Charles Town picks and horses to watch: June 23, 2023
Frank Vespe- June 23, 2023
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, $2,610
- Im the Director solid fave in WV FuturityIt’s last call for state-bred 2-year-olds, and Im the Director will look to add a second stakes win to his resume.
RACE
Race 7
CONTENDERS
5-8-3-9
ANALYSIS
Pretty wide-open contest here, and we land on #5 Royal Pain (7-2). The Jamey Johnson trainee arrives with two off-color races, but with excuses: two back he was over his head in the Confucius Say (20-1 at post time), and last out he had all kinds of trip trouble, with the jock ultimately not asking for his best in the lane. He’d won three straight previously, though, and a cleaner trip today could get him the money… #8 Noballstwostrikes (9-2) won an allowance last out for the Runco-Bocachica combo and definitely rates a shot here, though he did finish behind our top choice in two previous outings… Last year’s Onion Juice winner, #3 C R’s Mandate (5-1) hasn’t quite built off his late-season 2022 form, when he won on WVBC night and then ran huge to be second to Muad’dib in the Funkhouser Memorial; he’s 0-for-5 this year but has run pretty well recently and may be rounding back into form… #9 What Does It Take (3-1) has seen better in Laurel allowances recently…
Race 8
2-5-8-6
We’re not really enthralled with the favorites in this maiden event, so we’re hunting longshots. #2 Unaltered (15-1) was green as grass but did run on a little bit in his debut, then showed a touch more gate speed in his follow-up. It’s clear 4 1/2 furlongs isn’t his best game, so the added ground could help him jump up… #5 Candy Loves Honey (10-1) gets Lasix added and stretches out to two turns for the first time… #8 Unusually Lucky (5-2) makes her career bow for trainer Ronney Brown, who wins at a 12% clip with first-timers in special weight company. This one’s siblings haven’t shown a ton on the racetrack, especially at first asking… Morning line favorite #6 Far More (2-1) jumped up to run a big one last out at 21-1 odds. Maybe it was the added, ground, or the second-time Lasix, or the lightbulb finally going on, but whatever it was, it was a sharp step forward. The questions now are: is that repeatable improvement or a one-off, and are you willing to take 2-1 on a horse that’s never been that low and was over 20-1 in last? Not sure about the former, but for us, the answer to the latter is no, which inclines us elsewhere…
LATEST NEWS
7th.I cannot disdain “Royal Pain”
but”Has What It Takes”makes me wonder
if”Aristocat”could get you fat in the Tri.
7th.I didn’t realize it was muddy,
“Has What It Takes”makes his win less likely.
8th.I agree “Far More”will hafta show a lot more
before I bet her. “Candy Loves Honey”gets my money,
I’m feeling”Unusually Lucky”Ducky.
8th.We were”Unusually unLucky”to get such a low price.