Older Pletcher, Baffert runners lead Charles Town Classic nominations
Headlined by 11 runners trained by Todd Pletcher and five from the Bob Baffert barn, a total of 75 horses have found their way into the nominations for the Grade 2, $1 million Charles Town Classic on April 20. The 1 1/8-mile feature anchors a 13-race program at Charles Town that kicks off with a special 12:30 p.m. ET first post.
Pletcher, who won the 2016 Charles Town Classic with Stanford, equaled his nomination total from 2018 with the most noteworthy being last year's Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Noble Indy and Wood Memorial (G2) victor Vino Rosso. Much like his east coast rival, Baffert would be seeking his second victory in West Virginia’s richest race having taken the 2013 edition with Game on Dude to go along with the popular gelding’s runner-up efforts in 2011 and 2014. The Hall of Fame trainer is represented by multiple Grade 1 winner McKinzie, who is expected to start in Saturday’s Santa Anita Handicap (G1), as well as Dabster, 2018 Californian (G2) winner Dr. Dorr, recent allowance winner Nero and Grade 1-placed Solomini.
Outside of McKinzie and 2019 Dubai World Cup starter Seeking the Soul, the other Grade 1 winner in the Charles Town Classic nominations is Discreet Lover, best known for his 45.50-to-1 upset in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) over Dubai World Cup champion Thunder Snow. Off since the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), the 6-year-old owned and trained by Uriah St. Lewis shows a series of works at Parx as he readies for his 2019 debut.
A pair of past champions also appear in the nominations in the form of defending champ Something Awesome, beaten five lengths in his most recent title defense in the General George (G3) at Laurel and Imperative, who won the race in 2014 and again in 2017. Imperative is one of seven nominees for trainer Anthony Quartarolo, all of which are owned in whole or in part by Ron Paolucci, while Something Awesome will attempt to match Researcher’s feat of winning the Charles Town Classic in consecutive years.
The list of graded stakes winners appearing in the Charles Town Classic nominations also includes, among others, Beach View, Copper Bullet, recent New Orleans Handicap (G2) winner Core Beliefs and 2017 San Antonio (G2) champ Giant Expectations, both from the barn of Peter Eurton, Flameaway, Gift Box, Lone Sailor and 2017 Brooklyn Handicap (G2) victor War Story who checked in third and second respectively in the last two runnings of the Charles Town Classic.
Nominations for three additional unrestricted stakes all run at seven furlongs – the $100,000 Dance to Bristol for fillies and mares 4 and up, the $100,000 Robert Hilton Memorial for 3-year-olds and $75,000 Russell Road for horses ages 3 and up – close this Saturday.