Indy Bay’s first foray into graded stakes company didn’t go so well, but trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. chalked that up to trainer error.

Her second try? That went just fine.

Under a heady ride from jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., Indy Bay saved ground virtually the entire trip, tipped out wide in the lane, and surged past favored Vodka With a Twist to win Friday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Charles Town Oaks.

“This is big,” Joseph said. “This is big to make her a graded stakes winner.”

Owned by C2 Racing Stable LLC and Paul Braverman, Indy Bay, by Take Charge Indy, cost just $19,000 as a yearling. The winner’s share today improves her record to four wins from seven starts and boosts her bankroll to $675,000.

The win also continues a remarkable run of Charles Town dominance for Joseph’s barn. They swept the Charles Town Oaks and Classic last year with Mystic Lake and Skippylongstocking, and the former returned earlier in the evening to win the $250,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon. Charles Town runs just four open stakes a year; Joseph has won two of them in each of the last two years.

“You don’t know. Some horses don’t handle the course,” Joseph said. “But once you find the horse to handle it, and there’s the right race for them, you want to go.”

Indeed.

After being transferred into Joseph’s barn earlier this year, Indy Bay logged three consecutive victories, including a narrow score in Saratoga’s Jersey Girl June 8. But in the Grade 3 Victory Ride at the same track July 3, she was a well-beaten third at 9-5 odds.

“Last time we ran her back to quick,” Joseph explained. “It was our fault; we got her beat. This time we freshened her up, and she showed today how good she is.”

Indy Bay was away alertly under Ortiz, but she soon ceded the lead to stablemate Andrea, a last-out stakes winner herself ridden by Jose Ortiz. Andrea led through an opener in 23.57 seconds, with Indy Bay tucked in just behind and on the rail. Vodka With a Twist, meanwhile, had moved up to press Andrea just to her outside.

“She broke really good, but I just let her settle behind the top on the first two,” Irad Ortiz said. “I let the other two speed horses do most of the work and I just sat a trip behind them.”

The half went in 47.72 seconds, and Vodka With a Twist went to the attack entering the far turn. That teed up Indy Bay’s move, and Ortiz moved her three-wide spinning off the turn. Her margin of victory was two lengths, and running time for seven furlongs on a fast main track was 1:25.82.

“I knew I had plenty of horse going into the far turn,” Ortiz said. “When I angled her off the rail she felt really good. I hit her one time right-handed at the top of the lane and she went by them pretty easily. But turning for home I felt pretty confident.”

Indy Bay paid $7.00 to win. The exacta, with favored Vodka With a Twist underneath, returned $15.00 for a one-dollar wager. Andrea held third.