Charles Town Classic/Oaks: Horse by horse
The Biz- August 21, 2025
Charles Town’s signature events are upon us. The Grade 2 Charles Town Classic and Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks highlight a 13-race Friday evening program.
Skippylongstocking, two-time defending champ in the Classic, returns to seek an unprecedented third consecutive win in the event and enters with form perhaps a bit darkened by a poor result in an oddly run edition of the Whitney. But he bounced back from a middling Whitney last year to win this contest, so beware.
The question in the Oaks is perhaps clearer. Which of the 10 sophomore fillies is ready to take a step forward and join the likes of recent Oaks winners like Society, Vahva, and Mystic Lake? The most accomplished in a lightly accomplished field is last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up, Vodka With a Twist, who is also the 2-1 morning line favorite. But it’s not hard to make a case for others.
CHARLES TOWN OAKS
- Grade 2, $750,000; 7 furlongs for 3-year-old fillies
| 1. Indy Bay | Connex believe dud in latest due to short time between races; she’s had plenty of time to prep here and posted three works up at the Spa |
| 2. Not Too Late | Longshot won the Maryfield two back before bland turf outing but needs a big step forward to contend here |
| 3. Top | Didn’t run badly in G3 in latest and show horse returned with a stakes win |
| 4. Andrea | Speedy sort won a minor Gulfstream stake in latest and is one of four Saffies here |
| 5. Paradise City | Another of Saffie quartet, she makes her second start after a freshening |
| 6. Luvumorgan | Yup, another Saffie; gets blinkers on after being a well-beaten fourth at 4-5 last out; lightly raced sort has upside |
| 7. Vodka With a Twist | Twice Grade 1-placed, including when second in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, she looks for her first win in eight starts over the last 14 months; flattered by two-back good try when second to next-out G1 Test winner Kilwin |
| 8. Secret Faith | Has mostly destroyed Louisiana-breds and has plenty of bullring experience, but lone recent try versus open company was a mess in the G2 Fair Grounds Oaks; rider comes for the mount |
| 9. Zip Start | Local hopeful thrashed fellow WV sorts last out in the Bishop Memorial; waters deeper here, but trainer Runco’s charges often run big in tough company |
| 10. Volleyballprincess | Parx shipper (and NC-bred!) flashed talent when throttling rivals in the Ruthless at AQU in February but hasn’t really gone on since; needs to show more |
CHARLES TOWN CLASSIC
- Grade 2, $1 million; 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds and up
| 1. Banishing | Grade 3 winner just missed a G1 score when second a neck to Mindframe in the Churchill Downs, a result flattered when three returned to win next out |
| 2. Awesome Aaron | Pimlico Special winner threw in a clunker in the Suburban but was not asked for best in the lane |
| 3. Alexander Helios | Last couple have to give you pause, and presence of others with early zip suggests he won’t get an easy trip; Irad remains aboard, a positive sign |
| 4. Skippylongstocking | Two-time defending champ has a couple of graded wins and $3.6 million in the bank, bids to be first to threepeat in this event; threw down a 22.70 third quarter in the nine-furlong Whitney to seize the lead but tired in the final quarter |
| 5. Komorebino Omoide | Third behind Skippylongstocking here a year ago, he earned his first graded win in the G3 Steve Sexton Mile three back before a couple of turf outings |
| 6. Trademark | Speedy sort earned first win in eight starts two back dating back to his score in the G2 Clark in Nov. ’23; the horse that won the Clark would be a major player here, but he doesn’t appear to be that horse right now |
| 7. Willy D’s | Has tons of early lick and enters in career-best form after a sharp score in the Schaefer Mem’l, which has produced a next out winner; Saez has won on him |
| 8. Gould’s Gold | Bested Willy D’s two back and figures to get an off-the-pace trip |
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