In the hours leading up to seeing Thewitchisgone make his career debut in August 2022 in a maiden $5,000 claiming race at Charles Town, trainer John Carlisle received a request from his mother, Charlotte Van Pelt: claim the horse.

Owner-trainer-breeder James W. Casey had put the son of Windsor Castle, then a colt, in for the rock-bottom price, and Mom wanted to grab him.

Trainers usually want to see horses in the paddock before dropping the claim slip – just in case they see something to scare them off. Not this time, though.

“Before I went to the races that night, my mother called me and told me she wanted to claim that horse,” Carlisle said of Thewitchisgone. “Usually I don’t agree to do it, but this time she insisted that I put in the claim, so I never even went to the paddock to look at the horse. I filled out the claim slip and made the claim and then went back to watch the race.”

After returning to the track, Carlisle watched Thewitchisgone romp to an 8 ¾-length victory while stopping the timer in 53.60 for the 4 1/2 furlongs. Moments later he learned that he had successfully claimed the Windsor Castle gelding.

Turns out Mom was onto something.

Thewitchisgone came right back to win his first start for the new connections the following month, and he has carved out a solid career since then. In both 2023 and 2024, Thewitchisgone recorded a trio of victories, and he made his stakes debut last fall when 10th in the Onion Juice Breeders Classics. This year he sports triumphs on February 28 and again May 22.

Overall, Thewitchisgone has won 10 of 34 starts and compiled a bankroll of $204,691.

“He’s really been a good horse for us,” Carlisle said. “He’s basically run through all of his allowance conditions, so I try to find a good optional claiming race for him. The other night he was in for the tag [$20,000], but I wasn’t worried about him getting claimed. That’s part of the game.”

After winning in his first start off the claim going 6 1/2 furlongs, Thewitchisgone went nearly six months before winning his next race for Carlisle and Van Pelt on March 10, 2023, but came right back to win again next out on April 13. Another modest drought ensued and Thewitchisgone did not find the winners’ circle again until September 1, which was followed by yet another drought well into the 2024 campaign.

Last June 14, Thewitchisgone ended a nine-race skid when he captured a two-turn starter/optional event by a head. Following a second-place effort on July 5 he posted consecutive victories on July 26 and August 10, taking two-turn events on those occasions in nearly identical clockings of 1:19.45 and 1:19.36, respectively. Those two triumphs, however, would account for his final wins of the season.

Thewitchisgone’s success has created something of a good problem for Carlisle. What now?

“I might try him in another stakes later this summer or in the fall, but I don’t really think he’s that kind of horse,” the trainer said. “Early on I thought he would be better going two turns up here, but now I think the one-turn, 4 1/2-furlong races are going to be ideal for him.”

In the May 22 win, Thewitchisgone, with Marshall Mendez in the irons, sped to the front and threw down an opening quarter-mile in 21.90 seconds while under the hot pursuit of Hopping Henry. He was resolute to the wire, holding off that rival by a half-length, with Youthinkthatsfunny another neck back in third.

Running time on a sloppy, sealed surface was 52.05 seconds.

“I think the off track helped him the other night,” Carlisle said. “The track was definitely favoring speed. One year ago, I thought his best races were going two turns. But from what I’ve seen of him lately I think he’s going to be better going one turn. He has plenty of speed, and he’s tough to beat when he makes the lead.”

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