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Caramel Swirl Tabbed Morning-Line Favorite For Charles Town Oaks

With the second-largest purse of the year offered by Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in West Virginia's only graded stakes race for fillies up for grabs, a wide-ranging, full field of 10 3-year-old fillies will battle for the top prize on Friday night in the $400,000 Charles Town Oaks (G3) at seven furlongs.

The Oaks, now in its 13th year, is the main undercard attraction on a card featuring the $800,000 Charles Town Classic (G2) and total purses topping $2 million. Post time for the first race is 5:00 P.M.

Being a two-turn race at a sprint distance, the Oaks has attracted trainers sending sprinters they hope will hold their speed against routers that figure to have a stamina edge.

One of those who believes he's found what his filly wants to do is Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott who sends out Caramel Swirl for Godolphin off a sharp three-length score in an allowance July 24 at Saratoga. The Union Rags filly raced forwardly and sailed home under a hand ride by jockey Junior Alvarado. The race was an impressive rebound after a dull seventh-place finish in the Eight Belles (G3) on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs.

“She's a nice filly,” Mott said, “Always well thought of. We tried stretching her up to a mile, two turns, and it didn't work, so we shortened her back up and it worked well. Six and seven furlongs are probably good distances for her.”

Alvarado has the return call on Caramel Swirl who sits as the 5-2 morning line favorite for the Charles Town Oaks.

Brad Cox, the second-leading trainer in the country, sends out Inject for owner Louis Wright. The daughter of Frosted out of the Grade 1 winning mare Appealing Zophie, is a half-sister to 2017 Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit, and Cox is looking to build Inject's credentials for a future career as a broodmare.

“Our filly doesn't have any experience around a racetrack as tight as Charles Town,” Cox said, “But it's a very nice purse, a graded race, and will add to this filly's value if she can finish 1-2-3. We hope she'll be a big-time broodmare. She's got the pedigree.”

Inject finished third last out in the Victory Ride (G3) at Belmont Park and has the services of Florent Geroux on Friday evening.

The Oaks will feature no shortage of horses who tried the major filly races in the spring: Stonestreet Stables' Pauline's Pearl won the Fantasy (G3) at Oaklawn Park before finishing eighth behind the powerful Malathaat in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) for leading trainer Steve Asmussen while John C. Minchello's Competitive Speed who tried her hand in the Kentucky Oaks after back-to-back third place efforts in graded stakes company at Gulfstream Park. BB Horses' Miss Leslie finished fifth in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico for leading Maryland trainer Claudio Gonzalez. Moon Swag, trained by Brendan Walsh, finished fourth in the Ashland (G1) behind the aforementioned Malathaat and most recently came up only a neck short of her first graded stakes triumph in the Indiana Oaks (G3).

Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute, trained by John Robb, has seven stakes wins sprinting with earnings of $481,720, second only to Pauline's Pearl. The Street Magician filly has never gone around two turns but has been dominant in stakes at Laurel Park, her home track.

“It's a tough race, but what I like about is there's only one or two horses with any speed at all,” Robb said. “You can have all the class you want; give me speed all the time. I like the way it's shaping up for that kind of money.”

Trainer Ian Wilkes enters Fabricate out of a productive allowance race at Ellis Park while trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. ships Allworthy down from Saratoga, where she's been training after a fourth-place finish in the Monmouth Oaks (G3).

The wildcard in the field could be the undefeated R Adios Jersey for trainer Georgina Baxter who comes into the Charles Town Oaks a perfect 4-for-4 in her career after being made a short priced favorite in each of her starts. Friday will mark the first start outside of Florida for the daughter of Adios Charlie who most recently cruised to a front running score in the restricted Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

Lynch Racing LLC's Alayla was also entered in the Charles Town Oaks but sits as the first horse on the also eligible list and would need a defection from the body of the race to run.

The $400,000 Charles Town Oaks is part of Charles Town's Pick 6 sequence starting in Race 8 which will see its jackpot carryover forced out as well as Guaranteed $100,000 Pick 5 and Pick 4 pools which kick off in Race 9 and Race 10 respectively.

Post time for the Charles Town Oaks is set for 9:45 P.M. EST.

