CT: Duncan Idaho seeks to repeat in It’s Only Money
Saturday night’s $75,000 It’s Only Money Stakes at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races brings together a fast field of West Virginia-breds sprinting 4 ½ furlongs, headlined by defending champion Duncan Idaho, who looks to retain his crown after a strong start to 2025.
Trained by Jeff Runco and ridden by Arnaldo Bocachica, Duncan Idaho has won 13 of 20 career starts and banked over $300,000. The 5-year-old son of Fiber Sonde hasn’t raced since a sharp allowance win in March but has proven himself off the bench before. Installed as the 6-5 morning line favorite, he’ll break from post five in search of his third career stakes victory.
Among his key rivals is Honeyquist (9-5), a versatile gelding who has run well on turf and dirt. Trained by Anthony Farrior, he returns to West Virginia after a fifth-place finish in the $125,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico. Honeyquist finished a close third in this race last year and owns seven wins from 18 starts. Marshall Mendez has the mount.
Another from the Farrior barn, Youthinkthatsfunny (6-1), boasts 27 in-the-money finishes from 40 starts. He was a troubled third in an allowance three weeks ago and has already delivered for his connections since being claimed earlier this year. Angel Cruz will ride.
Thewitchisgone (12-1) enters off a narrow victory in allowance/optional claiming company, beating, among others, Youthinkthatsfunny. While he’s been consistent at Charles Town with 10 wins in 34 starts, this marks a step up as he chases his first stakes triumph.
Time to Rock (10-1), a lightly raced 4-year-old, will take his second crack at stakes company. Though still seeking a breakout at this level, his game allowance efforts suggest he’s moving in the right direction. Juan Nunez will ride for Stacey Viands.
Veteran Hopping Henry (15-1) finished second last out just behind Thewitchisgone and holding strong form at age seven, though he hasn’t visited the stakes winner’s circle since 2020.
The field also includes Little Roo Roo (20-1), the 2023 winner of this race who has not returned to stakes-winning form since winning the Leavitt later that season, and Jefferson Native (20-1), another past stakes winner trying to recapture old spark.
Post time for the card is 7:00 p.m. EDT, and the It’s Only Money Stakes is scheduled as the seventh on an eight-race program.
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