Like fellow local conditioners Cynthia McKee and Jeff Runco, Charles Town trainer Kristy Petty will send out a pair of horses Saturday night who won races in last year’s  West Virginia Breeders Classics.

One of Petty’s will seek an unprecedented three-peat.

Petty trainees Hessica and Jubawithatwist both prevailed last year on the WVBC card, with Hessica earning a second consecutive tally in the $125,000 Cavada for state-bred fillies and mares, while then-two-year-old Jubawithatwist took the Moscarelli Memorial.

With her victory in the Cavada last fall, Hessica joined Original Gold (2004-2005) and Flying Dove Cafe (1995-96) as the only distaffers to capture consecutive editions of the Cavada. Two others, Down Town Allen and Julie B, also own two Cavada wins, though in non-consecutive editions. Notably, Flying Dove Cafe’s first Cavada win came prior to its being named the Cavada; 1995 was the year Cavada became the only female to win the Classic.

Now Hessica, Petty homebred, seeks to enhance her reputation by establishing a precedent: first to win three straight Cavadas.

A five-year-old Juba mare that Petty owns, trains and bred, Hessica is in the twilight of her career. In the days leading up to the post position draw, Petty said that Hessica will seek a three-peat in the Cavada and then could possibly attempt the three-turn My Sister Pearl Stakes next month before beginning a second career as a broodmare.

A third straight score in the Cavada would provide a fitting end to the Juba mare’s career.

“She’s doing great,” Petty said of Hessica, who sports three wins from seven seasonal outings and owns a 9-6-7 slate and nearly $370,000 banked from 36 career tries. “It usually takes her a few starts to get into form, but this year she came back from the layoff ready to run. She was really good in the Sadie Hawkins.”

Hessica won the Sadie Hawkins by 1 ½ lengths over Barbers Point and Moonlit Shadow, both of whom are in the Cavada, and she is 5-2 on the Cavada morning line.

But not the favorite. That, instead, is Overnight Pow Wow (2-1). The Cynthia McKee trainee, who upset stablemate Direct the Cat in the Sylvia Bishop and then was a willing fourth in the Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks, tuned up for this contest with a 10-length allowance win.

“I know the Cavada is going to [be] tough,” Petty said. “Cyndy’s filly [Overnight Pow Wow] is really fast.”

In contrast to a year ago, Hessica has won two straight races heading into the Cavada, including a sharp score in the Sadie Hawkins last out. A year ago Hessica had finished a modest fifth in the Sadie Hawkins then was third in an allowance in her Cavada prep. But for a second straight year, Hessica peaked at the right time and prevailed by nearly five lengths as the 4-1 fourth choice in her title defense.

“She’s had a great career and she’s given me everything that she’s had,” Petty said. “I would like to see her go out with a win. If she doesn’t win, I might try her back in the My Sister Pearl. She won going long a few years ago and seemed to like it. But she’s not going to race again after this year.”

While Hessica is in the twilight of her career, Jubawithatwist is only now entering his prime. Jubawithatwist won the Vincent Moscarelli Memorial for state-bred two-year-olds last fall and has clearly been the top local three-year-old this season. 

He was in the $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes last out and was scratched from a three-turn allowance here last month in a precautionary measure.

Prior to that, he’d run off four consecutive wins, two against older, at distances ranging from 4 ½ furlongs to 1 1/16 miles. The Classic is 1 ⅛ miles.

“I think he’ll handle the distance,” Petty said of Jubawithatwist, who boasts four wins in seven seasonal tries and eight victories and over $300,000 banked from 13 career tries. “I thought that last race was a little close to this one and he got cut up a little by that fallen horse [in the gate in the Hilton]. But he’s been doing really well…I know ‘Juba’ is going to be ready.”

Much of the pre-race discussion centered on whether defending champion Coastal Mission would return to defend his title. But after considering his options, owner-trainer Jeff Runco decided to point his star to the $250,000, Grade 3 Forty Niner at Aqueduct October 26.

Petty had expected to see Coastal in the starting gate – “Why ship when you can run for more money on your home track?” she wondered – but either way, she’s feeling good about her sophomore. 

“All I know is Jubawithatwist is going to be in there and he’s going to be ready for anyone,” she said.

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