CHARLES TOWN PICKS AND HORSES TO WATCH: MAY 21

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.

Carryovers: Jackpot Pick 6, $17,828

Check out our other handicapping here!

RACE NUMBERCONTENDERSCOMMENTS
Race 35-2-1-7Been a while since we last saw #5 Zehavi (3-1), who hasn’t raced since a disastrous outing in early December. Prior to that one, he was a different kind of horse than these, and now he’s been training forwardly — note two recent bullets — for a barn that can win off the bench. Rider Antonio Lopez picks this one, too… #2 Grecian Angel (10-1) arrives off a dismal outing against better but won nicely two back, rates a puncher’s chance to control this one on the front end with that one-turn speed. But note that Lopez jumps ship… Favored #1 Meldon (8-5) certainly looks capable in this group and retains leading rider Bocachica. But be wary of accepting odds that are too short on a runner who doesn’t win much (2-for-23) and has lost at this level four times… #7 Fibertown (9-2) has a chance to get a good stalking trip from the outside stall…
Race 71-5-3-2Testy group set to contend this state-bred allowance field, and we’ll take a swing with #1 Fancy Castle (12-1). The John Casey trainee began his career the right way, breaking his maiden by eight and then winning an allowance contest. He ran third in last May’s Coin Collector after pressing the pace, but then things kinda went sideways. He hasn’t raced since August but has been training forwardly and may get a good trip just off the pace… Speaking of horses coming off a break, Javier Contreras sends out #5 Nico (7-2), who hasn’t raced since December 2019. He hasn’t done much wrong on the track, though, finishing first or second in all five of his starts, two in stakes company… #3 River Crosroad RVF (5-2), on the other hand, is a horse who has done things wrong on the track, bolting from the track twice in his first four starts. He just missed against similar last out in a race that produced a next-out stakes winner. Our only hesitation here is that bolting thing; it looks like he’s got it conquered, but we might want to see another race or two before playing this horse on top at short odds… #2 Showtime Cat (3-1) has been gradually working through his conditions and enters off a win…

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