Indy Bay is standing to Charles Town Oaks Win * The Racing Biz

The first trip from Indy Bay to Graded Stakes Company did not go so well, but trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. Calculated that into a trainer error.

Her second attempt? That went fine.

Under an intoxicating ride of Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., Indy Bay saved the ground almost the entire trip, tipped wide in the lane and shot past the favorite vodka with a turn to win on Friday, Grade 2, $ 750,000 Charles Town Oaks.

“This is big,” said Joseph. “This is great to make her a graded deployment winner.”

Owned by C2 Racing Stable LLC and Paul Braverman, Indy Bay, by Take Charge Indy, only cost $ 19,000 as a yearling. The share of the winner today improves its record to four victories of seven starts and increases its bankroll to $ 675,000.

The victory also continues a remarkable series of Dominance by Charles Town for Joseph’s Barn. Last year they wiped the Charles Town Oaks and Classic with Mystic Lake and Skippylongstocking, and the first returned earlier in the evening to win the foggy Bennett Pink Ribbon of $ 250,000. Charles Town runs only four open commitment per year; Joseph has won two in each of the past two years.

“You don’t know. Some horses don’t treat the job,” said Joseph. “But once you’ve found the horse to tackle it, and there is the right race for them, you want to go.”

Indeed.

After being transferred to Joseph’s Barn earlier this year, Indy Bay registered three consecutive victories, including a narrow score in Saratoga’s Jersey Girl 8 June. But in the grade 3 Victory Ride on the same track on July 3, she was a well-drawn third on 9-5 odds.

“The last time we ran her back to fast,” Joseph explained. “It was our fault; we got her beat. This time we refreshed her and they showed today how good she is.”

Indy Bay was alert under Ortiz, but she soon gave the lead to Stablemate Andrea, a preliminary winner of the Stakes herself driven by Jose Ortiz. Andrea led through an opener in 23.57 seconds, with Indy Bay hidden just behind and on the rail. Vodka with a turn had meanwhile gone up to only press Andrea to her outside.

“She broke really well, but I just left her behind the top on the first two,” said Irad Ortiz. “I had the other two speed horses done most of the work and I was just a journey behind them.”

Half went in 47.72 seconds and Wodka went with a turn to the attack that came in the long turn. That peed on the move of Indy Bay, and Ortiz moved her three -wide rotating turning of turn. Her victory margin was two lengths and duration for seven furlongs on a fast main track was 1: 25.82.

“I knew I had a lot of horse to go the far turn,” said Ortiz. “When I bent her from the rail, she felt really good. I once hit her right -handed at the top of the track and she went quite easily. But to go home, I felt quite confident.”

Indy Bay paid $ 7.00 to win. The Exacta, with favorite vodka with a turn underneath, returned $ 15.00 for a deployment of one dollar. Andrea kept third.