Competing at his 11th track in 19 career starts, Daniel Alonso's 4-year-old Exaggerator colt Skippylongstocking broke on top and was never threatened en route to a five-length victory on Friday night in the $1-million, Grade 2 Charles Town Classic at Charles Town Races in West Virginia.
Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., Skippylongstocking raced the nine-furlongs on a fast track in 1:51.37 after setting fractional times of :24.82, :48.88, 1:14.17, and 1:38.75. He paid $4.80 to win as the 7-5 favorite.
Joseph also saddled the runner-up, Chilean-bred O'Connor, with Dash Attack third and Muad'dib fourth in the field of 10 older runners. The order of finish was completed by Call Me Fast, Giant Game, Double Crown, Doppelganger, and Perfect Flight. Eastern Bay was pulled up early in the race and did not finish, though he walked off under his own power.
The victory was the sixth in 19 starts for Skippylongstocking, who was produced from the War Chant mare, Twinkling. He was bred in Kentucky by Brushy Hill and purchased by Alonso from the Top Line Sales consignment for $37,000 at the 2021 OBS Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in training.
A maiden winner at 2, Skippylongstocking was third in the G1 Belmont Stakes at 3 before winning the G3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park. He concluded his 3-year-old campaign with a victory in the G3 Harlan's Holiday at Gulfstream Park and won one of four starts this year prior to the Charles Town Classic, that win coming in the G3 Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in March. He's raced at Gulfstream Park, Aqueduct, Pimlico, Belmont Park, Mountaineer Park, Parx Racing, Tampa Bay Downs, Keeneland, and Prairie Meadows before his win at Charles Town.
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