Charles Town Classic
| Grade II race | |
| Location |
Charles Town Races & Slots Charles Town, West Virginia |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 2009 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website |
www |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs) |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Four-year-olds and up |
| Weight | Assigned |
| Purse | $1,250,000 |
The Charles Town Classic is an American Thoroughbred horse race for older horses (four-year-olds and up) and is run at Charles Town Races & Slots in Charles Town, West Virginia. Inaugurated in 2009, it's set at a distance of 1 mile and 1/8 on the dirt and carries a purse of $1,500,000. The track design itself is more demanding, it is a 6 furlong oval, instead of 1 mile which is the way most newer tracks are built.[1] The final times will appear slower, as compared to 1 mile oval times, especially for longer races, due to added turns of a 6 furlong track.
Charles Town Track Officials announced a new purse layout for the 2015 running of this race in order to attract the brightest stars in racing. This means that if the winner of the Classic has also won prestigious races there is $500,000 set aside from the purse for their Classic success.[2]
Charles Town Track officials announced in December 2015 that the purse for the 2016 running of the Charles Town Classic would be reduced to $1,250,000.[3]
Grade & Purse
- 2015 - Grade 2 - $1,250,000
- 2014 - Grade 2 - $1,500,000
- 2013 - Grade 2 - $1,500,000
- 2012 - Grade 2 - $1,000,000
- 2011 - Grade 3 - $1,000,000
(note: This is the race's first year as a Graded Race.)
- 2010 - no grade - $1,000,000
- 2009 - no grade - Tiered Purse ($500,000 - $1,000,000)
(note: In 2009, if the winner had previously won a Grade 1 Stakes Race, then the purse was $1,000,000. If the winner had previously won a Grade 2 Stakes Race, then the purse was $750,000. If the winner had previously won a Grade 3 Stakes Race, then the purse was $600,000. If the winner had never before won a Graded Stakes Race, then the purse was $500,000.)
Records
Speed Record:
- Moreno 2015 1:48.81
Most Wins:
- Researcher 2009 & 2010
Winners
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Owner |
Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Moreno | 5 | Cornelio Velasquez | Eric J. Guillot | Southern Equine Stable | 1:48.81 |
| 2014 | Imperative | 4 | Kent Desormeaux | George Papaprodromou | KM Racing Enterprise | 1:50.56 |
| 2013 | Game On Dude | 6 | Mike E. Smith | Bob Baffert | Lanni Family Trust, Mercedes Stable LLC, & Schiappa | 1:49.93 |
| 2012 | Caixa Eletronica | 7 | Javier Castellano | Todd Pletcher | Mike Repole | 1:50.28 |
| 2011 | Duke of Mischief | 5 | Joe Bravo | David Fawkes | Lieblong, McMaster & Fawkes | 1:51.13 |
| 2010 | Researcher | 6 | Luis Perez | Jeff Runco | Kinross Corp | 1:49.94 |
| 2009 | Researcher | 5 | Kendrick Carmouche | Jeff Runco | Rutledge Farm | 1:49.76 |
Videos
- Charles Town Classic Video, Charles Town - April 16, 2011
- Charles Town Classic Video, Charles Town - April 17, 2010
- Charles Town Classic Video, Charles Town - April 18, 2009
References
- Another Classic Victory By Researcher
- Charles Town Track official site
- ESPN - "Researcher Takes Charles Town Classic"