$400,000 CHARLES TOWN OAKS (G3)

August 27, 2021

Race 11 – Post time 9:45 PM EST

1. Caramel Swirl, Junior Alvarado, 118, William I. Mott

2. Street Lute, Xavier Perez, 120, John J. Robb

3. Pauline's Pearl, Brian J. Hernandez, Jr., 123, Steven M. Asmussen

4. Moon Swag, Deshawn L. Parker, 118, Brendan P. Walsh

5. Fabricate, Open, 118, Ian R. Wilkes

6. Inject, Florent Geroux, 120, Brad H. Cox

7. Competitive Speed, Leonel Reyes, 120, Javier E. Gonzalez

8. R Adios Jersey, Paco Lopez, 120, Georgina Baxter

9. Miss Leslie, J.D. Acosta, 120, Claudio A. Gonzalez

10. Allworthy, Tyler Gaffalione, 118, Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.

Also Eligible

11. Alayla, Charlie Marquez, 118, Cathal A. Lynch

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Australasia Puts Undefeated Record On The Line In Saturday’s Victory Ride

Trainer Brad Cox will send out a pair of contenders entering off last-out stakes wins, as Australasia and Inject will compete as part of an eight-horse field of sophomore fillies in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Victory Ride at 6 1/2 furlongs on the Belmont Park main track.

The 19th edition of the Victory Ride is one of three stakes on the final Saturday of the Belmont spring/summer meet, bolstering a pair of Grade 1 turf contests going 1 1/4-miles, with the $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational for 3-year-olds and the $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational for 3-year-old fillies. Both of those contests are the first legs of NYRA's Turf Triple series for sophomores.

Magnifico Stable's Australasia brings an undefeated record through six starts into her graded stakes debut. The Sky Kingdom filly took to Belmont's Big Sandy in her first appearance over the track, besting fellow Victory Ride-rival Bella Sofia by one length in the six-furlong Jersey Girl on June 6, earning a personal-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

The Louisiana-bred won her only start of her juvenile year in November at Fair Grounds and is 5-for-5 this year at four tracks, racking up restricted stakes scores in the Louisiana Jewel and the LA Bred Premier Starlet at Delta Downs before winning the Crescent City Oaks at Fair Grounds. A win against open allowance company in April at Churchill Downs set up her successful effort at Belmont. Since the Jersey Girl victory, Australasia has continued to train at the Elmont-based track, breezing four furlongs in 48.63 seconds on Monday.

Joel Rosario will have the call from post 7.

Her stablemate, Louis Wright's Inject, has won her last two starts, including her first stakes triumph with a 5 1/4-length blowout in the six-furlong Goldfinch on May 15 at Prairie Meadows. The daughter of Frosted was a $390,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and has started her career with a 3-2-1 ledger through her first eight starts.
Tyler Gaffalione will ride from post 2.

Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational will be competing against graded stakes company for a fourth consecutive race. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Souper Sensational went 2-for-2 as a juvenile at Woodbine, including a four-length score in the seven-furlong Glorious Song on the all-weather track.

Since then, Souper Sensational earned black type twice as a sophomore, finishing second in the Silvebulletday in January at Fair Grounds and third in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks in March.

Last out, Souper Sensational, with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez aboard, ran fourth in the Grade 2 Eight Belles going seven furlongs on April 30 at Churchill Downs.

“She's doing very well and Johnny rode her last time for us and kind of got hung up a little bit, but she hung in and ran well,” Casse said. “She's coming into the race well and should run well. I don't think the distance this time will be a problem.”

Flavien Prat will pick up the mount from post 5.

Team D and Madaket Stables' Miss Brazil ran third as the mutuel favorite in the Jersey Girl, just one length back to Australasia and will step up to graded stakes company for the first time after earning Beyers of 90 or better in four of her six starts for trainer Tony Dutrow.

The daughter of Palace Malice bested optional claimers on April 23 at Belmont in her last start at the Victory Ride distance and will have the services of Jose Ortiz from post 3.

“She seems to be doing very well coming into the race and we're very happy with her,” Dutrow said. “The Jersey Girl didn't go perfect for us, but that's just a day in the office. She came out of it well and she's training well for the Victory Ride. Anywhere from six furlongs to a mile, I don't think it really matters to her.”

The runner up in the Jersey Girl, Bella Sofia, will be making her third career start. The Rudy Rodriguez trainee coasted to an 11 1/4-length debut win on May 6 and was moved up in class exactly one month later where she finished one length behind Australasia and edged Miss Brazil by a head for second.

Owned by Michael Imperio and Vincent Scuderi, Bella Sofia is a daughter of Awesome Patriot. After working four furlongs in 49.43 seconds on Sunday over Belmont's training track, she will now break from the inside post with Manny Franco set to ride.

“She breezed Sunday on the training track and it was nice and solid,” Rodriguez said. “The horses in the field are already seasoned, but she did good against them last time. The last race was very good for her. She has decent ability, so hopefully we can get lucky.”

Douglas Scharbauer's Red Ghost has won three of her four starts, including two in a row following her victory by a nose over next-out allowance winner Euphoric in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness on May 14. The Ghostzapper filly who began her career with an off-the-turf 8 1/2-length score in August at Saratoga for trainer Wesley Ward, will return to New York for the first time since that effort, breaking from post 6 with Hall of Famer John Velazquez aboard.

