Moreno Regains Winning Stride in Charles Town Classic

Moreno held off a late bid from Imperative to win the Charles Town Classic Stakes on Saturday. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
Moreno regained his elite form in the $1,450,000 Charles Town Classic Stakes on Saturday and set a new track at Charles Town Races.
The Grade 1 winner took command on the backstretch under Cornelio Velasquez and opened up a clear advantage. He was in complete command entering the stretch and comfortably held off a late bid from 2014 Charles Town Classic victor Imperative.
A frightening moment occurred in the middle of the race when jockey Mike Smith pulled up champion Shared Belief. Shared Belief appeared to get off to a troubled start and dropped well back early.
“He just seemed to slip in behind and wasn't comfortable,” Smith said. “The safe thing to do at that point was to get back in one piece.” 
Following the race, he was loaded into an ambulance. Initial reports indicated that he sustained a stifle injury that is not expected to be career-threatening.
“When I got to the horse, I saw a little soft tissue swelling in the right stifle,” said state veterinarian Elizabeth Daniel. “We gather it’s something that happened leaving the starting gate.”
Moreno entered the Charles Town Classic winless in his previous five races. He finished third most recently in the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap but was beaten by only a half-length after leading in deep stretch.
In the Charles Town Classic, Moreno got off to a nice start, but Warrioroftheroses sprinted out to take the lead and Velasquez settled Moreno in second through an opening quarter-mile in :23.19 and a half-mile in :47.18. He overhauled Warrioroftheroses on the backstretch to take command and coasted to a 2-length victory in 1:48.81 to establish a new track record for 1 1/8 miles at Charles Town.
“I wanted to send for the lead, but the others had more speed,” Velasquez said. “I wanted to put him in good position. I wanted to keep him busy. I had a lot of horse. At the three-eighths pole I asked him and he didn't stop.”  
Moreno improved to four wins, eight seconds and four thirds in 26 lifetime starts. The $852,000 winner’s share of the purse boosted his career earnings to $2,926,940.
Eric Guillot trains Moreno, who won the 2014 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga Race Course, for owner Southern Equine Stable. Moreno paid $16 for a $2 win ticket and the exacta with 31-to-1 Imperative second returned $331.80 for a $2 bet.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
MORENO PREVAILED EASILY IN CHARLES TOWN CLASSIC

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire