Recapping Saturday’s stories and outcomes…
Eighttofasttocatch rolls in the Henry S. Clark. Photo courtesy of Maryland Jockey Club.
Ted Black (here) suggested that the Charles Town Classic — with two Hall of Fame jocks and another who’s a finalist this year — might be a riders’ race. Good call, as fave Game On Dude (Hall of Famer Mike Smith up) held off late-charging Clubhouse Ride (2013 Hall of Fame finalist Garret Gomez up) to win the juicy $1 million prize. Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux, on longshot Isn’t He Perfect, had a less enjoyable evening, finishing last in the race. Charles Town’s all-sources handle of nearly $4.4 million smashed the track’s previous record by nearly a million bucks…
- Siete de Oros (here), presumably with breeder Glenn Brok riding the couch for all it’s worth, made a nice late run to get third in the Illinois Derby…
- In the first of two stakes whose names we discussed (here), the Confucius Say — named for a onetime West Virginia stalwart — went to another West Virginia stalwart, as Lucy’s Bob Boy took the money as the 1-9 chalk. In the other, the off-the-turf Henry S. Clark at Pimlico, Eighttofasttocatch lived up to his name, clearing off early and besting four foes easily…
- Good day — and week — for Maryland-breds running at home at Pimlico. State-breds took two of three open stakes yesterday — Bold Affair repeating in the Primonetta, while the aforementioned Eighttofasttocatch took the Clark — all three allowance races at Old Hilltop on Thursday, and one of two on Friday…
