Heading into the latest edition of the Grade 2, $1 million Charles Town Classic for older runners, much of the attention had rightly focused on defending champion Skippylongstocking, winner of a pair of graded stakes since his prior score in the Classic last summer.

Skippylongstocking had followed his Classic win last August with a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. This year he had followed a puzzling DNF in the Pegasus World Cup with a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Stakes and then a fifth in the Grade 1 Whitney that his trainer described as “my fault.”

Bettors sent Skippylongstocking postward as the solid even-money favorite in the 10-horse field, exactly his morning line price. Both horses directly to his inside, reigning West Virginia-bred horse of the year Coastal Mission and Bendoog, were the next two choices in the wagering, both at 7-2, with Coastal Mission actually earning the narrow distinction as second choice.

When the gates opened in the Charles Town Classic, Skippylongstocking broke in mid-flight, and jockey Jose Ortiz was intent on having the favorite on or near the lead. By the time the field entered the first of three turns, Skippylongstocking had gained the early advantage from longshot Frosted Departure and was able to slide down to the rail. 

Skippylongstocking was able to set manageable fractions – 24.15 seconds for the opener, 47.88 for the half, and 1:12.64 for three quarters – while maintaining a one-length lead at all three points. Frosted Departure, off at 18-1, was his nearest pursuer at each. 

Entering the far turn, Skippylongstocking finally shook loose from Frosted Departure and opened a clear lead turning for home then edged clear late to win by 5 ¾ lengths while stopping the timer in 1:50.34 for the one mile and one-eighth on a fast main track. 

Velocitor (David Cohen), dismissed at 17-1, finished second while Japanese-bred Komorebino Omoide (Ramon Vazquez) took third at an even longer 20-1. Coastal Mission (Arnaldo Bocachica) settled for fourth in his only second defeat over the strip in 12 local tries for trainer Jeff Runco.

“He’s run against many of the best older horses in the country the last two years and tonight he was really on his game,” Joseph said of Skippylongstocking, who joined Researcher and Art Collector as the only horses to post consecutive victories in the track’s signature event. “He was fifth in the Whitney and that was really my fault. I probably should not have run him back so soon. You know, I think he deserves another chance at the Breeders Cup. I went straight there from here last year, so maybe I might find a race for him between now and then.”

Jockey Jose Ortiz has guided Skippylongstocking to two wins in four tries: a two-length score in the Grade II, $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap in April and last night’s Classic to go with defeats in the Foster and Whitney. His efforts Friday helped put the horse in the winning position.

“He broke a step slow, but I wanted to be on the lead going into the first turn,” Ortiz said. “I thought he made the lead pretty comfortably then felt good even though he got a little pressure early. I started to get after him a little on the far turn and once he shifted leads turning for home he really found another gear. Saffie does a great job with his horses. I think he deserves another chance to facing the top horses. He belongs in one of the Breeders’ Cup races.”

An intact five-year-old son of Exaggerator that Joseph trains for owner Daniel Alonso, Skippylongstocking now owns three wins from six seasonal tries and sports nine wins and just shy of $3 million banked from 26 career outings. He has won the Classic in each of only two local starts and now boasts five wins and over $2.4 million banked from 12 tries at the nine-furlong distance.

The local hopeful Coastal Mission settled into sixth through the early stages and crossed the wire fourth while perhaps compromised by the lack of pace in the race. The five-year-old Great Notion gelding and full-brother to Lewisfield had been second once and fifth once in three previous Grade II efforts and joined fellow West Virginia-bred stars Overnight Pow Wow [Oaks] and Jubawithatwist [Hilton] with identical fourth-place efforts in the trio of lucrative open stakes on the card.

The Classic win, coupled with Mystic Lake’s sharp score one race earlier in the Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks, made Joseph the first trainer to sweep the track’s two top races, 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.”

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