Russell Road preps for W.Va. Breeders' Classic in Gall Memorial
The $50,000 Frank Gall Memorial at Charles Town on Saturday will provide a snapshot of where the top contenders for the $500,000 West Virginia Breeders’ Classic stand eight weeks out, as Russell Road, Lucy’s Bob Boy, and Hidden Canyon all have been entered.
The Gall Memorial is at seven furlongs around two turns. The Oct. 10 West Virginia Breeders’ Classic is a 1 1/8-mile, three-turn race.
Russell Road, 9, and Lucy’s Bob Boy, 6, have dominated the West Virginia Breeders’ Classic in recent years, accounting for three of the last four runnings. They also have won the three most recent editions of the Gall Memorial.
But judging by his recent comeback win over allowance company, Hidden Canyon, 5, might be ready to upset the pecking order.
Hidden Canyon, trained by Javier Contreras, returned from a 13-month layoff to win a statebred no-conditions allowance July 22.
“He had a little issue with his suspensory,” Contreras said. “He healed up good, and when we got him back in training, he got a little hot again, so we had to stop on him until he healed up completely.”
Hidden Canyon has won seven consecutive races dating to July 2013. He has crossed the wire first in his last nine starts dating to May 2013 but was disqualified from the purse money of a race due to a medication violation.
Hidden Canyon has never raced beyond seven furlongs, but Contreras has his eye on the Breeders’ Classic.
“If all goes well this weekend, the plan would be to stretch him out to a mile after this and point toward the mile-and-an-eighth Breeders’ Classic,” he said.
KEY CONTENDERS
Russell Road (Last 3 Beyers: 85-93-82)
◗ He won the West Virginia Breeders’ Classic in 2014, 2011, and 2009 and the Gall in 2012 and 2009.
◗ He has started twice this year, winning the seven-furlong Confucius Say in his 9-year-old debut and finishing second in a June 8 allowance at six furlongs. He has worked five furlongs twice since Aug. 3.
Lucy’s Bob Boy (Last 3 Beyers: 86-74-83)
◗ He has won the last two runnings of the Gall Memorial and took the West Virginia Breeders’ Classic in 2012.
◗ He has finished second to Russell Road in their last two meetings, in the Confucius Say and last fall’s West Virginia Breeders’ Classic.
◗ He returned from a two-month layoff to win an overnight handicap July 15.
Hidden Canyon (Last 3 Beyers: 91-92-85)
◗ He has been in front at every point of call in his last eight races and might outgun Russell Road for the early lead.