Two-year-olds Jubawithatwist and King Kontie will cross paths for the fourth time in their young careers in Saturday’s $50,000 West Virginia Futurity for state-bred freshmen at Charles Town Races. Considering the morning line odds, it seems likely that they will, for the third time, fill out the exacta.

Only five are slated to face the starter in the Futurity, and Jubawithatwist is the 3-5 morning line favorite. King Kontie, the second choice, is 7-5; the other three are all 10-1 or higher.

The duo met for the first time in the five-furlong Hickory Tree at Colonial Downs August 5. Jubawithatwist got the better of his rival, finishing a half-length in front of King Kontie, though the day belonged to Going Up, who won by nearly seven lengths.

Seven weeks later, they crossed swords again, this time at their home track in the 4 ½-furlong Henry Mercer Memorial. This time they laid waste to the field while dead-heating for the win, more than six lengths clear of the rest.

Then, two weeks later, they squared off yet again, with Jubawithatwist inching away in the final furlong to win the West Virginia Vincent Moscarelli Memorial Breeders Classic by 1 ½ lengths. That race, at 6 ½ furlongs, was the most similar in distance to the seven-furlong Futurity but was contested on a sloppy track.

Kristy Petty owns and trains Jubawithatwist, who was bred by her late partner John A. Casey. The Juba gelding is the second foal out of the stakes-winning Denis of Cork mare Romantic Cork and carries a record of three wins and $109,651 in earnings into this contest, the sixth of his career. Gustavo Larrosa, aboard for all of his starts to date, has the mount.

Ollie Figgins, III trains King Kontie for owner-breeder Ray Pennington, III. King Kontie, who won at first asking on the turf at Colonial, has two wins and $102,410 in earnings from five outings. A Karakontie gelding, King Kontie is out of the More Than Ready mare Jumelle Springs and is a half-brother to the speedy stakes winner Unaquoi.

King Kontie will receive one notable equipment change. After racing with blinkers for the first five starts of his career, he will race without Saturday. Regular pilot Fredy Peltroche is named.

The remaining three runners all will need to improve to challenge the top pair. Candy for Juba (10-1) won last out to graduate in his fifth career outing for trainer Ronald Sigler. The Cyndy McKee-trained Gold Creations (12-1) has been first and second in two career outings, winning easily last out to leave the maiden ranks. And Figgins and Pennington are scheduled to saddle the filly Makani (20-1), sixth and eighth in two previous stakes tries.

The Futurity is scheduled as the seventh race on an eight-race program. Post time for the card is 7:00, and the Futurity’s estimated post is 10:02.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST OFF TO THE RACES RADIO!