On a Charles Town Classic evening with many big-name riders absent, Charles Town’s local contingent managed to spread the wealth around.
The evening’s seven stakes went to six different riders, and upsets – with often thrilling finishes — were the order of the day.
The most thrilling of all might well have come in the $100,000 Russell Road for older runners, when Bourbon Calling and veteran rider J. D. Acosta ran down Wind of Change on the wire to win by a head.
“I wasn’t sure I got there. I knew it was close,” Acosta said. “When I looked over at [Wind of Change] I couldn’t tell if I got him.”
He did – barely.
The win was the first of 2020 and fifth lifetime for the Ian Wilkes-trained Bourbon Calling, and it was the first stakes win for the Dialed In gelding. He is also the latest stakes winner to emerge from the famed Hidden Brook Florida training center.
Wind of Change, with Carlos Delgado in the irons, led throughout but was just unable to hold off the late charge of Bourbon Calling. Wind of Change was 12-1 at post time, while Bourbon Calling was 7-1.
While Wind of Change was winging it up front, Bourbon Calling dawdled in fifth in the early going, well back from the leader.
“My horse felt good down the backside, and I moved him near the quarter pole,” Acosta said. “I was looking for one of the Asmussen horses to come with me, but I didn’t see any of them. I looked up and saw [Wind of Change] with a big lead and then started getting after my horse.
-edited from www.theracingbiz.com
