Last year it was Kneesnhips, this year Girl Named Charlie won the $75,000 Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe Memorial Stakes, making it back-to-back years that Tom Amoss has trained the top 3-year-old turf filly at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Ridden by Edgar Morales, whose fiancé Keely gave birth to a girl named Raelynn earlier this week, Jerry Caroom and Jeffrey Lambert's Girl Named Charlie was the first to menace the leaders at the top of the stretch. With seven other sophomore fillies behind her, Girl Named Charlie grinded out the final furlong of the about one-mile LaCombe distance, holding off game late-efforts from Beautifulnavigator and the odds-on favorite Chop Chop.
Prevailing be a head, Girl Named Charlie stopped the clock in 1:42.87 over the Stall Wilson turf course rated firm with the rail out at 34 feet.
“(Girl Named Charlie) broke well and traveled perfectly.” Morales said. “They were going slower than I thought they would, and she was a little keen in the first turn, but then she settled to me and finished up really well. She sat behind the leaders and when I took her to the side at the top of the stretch, she went on and did her job.”
Amoss' other entry Camp Akeela got the jump on the field and clicked through the opening fraction in :24.97. Receiving pressure from Blame Day and Hayunevano, it was the latter who took the lead to make the second call in :51.15. After breaking from the outside post, Girl Named Charlie stalked the leaders 3-wide. The odds-on favorite, Chop Chop saved ground on the rail, and Beautifulnavigator settled in the back of the pack. Making the first move on the leaders, Girl Named Charlie shot out to the front and then was guided out to meet the challenge of Chop Chop, while Beautifulnavigator snuck through to surge to the leader's inside. Finding more closing kick, Girl Named Charlie prevailed by a head over Beautifulnavigator who finished a half-length in front of Chop Chop. Hang the Moon rounded out the superfecta.
“Girl Named Charlie is a horse who likes to lay back and make one late run,” Amoss said. “This race seemed to have quite a bit of speed in it including my other horse Camp Akeela, who ran well but was up against it based on how fast they went. It set up for closers. Jerry Caroom and Jeffrey Lambert have been very patient with me, this is the only second start of the winter with (Girl Named Charlie), and she has paid dividends to them for their patience. She has got a great closing kick and she showed it today.”
The third-choice in the win pools at a juicy 6-1, Girl Named Charlie paid $15.40, $6.60, and $3.40.
Camp Akeela, Blame Day, Hayunevano, and Beyond Doubt completed the order of finish.
A perfect two-for-two on the turf at Fair Grounds, Girl Named Charlie's career record is now 5-2-1-0 with $91,255 accumulated in earnings. The daughter of Maclean's Music out of the Dynaformer dam Dynarama was bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation.
The post ‘It Set Up For Closers’: Amoss Repeats In Allen ‘Black Cat’ LaCombe Memorial With Girl Named Charlie appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
