Bob’s Bets: Your best shots for The Charles Town Classic

The Charles Town Classic is a novel event. Worth $1.25 million, it runs 1 1/8 miles around three turns.

Saturday will be the eighth running and, as usual, the generous purse has attracted some talented handicap horses from around the country. Here’s how it might go:

1. Donworth is a lightly raced 4-year-old who had a terrible trip last time out in the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap and didn’t seem to like the added furlong in that event. He’s moving in the right direction and if he can handle the turns, he could step up to the big prize.

2. Stanford makes his third start after a long layoff and could show the way in a field short on early speed. He just missed in his last race, the Grade II Gulfstream Park Handicap.

3. Imperative was second in this race last year — a familiar position for a talented horse who seems to be willing to settle for ‘bridesmaid’. He was fourth in the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap.

Among the others: International Star should be running late. Page McKenney finished third in this last year and is only a nose short of a six-race winning streak on the local circuit.

Longshot special: S’maverlous was a $25,000 claimer last year. Last month, he jumped up to win the Grade II New Orleans Handicap at this same distance.