Prepping for Weat Virginia's Breeders Classics

Older horses pointing for next month's West Virginia Breeders Classics series will make their final local prep in a pair of seven-furlong stakes worth $50,000 apiece at Charles Town.

The Robert Hilton Memorial (race 8) for 3-year-olds and up and the Roger Van Hoozer Memorial (race 9) for fillies and mares are designed as tune-ups for the $100,000 Onion Juice and the $100,000 Cavada on the Oct.o20 West Virginia Breeders Classics program.

Likely to vie for favoritism in the Hilton are Smart Pace, who has won 4 of 6 starts since he was claimed for $6,000 by trainer Donald Campbell in July 2006, and Hello Out There, second in each of his last three starts, all rapidly run allowance races.

The field also includes Rhythmic Moves, winner of the seven-furlong West Virginia Lottery on last year's Breeders Classics card, and Shenandoah Harley, who followed a second in this race last year with a runner-up finish in the $450,000 West Virginia Breeders Classic. Neither horse has won this year, however.

In the Van Hoozer, Julie B returns to her home track after an unsuccessful two-race experiment on turf. A 4-year-old filly trained by George Yetsook, Julie B is 8 for 10 at Charles Town, including a win in last fall's $315,000 Cavada.

Julie B's chief rival is Carnival Chrome, a 5-year-old who is 7 for 10 locally. She won this race last year and finished second to Julie B in the Cavada.