Russell Road heads pre-entries for West Virginia Breeders Classic card

Russell Road is among 10 former winners of West Virginia Breeders’ Classic races among the pre-entries for this year’s event on Saturday, Oct. 16, at Charles Town.

The 4-year-old Russell Road will attempt to become the fifth horse to win the premier race for West Virginia-breds, the $500,000 Classic, for the second time. He won last year’s race by 8 1/2 lengths, but hasn’t been quite as consistent this season, winning 3 of 7 starts. A win in the Classic would push his career earnings past $1 million.

Among the horses expected to challenge Russell Road are 2008 Classic winner Ghostly Thunder; Son of a Bear, who won last fall’s Vincent Moscarelli Breeders’ Classic en route to being named West Virginia’s champion 2-year-old; and the 3-year-old Black Belt, a three-time stakes winner locally this season.

Among the pre-entries in the featured race for fillies and mares, the $250,000 Cavada, are My Sister Margaret and Nature’s Annuity, who were noses apart as the one-two finishers last year, and the 3-year-old Down Town Allen, the winner of last fall’s Triple Crown Nutrition for 2-year-old fillies on the Breeders’ Classic card.

Other returning winners include Raggedy Andy, the defending champion in the seven-furlong Onion Juice for older males, and Aspenglow, who moves up to face older fillies and mares in the Distaff after the winning the West Virginia Division of Tourism for 3-yearp-old fillies in 2009.

Entries for the nine-race West Virginia Breeders’ Classic card will be drawn next Wednesday.