Two-year-old stakes action launches at Charles Town Races Sept. 19 and Sept. 20 with a pair of 4 ½-furlong contests, the John McKee Memorial for fillies and the Henry Mercer Memorial for boys.

The picture for those races has gradually begun to come into focus.

One night after Charles Town hosted both the Grade 2, $1 million Charles Town Classic for older males and the Grade 2, $750,000 Charles Town Oaks for three-year-old fillies, Noble Ruling captured a two-turn maiden special weight event for state-bred juveniles. The Code of Honor colt was a distant fourth in his career bow going 4 ½ furlongs but appreciated the stretch out in distance.

His win spoiled the career debut of Unified Command, the half-brother to state-bred star Coastal Mission, who settled for third as the odds-on choice.

“I really don’t know how good that colt is going to be,” trainer Tim Grams said of Noble Ruling, who graduated at second asking by six lengths as the 2-1 second choice by getting the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:23.28 with Larry Reynolds aboard. “I think he’s going to be okay. I really didn’t think he beat much in there. I’m not sure if I will turn him back [in distance] for the [$75,000 Henry Mercer] stakes [on Sep. 20]. I don’t like to cut them back to 4 1/2 furlongs after they’ve been two turns.”

One week later in the finale on the closing day card at Timonium, The Big Lep easily lived up to his billing as the even-money favorite in a four-furlong maiden special weight dash for juveniles when he gained command easily leaving the chute and cruised home three  lengths clear while stopping the timer in 47.09 in a promising career debut.

A West Virginia-bred freshman son of Great Notion trained by Anthony Farrior for owner Richard Burnsworth, The Big Lep prevailed smartly at first asking and could have a busy slate of stakes this summer and fall. Farrior noted that The Big Lep could appear next in the Mercer or possibly either the Vincent Moscarelli Memorial Breeders’ Classic at Charles Town or the Maryland Million Nursery at Laurel Park, both scheduled for October 11.

Another Farrior trainee likely to make her presence known this summer and fall is Blames Honey, a juvenile daughter of Blame who graduated at first asking on July 17 by two lengths at Charles Town. She then finished a nondescript sixth, beaten more than 20 lengths, in the $75,000 Blue Hen Stakes on the main track at Delaware Park on August 14.

Another juvenile filly that could be on hand for the stakes this summer and fall is Karina Anna, who finished third behind Blames Honey in her career bow. A Virginia-bred freshman daughter of Golden Years owned and bred by O’Sullivan Farms. Karina Anna is named for breeder John Funkhouser’s mother-in-law. She forged a 22-1 shocker in a maiden special weight on the turf at Colonial Downs in her second start before finishing a respectable third in the $125,000 Dolley Madison on the lawn there on August 23.

Two other horses worth throwing in the mix competed against each other in a $47,000 allowance at Timonium August 30 when they met for the second time. Farrior trainee Irish Jubalee and the Ron Sigler-trained Tricks R for Juba met for the first time July 18 at Charles Town, with Tricks R for Juba prevailing by a neck.

Irish Jubalee graduated next out by a pole at Charles Town, and when they met in Timonium, they hooked up early and dueled most of the way, setting up the race for the late-running Our Day Will Come to win. Irish Jubalee finished three parts of a length ahead of Tricks R for Juba to take second.