Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. started his night off strong, taking the first of two graded stakes at Charles Town Friday night as Mystic Lake (Mo Town) swept to the front in impressive fashion to win the GII Charles Town Oaks. The Florida-bred daughter of Mo Town wasn't bet like a winner, going off right on her 6-1 morning line, but entered on a strong run having won three of six starts this year in an “every other race” pattern. She earned her debut graded stakes win two back taking the GIII Miss Preakness Stakes at Pimlico May 17 and led every step but the last one when caught under the line last out in the GIII Victory Ride Stakes at Aqueduct July 4 en route to a career high 93 Beyer Speed Figures.
With Mike Smith in town to ride, who earned a redemptive win here after a dramatic gate scratch in the Robert Hilton Memorial in the race prior, Mystic Lake was outrun by the local hero Overnight Pow Wow (Fiber Sonde) and sat off that rival up the backstretch through an opening half in :46.51. Looming midway around the turn, she breezed right on by that pacesetter past the quarter pole and clearly the class of the field down the stretch, opening up at will to come in ahead of My Mane Squeeze (Audible) and Princess Madison (Speightstown) as favorite Haulin Ice (Coal Front) failed to fire and came home an empty seventh.
Pedigree Note:
One of 10 stakes winners for Coolmore America's Mo Town, Mystic Lake is the only reported foal to date out of Salty Soul who has not been bred since foaling her in 2021. She is the first stakes winner represented by daughters of broodmare sire Itsmyluckyday, who took the GI Woodward Stakes en route to earning over $1.7m in his racing career. After bringing $130,000 as a 2-year-old at OBS March last year, Mystic Lake RNA'd for $370,000 at the Fasig-Tipton May Digital Sale earlier this year and, with Friday's win, stretched her career earnings to over $750,000.
“IT'S MYSTIC LAKE ($14.00) and @mikeesmith10! THEY WERE MAGNIFICENT” – @BettorCallPaul
The daughter of Mo Town (@coolmoreamerica) dominated the $750,000 Charles Town Oaks (G2) at @RaceCharlesTown for trainer @SaffieJosephJr.
Play the late Pick 3: https://t.co/Z6nlbZ5RHr pic.twitter.com/Jv0mEfBPA9
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 24, 2024
Friday, Charles Town
CHARLES TOWN OAKS-GII, $750,000, Charles Town, 8-23, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:24.18, ft.
1–MYSTIC LAKE, 123, f, 3, by Mo Town
1st Dam: Salty Soul, by Itsmyluckyday
2nd Dam: Pyramyst, by Pyramid Peak
3rd Dam: Almost Mystical, by General Assembly
($3,500 Ylg '22 OBSOCT; $130,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR; $370,000
RNA 3yo '24 FTDMAY). O-C2 Racing Stable LLC and Stefania
Farms, LLC; B-Peggy Costanzo (FL); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.;
J-Mike E. Smith. $432,000. Lifetime Record: 11-5-3-1,
$758,554. Werk Nick Rating: F.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–My Mane Squeeze, 123, f, 3, Audible–In Spite of Mama,
by Speightstown. O-William J. Butler and WinStar Farm LLC;
B-William Butler (NY); T-Michael J. Maker. $144,000.
3–Princess Madison, 118, f, 3, Speightstown–Queen Bee to
You, by Old Topper. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK
TYPE. ($250,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Rigney Racing, LLC;
B-Christopher St. Hilaire & Adam Vali (KY); T-Philip A. Bauer.
$72,000.
Margins: 5 3/4, NK, HF. Odds: 6.00, 3.00, 3.70.
Also Ran: Overnight Pow Wow, Vincey Girl, Sing a Little Song, Haulin Ice, Roswell, Deviletta, Nay V Belle. Scratched: Impel.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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