Lucy's Bob Boy wins third straight Gall Memorial

Lucy’s Bob Boy stamped himself as the horse to beat in the $500,000 West Virginia Breeders’ Classic on Oct. 10 by scoring an emphatic victory Saturday night in the Frank Gall Memorial Stakes at Charles Town.

Lucy’s Bob Boy now has won the seven-furlong Gall Memorial three consecutive years. He is 24 for 35 at Charles Town and 25 for 39 in his career. He has earned $969,875.

Lucy’s Bob Boy chased the 13-10 favorite Hidden Canyon through fractions of 23.11 seconds and 46.84 Saturday, took the lead from the outside on the second turn and drew off to win by 5 1/4 lengths under jockey Jevian Toledo.

He paid $7.20 as the third choice in the six-horse field and was timed in 1:24.67. Lucy’s Bob Boy, a 6-year-old son of Flatter, is trained by Sandra Dono and owned by Michael Furr.

Hidden Canyon, who was making his second start following a 13-month layoff, lasted for second by a neck over the 40-1 Little Big Sime, the longest shot in the field who closed late after trailing the field on the backstretch.

Russell Road, the 19-10 second betting choice, raced forwardly to the stretch but flattened out to finish fourth, a length behind Little Big Sime.

Lucy’s Bob Boy, Hidden Canyon, and the 9-year-old Russell Road will likely meet again in the West Virginia Breeders’ Classic at 1 1/8 miles with a start in between a possibility. Last year, Lucy’s Bob Boy was sent off as the 1-2 favorite in the Classic but was run down by the 9-2 Russell Road in the stretch and beaten a half-length.

Lucy’s Bob Boy won the Classic in 2012. Russell Road has won the race three times – 2014, 2011, and 2009.