Seven graded-stakes winners are among the 54 horses nominated to the $400,000 Red Legend Stakes, the richest 3-year-old sprint stakes in the country, set for June 19 at Charles Town Races & Slots.
Peter Redekop B.C.’s Comedero, who just missed setting a new track record for seven furlongs at Charles Town when he romped in the April 17 Blue and Gold Stakes, is expected for the Red Legend, also run at seven furlongs around two turns. His connections suggested as much after the Arkansas-bred gelding by Posse won the May 15 Chick Lang Stakes (gr. III) at Pimlico Race Course.
Comedero, trained by Mike Stidham, is current based at Delaware Park.
Fox Hill Farms’ Winslow Homer, who hasn’t raced since winning the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 23, could start his comeback in the Red Legend, Charles Town racing officials said. Also based at Delaware Park, Winslow Homer had eyes on the major spring 3-year-old races before he was sidelined by injury.
Trained by Anthony Dutrow, Winslow Homer, a Kentucky-bred by Unbridled's Song, has been working regularly and effectively at the Delaware track.
Dutrow also nominated A Little Warm, who hasn’t won a graded stakes but finished second in both the Hutcheson Stakes and Louisiana Derby (both gr. II) earlier this year. The Virginia-bred by Stormin Feveralso is based at Delaware Park.
Other graded-stakes winners nominated for the Red Legend are Backtalk; Caracortado; Discreetly Mine, who finished second in the June 5 Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Emirates Airline (gr. II) at Belmont Park and isn’t expected for the Red Legend; Smiling Tiger ; and Thiskyhasnolimit.
The Red Legend is one of several stakes on the Sprint Festival program at Charles Town. First post time is set for 6 p.m. EDT.
The West Virginia track’s first “big event” night in April featured the $1 million Charles Town Classic, which was run for the second time. The Classic was flattered by the results of the May 31 Lone Star Handicap (gr. III) when Redding Colliery and Awesome Gemfinished one-two after finishing third and second, respectively, behind Researcher in the Classic.
