The Lead:
The 39th edition of the West Virginia Breeders Classics is set for Saturday night at Charles Town, which first hosted the state-bred all-star event in 1987. The $300,000 Classic serves as the featured race on the 10-stakes card that gets underway at 7 pm ET. The mile and one-eighth Classic goes as Race 9 with post time set for 11:02 pm ET.
Horseplayers at Xpressbet and 1/ST BET can take advantage of $2,500 Hit & Split promotions in both the late pick 4 and late pick 5 sequences on Saturday night at Charles Town.
Field Depth:
Past Classic winners MUAD'DIB and RUNALDO, as well as multiple local stakes winner TEACHINTHERELEASE appear to be class standouts in the capacity field.
Pace:
Given the track configuration, the trip will be 3 turns on the tight bullring oval. There's time to makeup ground on the backstretch, but you better be in striking distance entering the final bend. TEACHINTHERELEASE could take some early heat from NO LOVE FOR JUBA and BAIL IS DENIED, but the pace doesn't appear overwhelming.
Our Eyes:
Here are my horse-by-horse notes.
#1-BAD LINEAGE: Longshot is winless in 7 starts this year and makes his first stakes appearance in his 28th lifetime start. No case to make.
#2-NEVERPOPTHECORK: First or second in 8 of his last 9 starts, optional/claiming allowance sort was fourth on this undercard in 2022 in his only prior stakes try. Late-runner gets to save ground but needs a career-best effort to impact the finish.
#3-NO LOVE FOR JUBA: Red-hot 5-year-old has won 4 straight optional claimers between 6-1/2 furlongs and 1-1/16 miles. Far quicker than the pair inside, so should be on or near the lead from the inside for a high-percentage jockey/trainer tandem. Challenge lasting the 9 furlongs, but 2022 West Virginia Futurity winner could hold for a share.
#4-DIRECT APPEAL: 3-year-old meets elders and gets only 3-pound weight break. Recent allowance efforts going shorter don't inspire success this far for a barn that only has 4 wins on the year to date.
#5-XCELLENT START: No match for Teachintherelease in their last 2 matchups, including the 7-furlong Frank Gall Memorial Stakes last out. Fifth-place finisher in the Onion Juice on the WVBC undercard a year ago doesn't hint at a major move forward Saturday.
#6-BAIL IS DENIED: Connections will hope for rain as this 3-year-old's last 2 victories haver come on off-tracks in state-bred allowance races. Should be part of the early pace and has responded well since J.D. Acosta jumped aboard. Distance a question, but last year's WV Futurity runner-up isn't without some appeal.
#7-MUAD'DIB: Fifth Classic appearance for this millionaire statesman of the WV-bred scene. He won this race in 2021 and 2022, finished second in 2023 and third a year ago. He's 0-for-8 this year and fair to reason he's lost a few steps for a horse who opened his career 12-for-13 with a runner-up in the 2022 Grade 2 Charles Town Classic against open company his only blemish. The extended distance could help him, but he's got to make up about 5 lengths on Teachintherelease based on their 2 previous matchups in 2025. Arnaldo Bocachica jumps to ride his Jeff Runco-trained stablemate Runaldo, just as he did in this race last year.
#8-TEACHINTHERELEASE: The 7-5 morning line favorite has made a massive career rise since being claimed in June 2024 by high-percentage trainer Stephen Murdock. He's won 7 of 10 races since with a pair of runner-up finishes, including back-to-back editions of the Frank Gall Memorial Stakes and the Randy Funkhouser Memorial. It was the latter race last November where he carried his speed 9 furlongs and beat Saturday's principal rivals Runaldo and Muad'dib. The obvious horse to beat.
#9-I'M THE MONEY MAN: A distant fifth in this race last year at 67-1 odds, he's been dabbling in the minor awards in allowance/optional claiming company this year. He's 0-3 in stakes and looks to snap a 6-race losing streak, but his current form isn't too far off some of these.
#10-RUNALDO: Defending Classic champion scored at 7-1 odds (pictured, courtesy Coady Photography), and absent a disastrous trip in the Frank Gall Memorial Stakes in August, he's held very solid form since then. Local stakes dominators Jeff Runco and Arnaldo Bocachica (for whom Run-Aldo is named) team up once again, a year after they won 4 stakes races on this very card. Teachintherelease has had his number in head-to-head matchups across the calendar, but with the money on the line, a repeat is absolutely within reach.
AE #11-ROYAL PAIN: 0-5 in stakes and just 1 for his last 9, he'll need some help drawing into the field and then be stuck outside with no edges to play.
AE #12-LATE IN THE GAME: Last year's late-running fourth-place finisher in this race has dropped 8 straight decisions. He was third in 2023 Classic and third in the 2022 WV Lottery WVBC on that undercard, so he's at home running decent this time of year. Consider for a late share if he draws into the race.
Most Likely Exotics Contender:
MUAD'DIB is 35-for-37 in the superfecta lifetime and proven over this distance, even if not quite the local star he once was.
Best Longshot Contender:
NO LOVE FOR JUBA at 15-1 morning line has sustained his top form through the entire summer and into fall and should work out a cozy trip.
Sending it in ($100 bankroll):
$100 win RUNALDO.
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