Rounding out the field is Kinsman Stable's Shop Girl, second in the Any Limit in March last out for trainer Christophe Clement at Gulfstream Park [outermost post 8, Hall of Famer Javier Castellano]; and Brittlyn Stable's Ova Charged, making her first stakes race after starting 2-for-2 for trainer Jose Camejo [post 4, Luis Saez].

The Victory Ride is slated as Race 8 on Saturday's 11-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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Sunday’s Racing Insights: Keeneland Card Features Intriguing Babies

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

4th-KEE, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 2:50 p.m. ET
Pricey Rising Empire (Empire Maker) is one of two signed on here for Larry Jones. The $275,000 Keeneland September yearling blossomed into a $700,000 OBSAPR juvenile after a powerful :10 1/5 breeze. He’s half to the long-winded GSW and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Rocketry (Hard Spun). Fox Hill Farms Inc.’s Trump Card (Nyquist) is out of a precocious mare who earned a big figure for a June 2-year-old debut before finishing third in Saratoga’s GIII Schuylerville S. He was a $210,000 KEESEP grad. Cool Quest (Frosted), who cost $10,000 more at the same auction, is half to hard-knocking Canadian champion grass horse Grand Adventure (Grand Slam), who did take the GIII Summer S. as a juvenile. TJCIS PPs

5th-KEE, $71K, OC ($75K), 2yo, f, 6f, 2:50 p.m. ET
‘TDN Rising Star‘ Inject (Frosted) looks to atone for a duel-and-fade eighth-place run in the GIII Pocahontas S. on the stretch out and quick turnaround at Churchill Sept. 3. In her prior start, the daughter of GISW Appealing Zophie (Successful Appeal) and half to GI Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (Tapit) aired by six lengths going short at Ellis Aug. 15. The $390,000 KEESEP buy earned a strong 82 Beyer Speed Figure for her unveiling. Feeling Mischief (Into Mischief), a daughter of precocious GSP True Feelings (Latent Heat), is half to this year’s GIII Robert B. Lewis S. runner-up Royal Act (American Pharoah) and from the family of champion 3-year-old filly Wait a While (Maria’s Mon). She’s been off since an eight-length procession on debut at Colonial Downs Aug. 3 and ships in from trainer Michael Campbell’s Arlington Park base. TJCIS PPs

10th-KEE, $70K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1m, 6:18 p.m. ET
Reiko and Mike Baum’s Illiogami (Tapit) makes her first start here for trainer Rusty Arnold. The $400,000 KEESEP buy is out of talented turfer Odeliz (Ire) (Falco), a Group 1 winner in France and Italy who was also a close second in the 2014 GI E. P. Taylor S. at Woodbine. Candace O (Declaration of War) is a full to 2018 GIII With Anticipation S. hero Opry. Information Mosaic (Bernardini), a $125,000 September pick-up, is out of GSP Artemis (Empire Maker). Her third dam is La Gueriere (Lord At War {Arg}), who annexed the 1991 GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. here before producing the likes of GISW Icon Project (Empire Maker) and the dam of Munnings. TJCIS PPs

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TDN Rising Stars Headline Pocahontas

Louis Wright’s Inject (Frosted), who turned in an eye-opening performance in her career debut at Ellis to earn TDN Rising Star status, will try and punch her ticket to the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with a victory in Thursday’s GIII Pocahontas S. at Churchill Downs. Let go at 7-1 for that five-furlong unveiling Aug. 15, the daughter of first-season son of Tapit came from just off the pace to win by a widening six-length margin at the wire. The $390,000 KEESEP yearling purchase is a half-sister to GI Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (Tapit).

Also a winner at first asking, Phoenix Thoroughbred’s Crazy Beautiful (Liam’s Map) got the job done going a mile over the Ellis turf July 5 before overcoming a whole mess of trouble in the Aug. 9 Debutante S. and still managing to come home a 3 3/4-length winner in a TDN Rising Star-earning performance.

Rounding out the TDN Rising Star triumvirate is Girl Daddy (Uncle Mo), who made short work of her rivals while going six panels at Ellis July 24. In the irons that day was Joe Talamo, who led the jockey standings at the recently concluded Ellis summer meeting, gets the call in the Pocahontas.

Russell Welch’s American Grace (American Pharoah) was favored for her career bow going seven furlongs at Ellis Aug. 7 and did not disappoint, coming home a 2 1/2 length winner. Sharpened with a four-furlong move in :48 flat at Churchill Aug, 28, the Larry Jones trainee reunites with Gabe Saez in this stakes debut.

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