Joseph Sends Out Four Fillies in Charles Town Oaks

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will send out four fillies in the $750,000 Charles Town Oaks (G2) Aug. 22 at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, a race he won last year with Mystic Lake. The race for 3-year-old fillies is slated to go off about 40 minutes before the trainer sends out Skippylongstocking in his attempt at three consecutive wins in the $1 million Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2). Joseph's Oaks contingent is led by Jersey Girl Stakes winner Indy Bay. A field of 10 3-year-old fillies is entered for the seven-furlong race, which will be contested around two turns due to Charles Town being a bullring track. Indy Bay's most recent effort was a third in the July 3 Victory Ride Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course, beaten nine lengths by Echo Sound. C2 Racing Stable, Paul Braverman, and Timothy Pinch's Indy Bay, a filly by Take Charge Indy, has never finished off the board in her six career starts. "We take the blame for her last race," Joseph said. "We brought her back a little too quickly after a big effort in the (June 8) Jersey Girl. We've regrouped, and she's doing well. The two turns is a new variable to deal with, but she should be right there." Joseph also runs Andrea, Paradise City, and Luvumorgan. Mark Corrado and G. Chris Coleman's Andrea recently won the Azalea Stakes at Gulfstream Park over stablemate Luvumorgan, who finished fourth. The latter adds blinkers Friday night. Paradise City, meanwhile, returns after a third-place finish in the Iowa Oaks July 5. Last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) runner-up Vodka With a Twist, the 2-1 morning-line favorite, looks to rebound after a sixth-place finish in the July 6 Pea Patch Stakes in her first try on the turf at Ellis Park. Before that, the Philip D'Amato-trained filly ran second to subsequent Test Stakes (G1) winner Kilwin in the Leslie's Lady Overnight Stakes June 8 at Churchill Downs, finishing five lengths ahead of third-place finisher Evanescence. The daughter of Thousand Words, bred in Kentucky by Pillar Property Services, was purchased privately and turned over to D'Amato after a fast maiden victory in her second start. She has a record of 2-4-2 from 10 career starts, including five graded stakes placings. She races for owners BlackRidge Stables, Medallion Racing, Schwing Thoroughbreds, Omar Aldabbagh, and Bill Strauss. Louisiana-bred standout Secret Faith, who boasts an impressive eight wins in 10 starts for trainer Jayde Gelner, will race outside her home state for just the second time Friday night. All but one of her wins have come in Louisiana-bred company. She comes into Friday's race off a 14 3/4-length victory in the Louisiana Stallion Stakes at Evangeline Downs Aug. 1. She was bred by Hume Wornall and Jay Adcock and is owned by Norman Stables, the same connections of Rebel Stakes (G2) winner Coal Battle. She comes off a bullet work at Evangeline, but will have to show she can handle the step up in class. Rounding out the field are Not Too Late, Indiana Oaks (G3) runner-up Top, Zip Start, and North Carolina-bred Volleyballprincess. Insights from Thoro-Graph Indy Bay exploded at Oaklawn Park, with a wide trip earning her a figure that would win almost any 3-year-old filly stakes they run. Her two since haven't been as big, but with the rail at a bullring, even those are probably good enough here. Andrea ran a new top last time out, but it leaves her well short of her stablemate. Vodka With A Twist will take a lot of play based on close-up finishes in stakes at major circuits, but she's never run fast enough to threaten Indy Bay if that one fires any of her last three. Secret Faith ran big last time out, and that's the problem. If she runs back to that one, she has a real shot here, but every time she's run that fast, she's followed it with a bounce. This time she's trying it on short rest, shipping. Thoro-Graph performance figures are calculated based on a race’s time with adjustments for beaten lengths, track speed, ground loss, weight carried, and, when necessary, wind. The lower the number, the better the race. Complimentary sheets for this week’s race can be found online at Thoro-Graph. Learn more about how to analyze Thoro-Graph data at www.thorograph.com/basics.