B’s Wild Cork looks to double up in My Sister Pearl

by Frank Vespe | Nov 15, 2019 | Breaking, Racing, West Virginia, WV Racing

B’s Wild Cork won an allowance race at Charles Town Races January 11. Photo by Coady Photography.

Just over a month ago, B’s Wild Cork surged from the rear of the field to forge an 8-1 upset victory in the West Virginia Roger Ramey Breeders’ Classic Distaff.

Her odds in Saturday’s $50,000 My Sister Pearl Stakes won’t likely be the same, but the result certainly could be. The James Casey trainee has been installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite in the 1 1/8-mile, three-turn test.

B’s Wild Cork, a homebred for Casey and his Taylor Mountain Farm operation, is a four-year-old daughter of Denis of Cork out of the Wild Rush mare B’s Wild Rush. She has won seven of 26 career starts, with earnings of $193,810.

In the Ramey, she was more than 10 lengths back of the leader after three-quarters of a mile and still five lengths back, and in fourth place, leaving the furlong grounds. But under jockey Antonio Lopez, who has the return mount, she was able to surge late to earn a one-length victory for her first stakes win.

Casey’s son, John, also is set to send out a contender here with another daughter of Denis of Cork. Cameron Street (5-1) ran fourth in the Distaff, beaten just a couple of lengths, and will again have Darius Thorpe in the irons.

James Casey also won last month’s West Virginia Breeders’ Classic, in a 68-1 upset, with Castle Bound. But that runner fell to the Jeff Runco-trained Penguin Power last weekend in the A Huevo Stakes, and Runco will try to repeat that feat Saturday with morning line second choice See Ya Manana (7-2).

The four-year-old Creative Cause filly, whom Runco trains for Huntertown Farm LLC, is set to make her third start after a five-month break. She’s had the misfortune to face the redoubtable Anna’s Bandit in each of her last three starts and ran second to her last time out, in the seven-furlong West Virginia Cavada Breeders’ Classic. Overall, she has eight wins from 19 career starts and earnings of $186,339.

Regular pilot Arnaldo Bocachica, the leading rider at the oval, has the mount.

Runco will also send out the third choice — and the Distaff show horse — in Spanish Moss (4-1). The six-time winner raced in range of the leader throughout but could never get by and ultimately was beaten just shy of two lengths. Luis Batista is up.

Trainer Tim Grams will try to knock off the older runners with sophomore filly C R Case’s Legacy (9-2). She’s been second in three different stakes, including last month’s West Virginia Tourism Office Breeders’ Classic, when she was just two lengths behind the hard-hitting Parisian Diva. Christian Hiraldo has the mount.

Scottish Denis (15-1), Boca Birdie (30-1), and Gab’s Lil Leaguer (15-1) round out the field. The My Sister Pearl Stakes is scheduled as the seventh of eight races on the card, which is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m.