by Jeff Apel

My Pal Charlie quickly gained command approaching the stretch and earned his first career stakes win, taking the $515,000 Super Derby (G2) by 4 1/4 lengths on Saturday at Louisiana Downs.

A full brother to multiple graded stakes winner Bwana Charlie and half brother to Grade 3 winner Bwana Bull, My Pal Charlie was firmly restrained by jockey Curt Bourque near the inside rail at the start and dropped back to fourth as Stungbythestorm set the pace through a half-mile in :47.65 and six furlongs in 1:11.81.

My Pal Charlie was slightly steadied by Bourque near the three-eighths pole before gaining command on the inside of Stungbythestorm. Unleashing a determined rally on the turn, My Pal Charlie overtook Stungbythestorm to gain command and turned back a late bid from classic-placed Grade 2 winner Macho Again.

Time for the 1 1/8-mile race was 1:48.36 on a track rated as fast.

Preakness Stakes (G1) runner-up Macho Again, the 6-to-5 favorite in the Gallant Bloom's field of ten three-year-olds, edged Forest Command by a neck for second.

Albert Stall Jr. trains My Pal Charlie for owner B. Wayne Hughes. The Indian Charlie colt finished second to Pyro in the Northern Dancer Stakes (G3) on June 14 at Churchill Downs prior to posting a fifth-place finish in the West Virginia Derby (G3) in his previous start on August 2 at Mountaineer Race Track.

My Pal Charlie also finished second to Pyro in the Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 8 at Fair Grounds.

My Pal Charlie earned his third win in 11 starts and increased his earnings to $534,163. Bred in Kentucky by John Penn, My Pal Charlie is out of the Halo mare Shahalo.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Jeff Apel is an assistant editor of Thoroughbred Times TODAY