In addition to the two graded stakes races that were the highlights of the August 23 program at Charles Town, the Jefferson County Oval also featured two open races with purses of $500,000 that would normally have taken center stage but were a supporting complement to the Charles Town Classic and Charles Town Oaks.

In the recent revival of the $500,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes for fillies and foals, much of the attention was clearly focused on Spirit Wind, the Saffie Joseph, Jr.-trained horse who won the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in his last appearance and who employed the services of Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.

But although Spirit Wind took a 4-5 lead and set the pace from the start, it was two other talented mares that ultimately decided the matter.

When the gates opened in the Pink Ribbon Stakes, Spirit Wind, Free Like a Girl and Clearly Unhinged all started off very alert. Spirit Wind led through the clubhouse turn and entered the first quarter in a sharp 22.69 seconds, with Clearly Unhinged close behind at 1 ½ lengths. Free Like a Girl sat just outside Clearly Unhinged waiting for her turn.

Clearly Unhinged and Free Like a Girl both overtook the favorites on the final turn and the Pink Ribbon became a match race in the final furlong. In a thrilling finish, Free Like a Girl prevailed by a neck, stopping the clock for the seven furlongs in 1:24.51.

Free Like a Girl, a five-year-old daughter of El Deal trained by Chasey Deville Pomier, who owns the mare with Gerald Bruno, Jr., Carl J. Deville and Jerry Caroom, recorded her third win in nine starts this year and now has a solid 18-11-6 record and nearly $2 million in earnings from 41 career attempts. She finished a solid second to Society in the Charles Town Oaks two years ago in her only previous start at this track.

Their return trip to the Oval in West Virginia proved even more rewarding.

“She trains at Evangeline Downs in Louisiana, a track very similar to this one,” said Pomier, who indicated she would next compete at Churchill Downs. “The race went exactly as we expected. She tends to be really sharp at the start, but Luis rode her perfectly. She had the run we expected. She likes to have a target to run toward in the track. When she turned outside (Clearly Unhinged), I knew she was going to be tough.”

“She ran really hard, but I wanted to stay close behind her,” said Saez. “We had a great trip. When I asked her to run on the last corner, she was going really well. When I passed the outside of the leader on the home straight, I was pretty confident I could catch her.”

One race later, in the $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial for three-year-old boys, the race was delayed considerably when Catalytic became uncontrollable in the starting gate, tipped over and was withdrawn at short notice, and Valentine Candy (Cristian Torres) caused a modest upset at 7-1.

Valentine Candy was able to make up ground for most of the stretch, coming from just behind the pacemaker and gaining ground behind honest early stretches. He found a gap along the inside lane as he turned toward the finish line and shot past the 8-5 favorite Bentornato in the lane to take a two-length lead and stop the clock at 1:23.58.

Valentine Candy, a son of Justify trained by Steven Asmussen for owners William Heliligbrodt, Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm and Coteau Grove Farms, scored his third win in six seasonal attempts and now has six wins and over $800,000 from 12 career outings. He had won four minor races at Oaklawn Park during the winter, was fifth to Book’em Danno in the Grade I Woody Stephens and third to World Record in the Grade II Amsterdam at Saratoga.

Book’em Danno, likely a heavy favorite here, has been withdrawn to run in the Grade 1 Allen Jerkens race at Saratoga on Saturday.

“I thought the race was going to be very fast, so I just wanted to start in a good position,” said Torres. “I was able to make up ground in the first corner and then the last corner. When I asked him to turn into the finish line, he still had a lot of power left and we had space on the inside. He finished the race really well. The delay didn’t affect him – he was perfect the whole time.”