Winchell Thoroughbreds' homebred Recharge went to the lead at the start and hung on by a neck to post a 42-1 upset in the $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic Stakes (G3) Jan. 25 at Sam Houston Race Park.
Recharge, a 4-year-old Gun Runner filly, was one of three entrants trained by Steve Asmussen in the field. Ridden by Irish-born jockey Ben Curtis, who was riding at Sam Houston for the first time Saturday, Recharge broke like a rocket from the rail.
She battled Hoosier Philly through fractions of :24.89, :49.22, and 1:13.20. Having turned her pace rival back in late stretch, Recharge had to survive a rush on the outside from 3-5 favorite Alpine Princess. Ridden by Manny Franco, Alpine Princess was fifth early and advanced four-wide around the far turn. She spun into the lane in the six path and kept coming, but her rally arrived too late.
It was another half-length back to Hoosier Philly in third. Final time for 1 1/16 miles on the fast dirt was 1:45.53. Recharge paid $86.60 to win.
"She knows how to win. Her running style is to be forward, and I just let her go out and do her thing," Curtis said. "She had two challengers she had to fight off and she did it all the way to the end."
Recharge is out of the stakes-winning Tapit mare Remit. This was the first graded score for the 2024 Sunland Park Oaks winner but the fourth consecutive Houston Ladies Classic win for Asmussen and his sixth in the last seven years.
