KY Downs Preview Turf Sprint: 8-year-old Charcoal earns biggest win of career

When Charcoal was a youngster, owner-breeder Ron Dowdy was told he should euthanize the horse because of a rare ailment. Turns out penicillin did the trick, and Charcoal won the biggest race of his career in his 40th start, rallying to upset favored Coppola by a head in the $250,000* Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint at Ellis Park. The victory gave Charcoal a fees-paid spot in the Sept. 7 $2 million* Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint (G2). We spoke with jockey Axel Concepcion (last year's Eclipse Award apprentice) and a very happy trainer Tracey Wisner and Dowdy, who didn't realize he just got his entry fees paid to a $2 million stakes.
*includes KTDF