Charles Town: Skippy finishes Joseph’s Classic-Oaks double

It was a different rider against a different field, but Skippylongstocking successfully repeated his gate-to-wire tactics Friday night, winning for the second year in a row in the Grade 2, $1 million Charles Town Classic.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. saddled the winner in that race and 40 minutes earlier in the $750,000 Charles Town Oaks (G2). Mystik Lake won that by 5 3/4 lengths with Mike Smith riding.

Click here for Charles Town entries and results.

José Ortiz, who replaced Tyler Gaffalione this spring as Skippylongstocking’s regular rider, duplicated the strategy of 2023. He raced to an early lead in the three-turn, 1 1/8-mile for 3-year-olds and up. Skippylongstocking (1-1) took the field of 10 through modest fractions of 24.15, 47.88, 1:12.64 and 1:37.55 on the way to a 5 3/4-length win with a time of 1:50.34 on the fast main track.

Velocitor (17-1) raced in third most of the way before improving to place second. Komorebino Omoide (20-1) stalked in fourth and finished third. Coastal Mission (7-2) rallied from seventh and took fourth. He was followed by Warrior Johny (7-1), Bendoog (7-2), Frosted Departure (18-1), Double Crown (158-1), Piroli (67-1) and Lord Miles (29-1) in that order.

Owned by Daniel Alonso, 5-year-old Skippylongstocking paid $4.20, $3.00 and $2.60; Velocitor $11.60 and $7.00; and Komorebino Omoide $8.40.

Skippylongstocking won for the third time this year. His previous 2024 scores came in the Challenger (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs and the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in Arkansas. He was coming back from a fifth-place finish Aug. 3 in the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga.

With Friday’s win, the horse sired by Exaggerator who cost only $37,000 at the 2021 Ocala Breeders’ Sale spring auction of 2-year-olds in training upped his record to 26: 9-2-5 with earnings of $2,992,985.

Skippylongstocking became the third horse to win back-to-back renewals of the Charles Town Classic, joining Researcher in 2009 and 2010 and Art Collector in 2021 and 2022. Imperative also was a two-time winner of the Classic, finishing first in 2014 and 2017.

Mystic Lake surfaces as winner in Oaks

Content to be in second for most of the seven-furlong race, Smith and Mystic Lake (6-1) tipped three wide through the second turn, took the lead into the homestretch and ran away with the Charles Town Oaks.

Overnight Pow Wow (44-1) provided the early speed in the two-turn, seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies with early splits of 23.16 and 46.51 seconds for the first quarter- and half-mile. Mystic Lake never was more than a length back in second.

A daughter of Mo Town, Mystic Lake accelerated through the second turn and had a two-length advantage after six furlongs in 1:11.10. She cruised after that to a 5 3/4-length victory of her own. The winning time was 1:24.18.

My Mane Squeeze (3-1) closed from eighth to finish second, a neck better than third-place Princess Madison (7-2) with West Virginia-bred Overnight Pow Wow wilting to finish another half-length back in fourth.

Vincey Girl (56-1), Sing a Little Song (69-1), post-time favorite Haulin Ice (2-1), Roswell (7-2), Deviletta (64-1) and Nay V Belle (23-1) completed the finish in that order.

Mystic Lake returned $14.00, $6.80 and $4.00; My Mane Squeeze $4.60 and $3.00; and Princess Madison $3.40.

A $130,000 purchase at last year’s OBS March sale, Mystic Lake won for the third time this year, all in stakes. She finished first in the Gasparilla and the Sophomore Fillies, both at Tampa Bay Downs, and won the Miss Preakness (G3) at Pimlico. Last out she was second in the Victory Ride (G3) on July 4 at Belmont at the Big A.

Mystic Lake ran her record to 11: 5-3-1 and her earnings to $758,554 for C2 Racing Stables and Stefania Farms.

The Oaks and the Classic began about 50 minutes late after two incidents in an undercard stakes.

Catalytic, another Joseph horse who finished second in this year’s Florida Derby (G1), became fractious and had to be rescued before the start of the Robert Hilton Memorial.

“That was very scary,” Joseph told FanDuel TV. “He was stuck under there for a while between the gate and the tractor tires. The starter was a very brave man. He’s a true hero, because he was down there on the ground with him. He had to hold his legs back so the gate could kind of move. They had to pull the gate manually after. He got cuts, obviously. They seem superficial in the initial look, and he’ll live to fight another day.”

Smith was thrown to the ground but not seriously hurt. His Oaks win came in the next race.

The Hilton, which was won by Steve Asmussen-trained Valentine Candy, was marred by what proved to be a fatal injury to Wants N Needs. The 3-year-old Maclean’s Music colt trained by Randy Morse was pulled up by jockey Ramón Vázquez just past the three-eighths pole. He was euthanized on the track.

A horse that needed to be reshod in the paddock earlier in the program also contributed to the long delay.