Friday’s $75,000 John McKee Memorial for West Virginia-bred two-year-old fillies and Saturday’s $75,000 Henry Mercer Memorial for state-bred juvenile boys provided onlookers with a reminder that the West Virginia Breeders Classics Night is just around the corner.

Saturday’s feature was the $75,000 Henry Mercer Memorial for West Virginia-bred two-year-old boys, and it marked the first stakes of the year locally for that group. Annapolis Road, with Arnaldo Bocachica up, was made the 1-5 favorite for trainer Jeff Runco following a sharp debut score and favorable outside post position draw for the one-turn affair.

But he would have to settle for minor spoils despite a gritty performance.

Soon after the gates opened in the Henry Mercer Memorial, Im the Director with jockey Marshall Mendez broke sharply and gained command leaving the chute. He would be joined by Annapolis Road entering the far turn.

From that point the Mercer developed into a match race, and neither state-bred appeared willing to give in. Im The Director outfought the odds-on choice for a game half-length score while stopping the timer in 52.40 for the 4 1/2 furlongs.

A juvenile son of Redirect and the full-brother to the talented filly Direct the Cat, Im The Director graduated in his fifth attempt as an overlooked 6-1 shot for owner-trainer Cynthia McKee. In his previous start, Im The DIrector crossed the wire 10 lengths clear of his foes in a two-turn maiden special weight event for state-bred boys only to be disqualified and placed third. On Saturday night he notched his first stakes tally while garnering his diploma and earning a hint of redemption for McKee.

“I was a little surprised he got disqualified in his last race, but he came out of it great and tonight he got his first win by winning a stakes,” McKee said. “A lot of credit for this colt has to go to Marshall. He loves this colt. He literally spends 30-45 minutes with him every day and treats him like he’s Secretariat.”

While Annapolis Road settled for second as the odds-on choice in the Mercer, it didn’t put much of a damper on the day for the Runco-Bocachica tandem. Earlier Saturday afternoon they combined to capture the $300,000 Parx Mile on the Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion undercard with Coastal Mission. The reigning West Virginia-bred horse of the year, son of Great Notion and full-brother to Lewisfield notched his second win from seven seasonal tries and now owns 13 wins and over $950,000 banked from 24 career outings.

Friday in the $75,000 John McKee Memorial – formerly the Rachel’s Turn – Diakonissa (Arnaldo Bocachica) regained her winning ways when she lived up to her role as the even-money choice by wearing down Boss Lady KP for a head score. A juvenile daughter of Preservationist trained by Anthony Farrior for owner Ultra Championship Racing, Diakonissa ended a modest two-race skid when she nailed Boss Lady KP at the line while stopping the timer in 53.10.

In her only previous outing over the strip earlier this summer, Diakonissa had graduated in style at first asking when she romped home nearly 10 lengths clear in a one-turn maiden special weight dash. She would then finish sixth in the Keswick Stakes at Colonial Downs before running third in an allowance race at Timonium, but her stakes tally in the McKee Memorial put her lifetime earnings past $65,000, nearly 10 times her $7,000 yearling purchase price.

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