As Yogi Berra said, it’s happening again on August 26 in the $1 million Charles Town Classic (G2) as Art collector shake off a tough challenge to sprint for an easy 4 1/4 win.
The year 2021 repeats itself, as the Art Collector heads to West Virginia to win the Alydar Stakes at Saratoga Racecourse and fight to win the Charles Town Classic, get better in a long game with Todd’s sleepy eyes .
This time, it is Muad’dib a locally trained West Virginia hybrid gelding, 10 to 10 record defense, who presented the Art Collector challenge at Hollywoood Casino at Charles Town Races. The two finished early in the 1/8 kilometer event, three turns, and essentially ran side by side.
Muad’dib seemed to have really put his foot forward against Art Collector, the favorite 1-2, as the field crossed the finish line for the first time. In the second round, Art Collector and driver Luis Saez redefined their level and took the lead gently for the second time on the final lap.
Entering the final turn, the Art Collector started to advance and was clearly the winner of the final game. Muad’dib, a 5 year old child by Sonde yarn uphold the honor of the locality by hanging in second place, in front of Mind control with Effective Wednesday.
The shape of the race changed from the start as Mind Control stepped out of the gate and never gained speed, leaving only Muad’dib to keep the Art Collector honest at the front. Unpressured throughout the final leg, he finished in 1:51.30, two seconds behind last year’s attempt.
Art Collector wins Charles Town Classic
“I was almost a little surprised” that Art Collector took the lead, says coach Bill Mott. “I mean, he was rocketing tonight and he was there, so Luis took advantage of it. We thought there was a good chance that the two of us would show speed. , and it was the home horse that showed all the speed .
“Actually, I would give him a lot of credit. He was very competitive. He was there with us and finished the race very well. So it was a good race for him. . He’ll be 10 to 10 into the race. If you win 10 in a row, you’re a good horse. And we could have beaten him tonight.”
The Art Collector’s start in Alydar was the first time he finished in a lackluster 12th place in the Saudi Arabia Cup (G1) on February 26. After that race, he and several other horses were lost. stuck in Riyadh for almost a month because of traffic problems and got lost in that training time. Winning owner Bruce Lunsford notes that difficulty.
“We’ve recovered from a rough ride earlier and we’ve continued that and Bill has great patience, the best I’ve ever seen,” Lunsford said. “This turns out to be a pretty charming horse. I like that horse, you know? It’s special.”
After the 2021 Charles Town race, Art Collector went on to win Woodward Stakes (G1) at Belmont Parkbut Mott won’t confirm plans for the rest of the year.
“Well, we have to talk about that,” he said. “I mean, we have a number of options. You think about the races in the next sequence of events. You have the Clark Stock (G1). You have the Woodward. You have the Breeders.” Cups. So that’s all the stuff we’re going to enjoy talking about. That’s the fun of it, trying to do it right. “
Art collector, 5-year-old son of Bernardini , took his 10th win in 19 starts and pushed his earnings past the $2 million mark. Raised by his owner, he has no Distorted humor mare Distorted legacy .
Video: Charles Town Classic S. (G2)
