One year ago when Coastal Mission forged a mild upset in the $250,000 Russell Road Stakes for older horses on the Charles Town Classic and Charles Town Oaks undercard, trainer Jeff Runco began pondering how his homebred, full-brother to sprint specialist Lewisfield would fare in the upcoming West Virginia Breeders Classic at nine furlongs six weeks later.

Now he has bigger game in sight.

Coastal Mission solidified his status as the top West Virginia-bred in training last fall by taking the Sam Huff WV Breeders Classic in effortless fashion in his first attempt at navigating the three-turn distance over his home course, winning by almost six lengths as the 1-5 favorite.

That dominant win gave Runco an early indication that the Grade 2, $1 million Charles Town Classic might be Coastal Mission’s primary objective for 2024. With the track’s signature race on tap this Friday, Coastal Mission is on target for his second try at the nine-furlong distance.

Coastal Mission arrives off a pair of runner-up efforts in graded stakes at Monmouth Park and Saratoga. He finished second to Bright Future in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile and the Jersey Shore June 15 and then to Mullikin in the Grade 2 Nerud at the Spa July 6.

While he’s kept much better company of late than in prior years, Coastal Mission’s lone win since last fall’s WVBC triumph came in the seven-furlong Frank Whiteley Stakes at Laurel Park April 13. And all of those races have been at a mile or less.

“We’ve been training him a little differently since his last race [at Saratoga] to have him ready for the Classic,” Runco said. “That’s what the focus has been with him the last seven weeks. I think his last two efforts in those graded stakes were excellent. He faced some really good horses in those races and he really held his own. Obviously, there are some really good horses in this race, and I think he’ll do well in there.”

Runco owns the distinction of having saddled Researcher to capture the first two editions of the Charles Town Classic before it earned graded status, in 2009 and 2010. In each of the last two years he has sent out Muad’dib in the Classic, finishing second to Art Collector in 2022 and then fourth, behind Skippylongstocking, last year.

Coastal Mission will seek to give Runco his third victory in the Classic, and to do so, he will have to overcome defending champion Skippylongstocking for trainer Saffie Joseph, jr. Coastal Mission, who will have top local pilot Arnaldo Bocachica in the irons, is the 6-1 third choice on the morning line.

Skippylongstocking is the even money favorite and will have Jose Ortiz aboard for the fourth consecutive race. Trainer Bill Mott, who conditioned Art Collector to consecutive Charles Town Classic wins, will saddle morning line second choice Bendoog (7-2), most recently runner-up to Crupi in the Grade 2 Suburban at Saratoga June 8.

Runco will have a busy night beyond the Classic. He is slated to send out runners in four other stakes on the card, and in three of them, he’ll saddle a pair. Runco will saddle Penguin Power and Duncan Idaho in the 4 ½-furlong Last Enchantment, Muad’dib and Social Chic in the Frank Gall Memorial, and Barbers Point and Change the World in the Sadie Hawkins, as well as Dreamy Sonde in the Autumn.

Muad’dib is one of three full siblings competing in three different stakes on the card. His younger brother Duncan Idaho will go postward as the 8-5 morning line favorite in the $40,000 Last Enchantment Stakes for older state-bred one-turn specialists; Bocachica will be in the irons. Runco will also send out Penguin Power (6-1) in that spot; both are owned by David Raim.

Muad’dib’s full sister Overnight Pow Wow will look to duplicate her older sister Late Night Pow Wow’s feat by taking the Grade 2, $750,000 Charles Town Oaks for trainer Cynthia McKee. Notably, Last Enchantment, hero of the inaugural West Virginia Dash For Cash Breeders Classic, is still enjoying life at McKee’s Beau Ridge Farm at the ripe age of 29.

Muad’dib, the West Virginia-bred horse of the year in 2021 and 2022, has won twice in four starts this year for Runco and owner David Raim and sports 16 wins and just shy of $950,000 from 24 career outings. Social Chic also has won twice in four starts this year and owns a solid 12-12-3 slate and over $420,000 banked from 31 career outings.

“They’re all coming into this weekend great,” Runco said of his older contingent. “Social Chic has been good every start this year and he’s so consistent. Muad’dib showed me a lot more his last two starts. I think he finished well in his last start and I think he’ll run a big race on Friday. Duncan Idaho is really coming into his own now. He won that stakes last out and he seems to prefer going 4 1/2 up here. We’ll see what happens.”

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