As is typically the case for trainer Jeff Runco on West Virginia Breeders Classics night, the former local rider will be very busy with at least one horse in each of the 10 races on the program. His roster includes the top two choices in the $300,000 Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders Classic in two-time defending champion Muad’dib and his latest homebred star, Coastal Mission.

Heading into the Classic, the nine-furlong feature that will be offered as the eighth race on a 10-race card, Runco appears to be holding a pair of aces with Coastal Mission (4-5), who will have the services of regular pilot Arnaldo Bocachica, and Muad’dib (5-2) who will have a new rider in Marshall Mendez. Coastal Mission prevailed in the $250,000 Russell Road Stakes in his most recent start and will attempt three turns for the first time, following a month of a moderate change to his training regimen.

“He’s been doing really good since that last race,” Runco said of Coastal Mission, a four-year-old son of Great Notion that he owns, trains and bred – Coleswood Farm is owned by Jeff and Susan Runco – who will look to follow in the footsteps of Muad’dib, Runnin’toluvya, Slip The Cable and Charitable Annuity, all of which won the Classic in their first attempt at the three-turn distance. 

“Anytime you have them try a different distance for the first time you have to train them a little different,” Runco said. “But he’s been doing great, so I don’t expect the added distance to be an issue.”

While Coastal Mission makes his first attempt at the nine-furlong route distance over the three-quarter-mile oval, Muad’dib arrives as the two-time defending champion of this event and the reigning two-time West Virginia-bred horse of the year. A winner twice in four starts this year and 14 times in 18 career outings, Muad’dib was a solid fourth in the Grade 2, $1 million Charles Town Classic last out and appears to be the main threat to his stablemate while making a threepeat bid in this Classic.    

“He’s always going to run his race,” Runco said of the six-year-old Muad’dib. “He’s been training great and he loves the distance. I imagine both of mine will be forwardly placed. We’re hoping that both can work out a good trip and be in position to finish well turning for home. Muad’dib is still really good. There just are not a lot of spots for him locally and I never could find anything out of town for him.”

Both Coastal Mission and Muad’dib have immediate ties to talented siblings. Coastal Mission is the full-brother to former Runco trainee Lewisfield, a Maryland Million Sprint hero, while Muad’dib is the full-brother to Late Night Pow Wow, a multiple graded stakes winner for trainer Javier Contreras. Runco will also send out Noballstwostrikes in the Classic, although that runner is still seeking his first stakes score after competing in a bevy of three-turn allowance events here.

On the night, Runco will be represented in all nine WVBC races as well as the second edition of the $50,000 Blue & Gold Stakes for fillies and mares while scheduled to send out a total of 14 horses. He will send out two runners in both the West Virginia Lottery, Grumpy’s Buddy and Duncan Idaho, the full-brother to both Muad’dib and Late Night Pow Wow, and the West Virginia Dash For Cash with Penguin Power and Amidships.

“One thing about Penguin Power is I know he will always run his race,” Runco said of the versatile, durable veteran who already boasts a record four victories on WVBC night and arrives as the defending champion of the Dash For Cash. “That race has a lot of speed, so hopefully he can lay close and work out a trip. But I know turning for home he’s going to be running.”

Runco will send also out Soul Catcher in the opener, the Vincent Moscarelli Memorial for two-year-old males, Barbers Point in the WV Department of Tourism for fillies, Navy Band in the Triple Crown Nutrition for two-year-old fillies, Social Chic in the Onion Juice, The Sky Is Falling in the Cavada, Arrowwood in the Roger Ramey Distaff and Mackenzie’s Music in the finale, the $50,000 Blue & Gold Stakes for fillies and mares which has not fallen under the BC umbrella yet.

“This is the one night that we work hard all year for,” Runco said. “There are a lot of wide-open races this year. I know my horses are coming into it well. Now we’re going to need some racing luck and hope they run their best races. We might catch a little rain on Saturday, so not sure if the track will be muddy or sealed. But I know my horses are coming into it great, so we’ll just have to see what happens.”

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