Maggie’s Girl could give Grams Fancy Buckles win
Trainer conditioned stake’s namesake to four stakes wins
The Biz
April 10, 2026
Trainer Tim Grams conditioned Fancy Buckles to a career strong enough that there’s a race named in her honor at Charles Town Races. On Saturday he’ll try to take down the Fancy Buckles with another homebred, the talented six-year-old mare Maggie’s Girl.
“It’s always nice to be able to run in a race that that was named after a filly that you trained, and Fancy Buckles was a nice filly in her time,” Grams said on the Charles Town Races Today podcast.
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The $75,000 Fancy Buckles Stakes, contested at Charles Town’s signature 4 1/2-furlong trip, drew a competitive field of 10 West Virginia-bred fillies and mares, with early speed—always at a premium over the bullring—likely to prove decisive.
Grams’ Maggie’s Girl, a proven stakes performer over the surface, appears well-suited to the conditions despite some questions about distance. Now six, she has done some of her best work in Charles Town dashes and exits a series of solid efforts against similar company. Maggie’s Girl is 7-for-11 at the trip with three runner-up finishes.
“Maggie’s doing great,” Grams said. “You know, I’m not sure that Maggie wants to run long anymore, but she’s training good, and I look forward to have a good performance again on Saturday. It looks like four and a half [furlongs], it’s kind of what she wants to do now.”
If Maggie’s Girl brings her best, she’ll be a major factor—but she won’t have things her own way on the front end.
Among the key rivals is the lightly raced Priority One, a three-year-old filly from the Anthony Farrior barn who has done little wrong in three career starts. Two-for-three in her career, the sophomore has displayed blazing early speed. She steps into stakes company for the first time here, assuming she posts, but arrives off a disappointing second last out when beaten by stablemate Edy’s Flame when off at 1-9.
Edy’s Flame (7-2) easily bested Priority One last out for her second win in three one-turn tries at CT. She also has a stakes win to her credit in last fall’s WVBC Triple Crown Nutrition.
Veteran Stryda (12-1) brings a deep résumé, including 15 career wins, 14 at this distance and at Charles Town. While her recent form has been a bit uneven, her back class is undeniable, and she has hit the board in this race in prior years. If she can recapture her best early zip, she’s dangerous.
Party Time for Me (9-2) arrives off a disappointing outing last out but had been in sharp form prior and owns six wins at the trip. Redhotchiliphilly, likewise, had a middling effort last out but has some strong prior outings.
Golden Circles (15-1) enters in sharp current form, having won three of her last six starts, and has proven competitive at this distance. She lacks the flash of some of the top contenders but is consistent and could capitalize if the pace gets contested.
Further down the line, Thelastsay and That’s Just Peachy appear to need a step forward on figures but could pick up pieces if things fall apart late, while longshot Dixie Yodeler would need a career-best effort to threaten.
Post position could play an important role in such a short race, where the run to the turn comes quickly and trouble can be decisive. For Maggie’s Girl and jockey Larry Reynolds, leaving from the eight-hole in a 10-horse field – if all post – might be an advantage.
“If you’re on the inside and break tardy, you got to put the pedal to the floor right off the bat,” Grams noted. “At least outside, you got a little bit more of a grace period than you do if you’re on the rail.”
That dynamic only adds intrigue to a race that blends proven local form with emerging talent. For Grams, it’s also a chance to add a new chapter to a story that began with the mare whose name is on the race.
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