“Money” MIke Smith, 58 years old and fully aware of what that entails, yet still riding like he’s 38, or maybe 28, came to Charles Town Races August 23 and had himself a night he’ll remember.

Three mounts. A dismal last-place finish on an odds-on favorite. A major contender scratched in the gate.

Oh, and a smashing 5 ¾-length victory aboard 6-1 Mystic Lake in the $750,000, Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks. 

That’s racing, eh?

All three mounts were for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., who added to his own ups-and-downs evening when Skippylongstocking, piloted by Jose Ortiz, cruised to a second straight win in the $1 million, Grade 2 Charles Town Classic.

“When you’re riding for these kind of people, Saffie Joseph and his owners and his crew, man, you always got a chance,” Smith said. “I don’t care: 1-5, 6-1, 60-1, you know, you got a shot. They don’t come all the way over here just to come.”

The big one for Smith, of course, was Mystic Lake. The sophomore Mo Town filly pressed the early pace of local hopeful Overnight Pow Wow, took over from that rival rounding the far turn, and drew away to the easy win in 1:24.18 for seven furlongs on a fast main track.

“She was relaxing, pricking her ears, and when I called on her going into the far turn, I guess around the three-eighths pole, she actually jumped into the bridle more than I was expecting,” the Hall of Famer said. “I thought I would have to ride her a little bit. I said, ‘Whoa!’”

Of course, by his own telling, he kept her alert through the drive. Chalk that one up to age.

“You never know if someone’s coming,” Smith laughed. “I stay busy in the end because I can’t see nothing.”

With the win, coupled with Skippylongstocking’s subsequent triumph, Joseph became the first trainer to sweep the Oaks and Classic in a single year, track officials said.

“That’s pretty amazing,” Joseph said. “Charles Town has been good to us, and we brought a full string today that we thought we had good chances.”

About that.

Smith’s first mount of the evening came aboard Spirit Wind, the 9-10 chalk in the $500,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes for fillies and mares going seven furlongs. She quickly zipped to the lead and led by a length with three-eighths to go.

Then she stopped, eventually fading to last.

“The big mare that I really loved in the eighth race [Spirit Wind], I’m lost for words,” Smith said. “I just don’t think she loved night racing. She literally just didn’t run. She pulled up. She couldn’t have blown a match out. She was fine. She just didn’t care for it, you know.”

Of course, as disappointing as that one was, the next race was worse. Catalytic, 15-1 on the morning line, flipped in the gate, thrashed around, and had to be scratched.

“It really wasn’t his fault,” Smith said. “He was a little eager, but the five acted up in there that kind of set him off. He’d just settled down, and then the nine kicked the gate and he went over. He thought the door’s gonna open, and then I felt so bad for him. But you know what, the gate crew did a wonderful job of getting him out. Just pray that they can just put a little stitch here and there, and he’ll be fine.”

Fortunately for Smith, he had the one additional mount, aboard Mystic Lake. It was one he was high on. Mystic Lake, winner of the Grade 3 Miss Preakness at PImlico this spring, seems to improve by the outing.

“She just keeps getting better and better,” Joseph, her trainer, said. “I never envisioned she would get this good.”

But Smith had heard good things.

“I had heard that she was training like she’s never trained before,” he said. “So when I heard that, I figured I had a good chance.”

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