Art Collector Steps Back Up for Charles Town Classic

Bruce Lunsford's homebred Art Collector  regained his winning form in a restricted stakes last out, and Aug. 27 will make the step back up to graded company in the $800,000 Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2) at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.

In his first start since transferred to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, Art Collector wired the Aug. 6 Alydar Stakes at Saratoga Race Course going the same 1 1/8-mile distance he will run on Friday. The 4-year-old Bernardini   colt won four races in a row last year for trainer Tommy Drury, topped by the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) and Runhappy Ellis Park Derby. He finished fourth in the COVID-19-delayed Preakness Stakes (G1) last fall and was off the board in the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1). 

Art Collector was off the board again in his season debut in June before moving to the Mott barn.

"We're glad to have the opportunity to have a horse like him in the barn," Mott said. "It's nice to have a horse you can take to these kinds of races, and you have some sort of chance.

"It's a little bit risky coming in on that short rest, but it's a nice race to participate in and the purse money is very good. If we had another week it would be a lot better, but that's the only drawback."

Trainer Brad Cox has entered Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables' Warrior's Charge , who has a pair of seconds in four starts this year. The 5-year-old son of Munnings   comes back off a runner-up effort behind Maxfield  in the June 26 Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) over 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs. Typically on or near the front, Warrior's Charge rallied from sixth after being a bit slow into stride in the early going. 

"Maxfield is a cut above that group, but he ran second," Cox said. "But it showed (Warrior's Charge) doesn't have to go to the front and can pass horses. It wasn't the way we thought it would play out, and we were happy with the way it played out."

The Charles Town Classic will be a welcomed contest for trainer David Fawkes. The conditioner 10 years ago saddled Duke of Mischief  to win the track's featured race. Now standing at nearby Flowing Acres Farm, Duke of Mischief will lead the Charles Town Classic post parade, which will include Fawkes entrant and multiple Florida-bred stakes winner Noble Drama .

"I haven't seen him in 10 years," Fawkes said of Duke of Mischief. "(Charles Town vice president of racing and sports operations) Erich Zimny called me about a week ago and the farm manager called me. Now, I've got to win." 

Noble Drama, a homebred for Harold Queen, will make his 28th career start but first outside Florida. He enters off a pair of handicap victories at Gulfstream Park.

Sleepy Eyes Todd  will try to recapture the form that saw him win four stakes last year, including the Charles Town Classic. 

Other graded winners in the field are Rushie , who took the 2020 Pat Day Mile Stakes Presented by LG&E and KU (G2); Informative , who two starts back took the Salvator Mile Stakes (G3); and Restrainedvengence , also a winner two starts ago in the American Stakes (G3T).

Grade 1-placed Ny Traffic , Charles Town's 2020 Russell Road Stakes Presented by Triple Crown Nutrition winner Bourbon Calling , and Air Token  complete the field.

Spotlight on Fillies in Charles Town Oaks

Godolphin homebred Caramel Swirl  will get a second shot at stakes company in the $400,000 Charles Town Oaks (G3), which falls a race before the Charles Town Classic Friday night. 

The Union Rags   filly was a 10 1/4-length maiden winner in April at Keeneland but only managed seventh in the Eight Belles Stakes Presented by Smithfield (G2) later that month at Churchill. She rebounded for a three-length allowance win July 24 at Saratoga. All three of those starts were at seven furlongs, the same distance as the Charles Town Oaks.

"She's a nice filly," Mott said. "Always well thought of. We tried stretching her up to a mile, two turns, and it didn't work, so we shortened her back up and it worked well. Six and seven furlongs are probably good distances for her."

Louis Wright's Inject  is aiming for her first graded win after finishing third in the July 10 Victory Ride Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park. One start earlier, the 3-year-old Frosted   filly won the Goldfinch Stakes by 5 1/4 lengths at a muddy Prairie Meadows. 

The Brad Cox trainee is out of the grade 1 winner Appealing Zophie , who notably produced 2017 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) winner Tapwrit   (by Frosted's sire, Tapit  ).

"Our filly doesn't have any experience around a racetrack as tight as Charles Town," Cox said, "but it's a very nice purse, a graded race, and will add to this filly's value if she can finish 1-2-3. We hope she'll be a big-time broodmare. She's got the pedigree."

The Charles Town Oaks also attracted Stonestreet Stables' Pauline's Pearl , winner of the Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park this spring and a last-out third in the Iowa Oaks (G3) for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. 

Averill Racing and ATM Racing's R Adios Jersey  ships in from Florida for trainer Georgina Baxter. Undefeated in four starts, she has not run since the March 28 Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

Lucky 7 Stables' Street Lute  is a six-time black-type winner in Maryland, and the John Robb trainee will try to add graded black-type to her résumé, on which she is currently an eight-time winner in 12 starts.

Moon Swag , Fabricate , Competitive Speed , Miss Leslie , and Allworthy  complete the field. Alayla  is also eligible. 

Entries: Charles Town Classic S. (G2)

Hollywood Casino At Charles Town Races, Friday, August 27, 2021, Race 12

• Grade II
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $800,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 10:18 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Warrior's Charge (FL)	Florent Geroux	118	Brad H. Cox	3/1
2	2Noble Drama (FL)	Angel Cruz	118	David Fawkes	8/1
3	3Rushie (FL)	Victor Espinoza	118	Michael W. McCarthy	5/1
4	4Bourbon Calling (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Ian R. Wilkes	15/1
5	5Informative (KY)	Jose C. Ferrer	120	Uriah St. Lewis	20/1
6	6Ny Traffic (NY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	8/1
7	7Sleepy Eyes Todd (KY)	Ry Eikleberry	118	Miguel Angel Silva	6/1
8	8Art Collector (KY)	Luis Saez	118	William I. Mott	5/2
9	9Restrainedvengence (KY)	Edwin A. Maldonado	120	Val Brinkerhoff	10/1
10	10Air Token (MD)	J. D. Acosta	118	Jose Corrales	30/1

Entries: Charles Town Oaks (G3)

Hollywood Casino At Charles Town Races, Friday, August 27, 2021, Race 11

• Grade III
• 7f
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 9:45 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Caramel Swirl (KY)	Junior Alvarado	118	William I. Mott	5/2
2	2Street Lute (MD)	Xavier Perez	120	John J. Robb	8/1
3	3Pauline's Pearl (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	123	Steven M. Asmussen	3/1
4	4Moon Swag (KY)	Deshawn L. Parker	118	Brendan P. Walsh	10/1
5	5Fabricate (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Ian R. Wilkes	20/1
6	6Inject (KY)	Florent Geroux	120	Brad H. Cox	9/2
7	7Competitive Speed (KY)	Leonel Reyes	120	Javier E. Gonzalez	10/1
8	8R Adios Jersey (FL)	Paco Lopez	120	Georgina Baxter	12/1
9	9Miss Leslie (KY)	J. D. Acosta	120	Claudio A. Gonzalez	20/1
10	10Allworthy (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	8/1
11	11Alayla (KY)	Charlie Marquez	118	Cathal A. Lynch	12/1