A total of 98 horses have been nominated to four stakes as a part of Charles Town Races & Slots inaugural “Juvenile Showcase” scheduled for Aug 23.
The juvenile stakes include the $100,000 Charles Town Juvenile for 2-year-olds, the $100,000 Miss Shenandoah for 2-year-old fillies, as well as the $50,000 Rachel’s Turn Stakes for West Virginia accredited 2-year-old fillies. The Frank Gall Memorial for West Virginia accredited 3-year-olds and upward going seven furlongs rounds out the stakes races that evening.
Nominations for the 4 1/2 furlong Charles Town Juvenile are headlined by the Steve Asmussen trained Valiancy, an impressive maiden winner at Saratoga in his first career start July 31. Valiancy’s owner, Padua Stables, also captured the Red Legend Stakes in The Charles Town Sprint Festival June 21 with their homebred colt Devereux.
Undefeated My Dominick James, out of Larry Rivelli’s barn, nominates following a score in the July 5 Prairie Gold Juvenile at Prairie Meadows. They are joined by Tim Salzman’s Essenceofthemoon who recently returned to the winners’ circle in a Delaware Park allowance following two unsuccessful stakes tries at Belmont and Churchill Downs. The local hopes will likely be pinned to Herb’s Fiddle, trained by Charles Town stabled Ollie Figgins III. Herb’s Fiddle won his debut impressively in front running style earlier this month.
A deep field of fillies will be on tap in the 4 1/2 furlong Miss Shenandoah. Once again Padua and Asmussen appear to have a strong hand with Vindy, a son of 2002 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner Vindication, as well as A Day for Dancing and Shining Moment who both just missed in their recent stakes efforts.
Perennial leading California conditioner Jerry Hollendorfer nominated Broadway Hennessey who comes off a recent stakes score in the Wine Country Juvenile Fillies at Santa Rosa. Broadway Hennessey also set the track record for 4 1/2 furlongs at Golden Gate in her career debut back on June 14.
Post time for the first race for the Charles Town Juvenile Showcase is 7:15 p.m. EDT. All four races will be part of an all stakes pick four comprising races five through eight, with the Charles Town Juvenile scheduled to be the eighth race with a post time of approximately 10:03 p.m.