after winning three stakes, Jubawithatwist has been second in both of his 2024 outings, both in allowance company. The Kristy Petty trainee has never been worse than second in eight career outings and has earned over $160,000. Gustavo Larrosa will ride.
Trained by Michael Atkins, Marshall Peanut won the first four starts of his career by open lengths. Last time out, though, he finished third, albeit by less than a length, behind Teachintherelease and Jubawithatwist. Christian Hiraldo will ride.
Another interesting runner here is Indicator. The improving Vernon Greaves trainee graduated last out, in his third career outing, by nearly 10 lengths, a stunningly easy win in a 4 1/2-furlong sprint. In his prior start, he had finished second behind Pork Chop Pete.
Greaves’s wife, Megan Reap, will ride. She recently earned the second win of her riding career.
The field is rounded out by Two Bronze Stars (12-1), making his season bow for trainer Ronney Brown; Time to Rock (6-1), a winner three times in five starts for trainer Stacey Viands; and You Bet a Fortune (8-1), who is two-for-two going 4 ½ furlongs at Mountaineer.
The Coin Collector is the seventh on an eight-race program. Post time for the card is 7:00 p.m.
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