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INSIDE THE NUMBERS: How to Best Bet the Charles Town Classic on Friday with Ed DeRosa

August 21, 2025

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: How to Best Bet the Charles Town Classic on Friday with Ed DeRosa

A certain celebrity comes with winning a track’s marquee race in consecutive years, and with that celebrity: wagering dollars, which make said celebrity overbet.

So it goes with Skippylongstocking, who–full disclosure–is one of my favorite horses in training after helping me key a huge trifecta score in the 2022 Belmont Stakes. I love seeing him travel the country to take on most comers during a career that has spanned five seasons with 11 wins from 33 starts and earnings of more than $3.6-million.

But all those warm fuzzies do not mean he is worth a bet as the 7-5 morning line favorite in the Charles Town Classic on Friday at Charles Town Races in West Virginia.

Both of Skippylongstocking’s Charles Town Classic wins came in gate-to-wire fashion, but there is better speed to challenge him this year in the form of No. 1 Banishing. A look at the Horse Racing Nation Track Trends Tool shows us that inside speed does consistently well in Charles Town routes.

Track Trends 2025:

Track Trends since 2022:

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