A full field of 10 West Virginia-bred boys faced the starter, and only one, Wysoquiet, had any prior racing experience. The John (Jerry) Robb trainee was the 3-1 second choice while adding Lasix for the first time.

Among the solid contingent of first-time starters, Christopher’sheart (Arnaldo Bocachica in the irons) was eventually made the 2-1 favorite from post eight for trainer Anthony Farrior, while Powered by Love (Jose Montano) was the 4-1 third choice breaking from the rail. Of the remainder, only Greatest Notion (Victor Rodriguez) and Jubawithatwist (Gustavo Larrosa) were single-digit prices at post time at 6-1 and 9-1, respectively.

When the gates, Powered by Love broke well from the inside and gained the early lead briefly until he was joined by fellow first-timer Jubawithatwist, who broke a step slow then was hustled forward to join the fray. Within a matter of strides, however, Jubawithatwist had cleared his inside rival to gain command, and he opened a seven-length lead turning for home.

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From there, Jubawithatwist held safe Powered by Love, cruising home 3 ¾ lengths clear of that rival in a promising debut for the top two finishers. A juvenile son of Juba trained by Kristy Petty for late owner-breeder John A. Casey, Jubawithatwist prevailed handily at first asking as an overlooked 9-1 shot by getting the 4 1/2 furlongs in 52.72.

“He actually broke a step slow, but when you break from the outside like we did tonight, you can take your time,” Larrosa said. “I had been working him for Kristy because she’s got like 60 horses now [since Casey passed away] and he’s been pretty good. His last work from the gate [on June 14], he was really pulling me pretty good. I knew I could let him settle when he broke a step slow, but he really responded when I asked him to run down the backside. He’s going to be pretty good.”

Two other horses who’d won at first asking as two-year-olds notched allowance scores later on the card.

One race later on the card, Music Lass (Marshall Mendez), who kicked off her career with a win last September, signified her readiness to tackle stakes foes once again when the three-year-old daughter of Declan’s Warrior defeated older rivals in a two-turn allowance for state-bred fillies and mares. Sent postward as the solid 2-1 second choice in the group, Music Lass gained command through the clubhouse turn, rebuffed several challenges then drew clear in the lane to a seven-length score while getting the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:19.80 for owner-breeder Peter Wainwright and trainer Clifford Tuomisto.

“Our goal all along was the stakes in her three-year-old season,” Tuomisto said of Music Lass, who recorded her first win in three seasonal outings and now sports three wins and roughly $85,000 banked from seven career tries. She previously had run fourth in the Its Binn Too Long Stakes April 29 and then was an indifferent fifth in an allowance contest – but with an excuse, said her trainer.

“We’ll try her in the Sylvia Bishop Stakes here next [on July 29],” Tuomisto added. “She did not scope clean after her last start, but I breezed her twice since then and she scoped clean both times. I figured [Arnaldo] Bocachica would take Barbers Point in the stakes, so I put Mendez up tonight and will give him the ride back in the stakes.”

Several races later in the penultimate race on the Friday card, Coastal Mission (Arnaldo Bocachica), a first-out winner in September 2021, easily lived up to his role as the 2-5 favorite in a two-turn allowance for older runners when he swept to command on the far turn and edged clear from Alpha Chi Rho to a 3 1/4-length score in 1:25.05 for seven panels. A four-year-old son of Great Notion and full-brother to $500,000 earner Lewisfield, Coastal Mission notched his fifth win from six seasonal outings and now sports eight wins and nearly $270,000 banked from 13 career tries.

“The race set up exactly the way we thought it would,” trainer Jeff Runco said. “I told Boca before the race just to be patient early and let him settle in and then go after them. He’s a little better off the pace, actually. I think he’ll probably go straight to the [$75,000] Frank Gall now [on August 25] and then after that we’ll see what’s next. But he should be fine going into that race off a little break.”