CHARLES TOWN PICKS AND HORSES TO WATCH: JAN. 29

Sleepy Eyes Todd
Sleepy Eyes Todd won the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic. Photo by Coady Photography.

Charles Town Races has an eight-race card on tap for this evening. Post time for the opener is 7:00 p.m., and we’ve got Charles Town picks.

Check out our other handicapping here!

RACE NUMBERCONTENDERSCOMMENTS
Race 76-1-5-4When last seen locally, top choice #6 Flash Town (7-2_ was tons the best in a maiden sprint, and her follow-ups to that are credible enough. Among those: she ran fifth in an allowance at Keeneland (at 40-1) in a race she led after a half-mile; the show horse came back to win a stake at Tampa next time. She has the speed to get the front here, but also has shown the ability to run into the pace… #1 Susikin (8-5) has made the rounds, having been claimed three times in the last six months. She’s run decently at Penn, so the night-time lights shouldn’t be an issue, though this’ll be her first time at CT… Decent effort last time out by #5 Comfortable Cat (4-1), who chased the favorite willingly without ever being a big threat… #4 College Kid (9-2) made reasonably short work of her state-bred conditions, though her last two, against open company, are just OK; worth noting that the “N2X” condition in her last two is actually more restrictive — and thus, easier — than this one…
Race 84-10-3-1Top choice #4 Choco Roco (3-1) makes his career bow here; he’s a full brother to 14-time winner T Rex Express, a multiple stakes winner locally who won at first asking. Trainer Runco wins at a 28% clip with first-timers, and go-to rider Bocachica takes the mount… Let’s see if #10 Return to Me (5-1) can deliver another good one. Last time out, he dueled for the lead, prevailed in the duel, but could not contain a couple of late runners; though the pace wasn’t fast, it still seemed to take it out of all the horses that were close to it, and this one finished best of that group. That was a new dimension for this one… #3 Candy Invasion (7-2) finished second in the race with Return to Me after managing to save ground every step of the way and slip through inside. Hard to imagine he’ll get that good a trip again… #1 Stride On By (4-1) has finished second two straight versus similar…

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