Coastal Mission tries to extend win streak in West Virginia Breeders' Classic

Coastal Mission will be looking for his sixth consecutive win when he makes his three-turn debut in Saturday night’s $300,000 Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders’ Classic at Charles Town.

The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up is the richest of 10 restricted stakes on the annual West Virginia Breeders’ Classics card. There were 99 horses entered, and purses for the program top $1 million.

Coastal Mission is one of three Jeff Runco-trained runners in the Classic. He will be joined by Muad’dib, who has won the past two runnings of the race, and Noballstwostrikes. Runco has a total of 14 horses entered on the card Saturday.

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“We work all year for this,” he said of the Classic.

Coastal Mission has built his streak in two-turn races, all at Charles Town. It began in April in a first-level allowance and has continued with a 2 3/4-length win in the $250,000 Russell Road on Aug. 25.

“The way the horse runs – he won that Russell Road from off the pace, won pretty nicely going away going seven-eighths – it looks like the added distance isn’t going to hurt him,” Runco said.

Coastal Mission defeated open company in the race, and for his victory over shippers Mish and Sir Alfred James earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 99. It’s also the best number in the Classic. The horse has since been working regularly in advance of the three-turn test at Charles Town.

“I think he’ll be fine with it,” Runco said. “We’ve been training him a little different the last six weeks to get him ready. It looks like he’s got a good chance in it.”

Coastal Mission is a 4-year-old by Great Notion and is 10 for 15 for earnings of $431,653.

“He hadn’t put a step wrong pretty much in his career,” Runco said. “He’s a really nice horse, and with the big purse, we wanted to give him a try in the mile and an eighth. He could have gone to the Maryland Million for $100,000 or the Sprint for $75,000.”

Arnaldo Bocachica, who has ridden Coastal Mission on a regular basis, has the mount from post 2. Bocachica won eight stakes on the West Virginia Breeders’ Classics card in 2021. Runco won seven on the same program in 2021.

Their winners included Muad’dib, who enters this year’s running off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic on Aug. 25. Muad’dib is a specialist at three turns, with four stakes at the 1 1/8-mile distance at Charles Town.

Muad’dib will break from post 10 under Marshall Mendez. The 6-year-old horse is 14 for 18 for owner David Raim, who won five West Virginia Breeders’ Classic stakes in 2021.

Noballstwostrikes was a first-level allowance winner at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 25 at Charles Town. Orlando Bocachica has the mount from post 6.

Dash for Cash

Penguin Power will attempt to win a West Virginia Breeders’ Classic stakes for the fifth year on Saturday. He goes in the $75,000 Dash for Cash, a 4 1/2-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up, that he won last season after previously accounting for three runnings of the Onion Juice.

Penguin Power will break from post 9 in the field of 10.

“We got a great post for him, on the outside, which he likes,” Runco said.

Penguin Power has won 18 of 35 career starts for earnings of $535,574. David Raim owns the 8-year-old son of Fiber Sonde.

“He’s getting a little older now,” Runco said. “He still loves his job.

“We’ve given him time when he needs it. We haven’t over-raced him. He’s been a sturdy horse. When we bought him, he was a nice strong horse. He’s held up throughout the years. We’ve been lucky to have him.”

Penguin Power won his career debut in 2017 at Charles Town for Raim and Runco. In more recent times, he won an allowance over open company in July and was third in a statebred stakes in August.

Arnaldo Bocachica has the mount on Penguin Power.

The probable favorite is Little Roo Roo, who is 7 for 9 in 2023.

Onion Juice

In this year’s $75,000 Onion Juice for 3-year-olds and up over seven furlongs, Runco will saddle Social Chic. The horse is attempting to turn the tables on No Change, who he finished second to as the favorite in the Frank Gall Memorial on Aug. 25 at Charles Town.

“He’s got to learn to relax a little bit,” Runco said of Social Chic. “He gets amped up, gets on the lead. He runs his best race off the pace – when we can get him to do that. It’s all about the trip with him.”

Social Chic’s last win came when he closed from next-to-last to defeat open company in an allowance in March. He used the same tactics two starts ago, when third to West Virginia Breeders’ Classic favorite Coastal Mission.

Arnaldo Bocachica has the mount from the rail for Smart Angle LLP.

Lottery

Runco saddles Duncan Idaho in the $75,000 Lottery, which is for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs. Duncan Idaho enters off a third-place finish to Little Roo Roo in a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up on Sept. 21 at Charles Town.

The race was run over 4 1/2 furlongs, and Duncan Idaho is a three-time winner at the distance. He is looking for his first two-turn win as he returns to the straight 3-year-old ranks for the first time since April.

“He’s a half-brother to Maud’dib,” Runco said. “He’s pretty good at four and a half. We’re stretching him out for the second time. Hopefully, he runs okay. He should.”

In his lone two-turn start, Duncan Idaho was third in a 6 1/2-furlong race against older rivals June 9 at Charles Town.

◗ Hessica seeks to win the $125,000 Cavada for fillies and mares at seven furlongs for the second year in a row. The chief threat appears to be Runco-trainee The Sky Is Falling.

◗ Seneca Rocks moves back to 1 1/8 miles for the $75,000 Classic Distaff, and she’s run well at the three-turn trip in the past. She is seeking her second Breeders’ Classics stakes win at Charles Town.

◗ King Kontie and Jubawithatwist, who dead-heated for the win in the Mercer for 2-year-olds last out at Charles Town, both move to two turns for the $75,000 Vincent Moscarelli.

◗ Ran Out of Trainer, who was third in the Mercer, returns to racing with fillies in the $75,000 Triple Crown Nutrition. The probable favorite in the 6 1/2-furlong race is Direct the Cat for her last-race Beyer of 83.

◗ Juba’s Parade will be looking for her fourth straight win when she starts in the $75,000 Department of Tourism for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs.

◗ Stryda brings a four-race win streak into the $75,000 Blue N Gold.

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