Boundtobebad looks for 4-bagger in Casey Memorial

Boundtobebad won the West Virginia Futurity. Photo by Coady Photography.

Boundtobebad has thus far made short work of her West Virginia rivals. She’ll get another chance to strut her stuff in Saturday’s $50,000 Eleanor Casey Memorial Stakes for two-year-old state-bred fillies.

The James W. Casey trainee — a homebred daughter of Windsor Castle for his Taylor Mountain Farm operation — has won all three of her career starts and has looked better with added ground.

She was up late to win her debut by a bit less than two lengths, won the 6 1/2-furlong WV Triple Crown Nutrition Breeders’ Classic by over seven, and then trounced the boys in the 7-furlong West Virginia Futurity by 11 lengths.

The Casey Memorial — named for James Casey’s late wife — is also at seven furlongs, which suggests Boundtobebad may be awfully good, and tough to beat, tonight, a week after breezing a solid half-mile in 48 4/5 seconds.

Christian Hiraldo will have the mount for the third straight outing. Boundtobebad is 6-5 on the morning line.

Another Casey trainee, Candyforacause (12-1), also is set to tackle this event. The daughter of Charitable Man has been second and third behind her stablemate in her last two races. Sunday Diaz, Jr. has the mount.

Trainer Jeff Runco is taking aim at Boundtobebad with two runners Saturday evening. Angle of Attack (9-5), a homebred for his own Coleswood Farm operation, broke her maiden last out by seven lengths in early September going 6 1/2 furlongs, and she did it easily. She also did it in front-running style, which suggests she may be hounding Boundtobebad from the first jumps with Arnaldo Bocachica up.

If so, that might shift the advantage towards Runco’s other runner, Navy Sword (5-1). She also broke her maiden last time, in her third career start, stalking the pace before drawing away to win by three. Also a Coleswood homebred, she’ll have J. D. Acosta aboard.

A pair of John A. Casey-trained runners — Sing Frosty (30-1) and The Better One (10-1) — and Campania, trained by Ollie Figgins, III, round out the field. Sing Frosty and Campania both are maidens, while The Better One graduated last time by six lengths.

The Eleanor Casey Memorial is carded as the seventh race on the Saturday card. Projected post time is 10:02 p.m.

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