Longshot O’Conner Sunset surged late to stun in Saturday night’s featured seventh race at Charles Town Races, rallying past heavy favorite Hammer in the final strides to win by a half-length at odds of 36-1.

Ridden by jockey J.D. Acosta and trained by Michael Jones, Jr., O’Conner Sunset earned $19,572 from the $32,900 allowance purse, snapping a nine-race losing streak dating back nearly a year. The 5-year-old son of Curlin had most recently finished second in an allowance at Mountaineer Park following a fifth-place showing in the Grade 2 Nerud at Aqueduct.

Breaking from post 3 in the field of eight, O’Conner Sunset tracked a hot early pace duel between Hammer and Judgement Day, then made a bold five-wide move in the stretch and outdueled his more accomplished rivals with an all-out drive to the wire. He stopped the clock in 1:17.32 for 6 ½ furlongs over a fast track.

Hammer, the 3-5 favorite trained by Kristy Gazzier, gained a narrow lead in upper stretch but drifted out under pressure and could not hold off the winner late, settling for second. Multiple stakes winner Social Chic, the victor of the Confucius Say Stakes, ran on gamely to finish third, while local millionaire Muad’dib, fourth in that same stakes last month, flattened out late and checked in fourth again.

Owned by Arkofa Farm and bred in Kentucky by Breeze Easy, LLC, O’Conner Sunset now owns a record of 7 wins from 32 career starts and has earned $235,371. He was claimed by Jones, Jr. in early 2023 and broke his maiden in just his second start for the barn, later stringing together three straight wins last spring.

Saturday’s result produced hefty payouts: O’Conner Sunset returned $74.20 to win, with the $1 exacta (3-5) paying $87.00 and the $1 trifecta (3-5-2) returning $304.00. The $1 superfecta with Muad’dib in fourth paid $1,235.00.