The top three finishers from last year’s
West Virginia Breeders Classic will
square off once again when contesting the 1 1/8-mile test on Saturday at Charles
Town. The $500,000 event is the highlight of the Breeders Classics XIX card,
which features eight stakes worth a total $1.2 million in purses.
A HUEVO (Cool Joe) made his career debut in 1999, but then took off for the
next four years, not reappearing until 2003. It was in that year that the
Michael Dickinson trainee captured the Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial H. (G1) at
Laurel Park, before once again going on the shelf, this time for nearly a year.
He made his eight-year-old bow in the Forego H. (G1), running seventh, but was
still sent off the 1-2 favorite in last season’s Breeders Classic. A Huevo
justified the faith placed in him with a dominating 19 1/4-length score. He’ll
once again be returning off a lengthy break (10 months) and will try to make it two Classic
wins in a row. Ramon Dominguez will have the call.
TIENNEMAN SQUARE (Oh Say) has yet to earn a stakes win, but gamed out a
second in the Breeders’ Classic last year over LONGFIELD SPUD (Mercer Mill) by
three parts of a length. That rival has fared better against stakes company,
though, owning four black-type scores, including the 2003 edition of the West
Virginia Lottery Breeders Classic.
The complete field, with riders, for the Classic is TAKE THE PLUNGE (Weshaam),
Oscar Flores; SLEW’S SMILE (Native Slew), Larry Reynolds; A Huevo; BRIGADER
(Gneiss), Luis Perez, Tienneman Square, Dale Whittaker; VANASTASH (Manastash
Ridge), Sylvester Carmouche; SHECKATOO (Shecky Iron), Travis Dunkelberger; WILD
REMARKS (Wild Rush), Gerald Almodovar; Longfield Spud, Alvaro Jawny; and SPEED
WHIZ (Weshaam), Tony Mawing.
All starters but Wild Remarks (116 pounds) will carry 122 pounds.
The distaff division in West Virginia will get their chance to shine in the
$250,000 Jefferson Security Bank “Cavada” West Virginia Breeders Classic. The
seven-furlong test drew 10 entrants, including five from last year’s edition.
ORIGINAL GOLD (Slavic) came with away with the win in 2004 and captured the
Roger Van Hoozer Memorial S. in her last one by seven lengths to get ready for a
title defense. She’ll keep regular rider Dunkelberger in the irons.
The rest of the evening stakes are each worth $75,000 and are as follows:
Triple Crown Nutrition Breeders Classic S.,
West Virginia Lottery Breeders
Classic S.,
West Virginia Vincent Moscarelli Memorial Breeders Classic S.,
West
Virginia Dash for Cash Breeders Classic S.,
West Virginia “Onion Juice” Breeders
Classic S. and
West Virginia Division of Tourism Breeders Classic S.
The Breeders Classics will be televised live on ESPNNews beginning at 10:15
p.m. (EDT).