MISTY BENNETT PINK RIBBON STAKES

Franks Rockette keeps running big races, and she keeps the right kind of company. She’s the class of this group and should win on best… Fille d’Esprit impressed last time out in the Seeking the Pearl at Colonial, and while the time and speed fig aren’t overwhelming, she beat a solid group impressively with a bit of trouble. Draw a line through the Alma North… Allworthy makes her third start off a bit of break and has some competitive efforts on the ledger….

ROBERT HILTON MEMORIAL STAKES

	Ted Black	Frank Vespe
Win	3. Old Homestead (5-2)	4. Double Thunder (5-1)
Place	10. Alottahope (4-1)	3. Old Homestead (5-2)
Show	5. El Pando (10-1)	10. Alottahope (4-1)

Old Homestead has run a couple of good ones in a row, including a good-looking score in the Concern. He has a couple good tries at Delta Downs, another bullring, and should find this trip to his liking… Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher thought enough of Double Thunder to run him in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last fall, and while that didn’t go well – and he hasn’t run since – that’s a major vote of confidence. Pletcher does well off the layoff… Absolutely huge effort in last by Alottahope when he won by a pole in the Star de Naskra. Can he repeat? He’s always flashed talent, often found trouble, so another clean trip is the key… Can’t criticize anything the undefeated El Pando has done in three starts. The company lines are a question, but the results speak for themselves…

RUSSELL ROAD STAKES

Have some tasty chalk! Wondrwherecraigis has too many positives to ignore in this spot… Kadri owns a win over the strip and has been churning out good races of late… Eastern Bay looked ready to move back to stakes company after sharp score in last, and here he is… Sir Alfred James ran big in last and has some history of stringing good races together… Shacks Way offers speed from the rail….

GRADE 3 CHARLES TOWN OAKS

Everybody agrees it’s G3 Delaware Oaks winner Midnight Stroll in the CT Oaks. You can draw a line through the Black-Eyed Susan – she took all kinds of the worst of that trip… Society took a thumping last out, but that was against divisional heavy heads Nest and Secret Oath. She’s not that kind, but she won’t need to be to compete here… Free Like a Girl’s graded tries are pretty middling, but she’s thrived on the Louisiana bullrings, and that might translate here… Lady Scarlet’s last on turf needn’t matter to us. A couple prior tries are just fine. But will the distance suit?

GRADE 2 CHARLES TOWN CLASSIC

Not looking too far afield in this spot with morning line favorite Art Collector, the defending champ. He won this event a year ago off a win in the Alydar Stakes at Saratoga and parlayed those dual wins into a Grade 1 Woodward score. He’s following the same route this year… Local hopeful Muad’dib is undefeated in 10 career starts, all over the strip… Officiating ran huge to win the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap in last – maybe route distances are what he’s wanted all along… Mind Control outdueled Hot Rod Charlie in last, and that runner ran well in the Whitney next out…