Warriors Return for WV Breeders' Classic

The winners of the last three editions of the West Virginia Breeders' Classic Stakes will square off the evening of Oct. 18 when Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races hosts the feature and eight other state-bred stakes.

Fred High, the winner last year, Lucy's Bob Boy, who captured the race in 2012, and Russell Road, who won in 2011 and also in 2009, are among the 10 entered in the $500,000 Classic, the richest state-bred race in the United States. Purses for the nine-race program, dubbed the West Virginia Breeders Classics, total $1.28 million.

The Classic, a 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds and up, is raced around three turns on Charles Town's three-quarter-mile track. The three previous winners drew the outside posts: Lucy's Bob Boy in post 8, Fred High in post 9, and Russell Road in post 10.

Mark Russell's Russell Road, the all-time leading West Virginia-bred by earnings with $1,678,234, is one of the most popular horses to ever to race at Charles Town. The 8-year-old Wheaton gelding, trained by James W. Casey, has won 27 races, 22 of them at Charles Town.

Russell Road, who finished second by three-quarters of a length behind Fred High in last year's Breeders' Classic, won his first start of the year but hasn't won since. In his last three starts he finished second, second, and third, respectively, behind Lucy's Bob Boy.

Jose Montano has the call at 122 pounds aboard Russell Road, who was bred by Robert Lloyd. Nine will carry 122 pounds; the lone 3-year-old, Captain Klink, gets in at 119 pounds.

Edward Krishak's Fred High, trained by John Robb and to be ridden by Jevian Toledo, hasn't won since his Classic victory last October. Fred High, a homebred 6-year-old gelding by Crypto Star, won his 2014 debut, and then finished behind Lucy's Bob Boy and Russell Road in his last two starts.

Linda Sours' Lucy's Bob Boy, meanwhile, has won his last three starts, including one against open company at Charles Town rather easily. His connections took a shot with the 5-year-old Flatter   gelding in the grade II Charles Town Classic earlier this year, but he finished seventh and last.

Arnaldo Bocachica, who has ridden Lucy's Bob Boy in his last nine starts, has a return call. The winner of 20 of 29 starts has earned $735,265; he is trained by Sandra Dono and was bred by Robert Furr Sr.

The Classic is the ninth and final race on a program that begins at 7 p.m. EDT. Post time is set for 10:47 p.m. The Classic will be broadcast by Fox Sports regional networks and Comcast Mid-Atlantic in a half-hour show beginning at 10:30 p.m.

This year marks the 28th edition of the West Virginia Breeders Classics. It has been run 26 times at Charles Town and once at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort in 1995 when Charles Town was closed. Charles Town was purchased by Penn National Gaming Inc. and reopened after voters in Jefferson County approved video lottery terminals for the facility.