CHARLES TOWN PICKS AND HORSES TO WATCH: July 30

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:

Check out our other handicapping here!

RACE NUMBERCONTENDERSCOMMENTS
Race 31-6-4-8None of the horses that have run previously in this maiden special weight affair have done enough to fear, so we’ll try to beat ’em all with a first-timer. #1 For What (5-2) will be making her career bow here for trainer Victor Espinosa. The Garnered filly has been training well enough, including a bullet half-mile July 10 in her last move prior to this for trainer Victor Espinosa. She’s a half to a winner, and speed from the rail is deadly going 4 1/2 furlongs… The favorite in here, #6 Power Sonde (9-5), is winless in three tries but was a pretty good second two back. She’ll need a bounceback effort today… #4 Mary Boppins Too (8-1) was third on debut, albeit at the $12,500 claiming level, and that was back in December. Curious to see how she comes back… #8 Taptap (3-1) has been second or third versus similar five times and had a win erased because of a positive test…
Race 59-6-8-3Top choice #9 River Warrior Rvf (5-2) gave willing chase when second on debut as the favorite. He should be fitter here for his second start; the only negative is that Arnaldo Bocachica, who rode him that day, lands on trainer Runco’s other mount… #6 Thunderinreadyrick (3-1) has been second and third in two prior starts despite troubled trips in both. The stretch-out to two turns is a bit of a question mark, but his breeding — including a More Than Ready mare underneath — suggests it should be ok… #8 Doc Jordan (10-1) makes his career debut here; he’s a homebred for Mark Russell, who campaigned Russell Road, among others… Bocachica left our top choice for #3 Tyry Tyrannosaurus (2-1), which suggests what he thinks of their relative merits. But this one has had seven tries to graduate and hasn’t managed to do so yet, and while he has been second four times, including his last two, the value proposition of accepting favoritism on a horse that’s been beaten repeatedly at the level is a bit tough to swallow…

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