Charles Town Picks & Predictions — September 12, 2026

Awegod is right behind Pampero on our board at 80.52 and offers a touch of value at 7/2 on the morning line. Trainer Adam King — same barn that has Cloudyncool in Race 2 — appears to have this card circled, and Denis Vicente Araujo takes the mount. An avg speed of 51 is in the mix for this level, and a rating in the low 80s in a maiden claimer gives Awegod every reason to hit the board.

Knocking Luck rounds out the top three on our ratings at 77.79 and is worth including in trifectas at 6/1. Trainer Daniel W. Siculietano also has Honor the Bull in this race, so the barn has multiple shots — but Knocking Luck is clearly the stable's better-rated entry. Jahnxander Raspaldo gets the call, and with an avg speed matching Awegod, the 6/1 price makes this a value-forward show option.

Blanches Mule is our place selection at 5/1 with a 81.28 rating — just a tick below Keen Talent but essentially a dead heat on our model. Denis Vicente Araujo takes the mount for trainer Timothy Shanley, and while a 5% career win rate sounds low, the distance of 1 1/16 miles suits a closer profile that might eat up ground in the final stretch. She's the kind of horse who hits the board more than she wins, making the place bet especially logical.

Masterwork is our show pick at 7/2 with an 80.01 rating and a 17% career win rate — that win percentage is among the better marks in the field and suggests she knows how to finish races. Trainer Ronney W. Brown puts Moises Santaella on board, a jockey who knows this oval well. At 7/2 she's probably not the biggest overlay, but her rating and win rate justify inclusion in trifecta combinations, especially at the route distance where class and fitness come to the fore.

Doctor Pardo checks in at a 71.24 rating and 9/2 morning line, with a 16% career win rate adding to the appeal. Carlos J. Rodriguez takes the mount for trainer Samuel Figueroa, and an avg speed of 51 tells us he profiles as a midpack runner who can weave through traffic in a crowded sprint. At a fair price, Doctor Pardo rounds out exacta combinations nicely beneath our top selection.

Palm Island is the show pick at 6/1 with a 70.65 rating and the highest avg speed in the field at 56 — that speed figure is a legitimate differentiator in a field where most horses are clustered in the 50-54 range. Trainer Anthony Farrior, who also has Irish Warlock in this race, sends out Anthony Y. Nunez, and a 15% career win rate speaks to a horse who competes with consistency. The raw speed advantage at 7 furlongs could translate to a fast-closing effort if the early fractions get honest.

Malibu Years is the morning-line favorite at 9/5 with a 79.93 rating and a 23% career win rate — she's clearly a serious threat, which is why we have her as the place selection rather than fighting the likely chalk. Larry C. Reynolds takes the mount for Bobby L. Barber, and with an avg speed of 54 — second-highest in the field — she has the raw figures to hit the board even if Miss Interpatation runs her down late. Using both in exactas makes strong sense here.

Beautiful Crazy checks in at 79.01 on our ratings with an eye-catching avg speed of 57 — the highest in the entire field tonight — and a 26% career win rate that makes her more than a throwaway third choice. Trainer Anthony Farrior puts Jeiron Barbosa on board at 5/1, and that speed figure is the kind of outlier that can translate to an early pressing position in a sprint. If the pace sets up honestly, Beautiful Crazy has the engine to be involved at the wire.

Cappuccino Crunch is our place pick at 9/2 with a 74.42 rating and the best career win rate among the supporting cast at 25% — that's a meaningful data point in a field full of horses who have struggled to break their maiden or sustain winning form. Trainer Javier Contreras sends out Arnaldo Bocachica, and at a mile sprint distance, a horse with that win percentage knows how to get to the wire first when conditions are right. She's the logical player to include underneath in exactas.

Belle Cause rounds out our picks at a 73.01 rating and 6/1 morning line, with a 16% career win rate that keeps her in the conversation as a legitimate board horse. Victor Rodriguez takes the mount for trainer Kristy Rodriguez, and with the pace likely to be set by Truth and Justice, a horse with Belle Cause's closing profile at this price should be a standard trifecta inclusion. She won't win on her best day, but a spot on the board is well within reach.

Old Fashion Candy is a fascinating place pick at 7/2, carrying a 64.56 rating and an impressive 25% career win rate — the best win percentage among any horse in the field. Trainer Anthony Farrior puts Jose Y. Diaz on board, and with an avg speed of 53 matching our top pick, she has the raw tools to be competitive. In a 13-horse field where chaos is possible, a horse who knows how to finish races a quarter of the time provides solid place insurance.

Starship Refund at 5/1 is our show selection, bringing a 58.98 rating and the highest avg speed among the supporting cast at 54. Trainer Anthony Lucas sends out Denis Vicente Araujo, and a 12% career win rate in claiming company is respectable. In a field this large, pace scenarios get complicated, and a horse with Starship Refund's speed advantage on raw figures is the type who can sit just off a fast pace and reel in tired rivals in the stretch — exactly the kind of horse worth using in trifecta and superfecta coverage.