Charles Town: Russell Road turns tables on Lucy's Bob Boy in A Huevo

Mike Montgomery

Russell Road, under Luis Perez, collects his 23rd lifetime victory in the A Huevo for West Virginia-breds.

Russell Road made amend for his defeat as the odds-on favorite in last month’s West Virginia Breeders’ Classic and last fall’s A Huevo when he ran down younger rival Lucy’s Bob Boy in deep stretch to win Saturday night’s $50,850 A Huevo Stakes for West Virginia-breds at Charles Town.

The 3-year-old Lucy’s Bob Boy, coming off an eight-length win in the Oct. 20 Breeders’ Classic, seemed on his way to his seventh straight victory when he drew clear at the quarter pole and was a length on top with a furlong remaining in the 1 1/8-mile A Huevo. But Russell Road ($9.40) mounted a late charge under jockey Luis Perez and powered past Lucy’s Bob Boy to prevail by a length.

Lucy’s Bob Boy, sent off the 3-5 favorite, held second with 90-1 longshot Lively Reparations finishing third. Defending champion Plantation, who set early fractions of 49.00 seconds and 1:13.96, faded to sixth as the 5-2 second choice.

Russell Road, a 6-year-old gelded son of Wheaton owned by Mark Russell and trained by James W. Casey, completed the nine furlongs on a fast track in 1:53.20. He has now won 23 of 38 starts and $1,374,114. He won the 2009 running of the A Huevo by eight lengths, but was fourth a year ago at 1-2 odds and second in 2010 as the 1-10 choice.