No Love for Juba upsets WV Futurity

Looks like No Love for Juba is getting the hang of this whole racing thing.

It took the two-year-old Juba gelding five tries to break his maiden, but he didn’t wait long for a second win. Sent off a 10-1 outsider, No Love for Juba mounted a strong late rally to win Saturday night’s $75,000 West Virginia Futurity for two-year-olds and secure his second career victory in six outings.

No Love for Juba has earned $82,967 for trainer James Casey, who, through his Taylor Mountain Farm operation, is also the breeder and owner.

With comebacking jockey Orlando Bocachica in the irons, No Love for Juba dawdled at the back of the field in the early going of the Futurity. Up front, the filly Music Lass, the longest shot on the board at 42-1, was on a mission for the lead under local leading rider Arnaldo Bocachica, Orlando’s brother.

Music Lass dueled for the lead early, slugging it out with Lord of Cork for the top spot through the opening half-mile. The first quarter went in 23.13 seconds, the half in 48.01, with Music Lass a half-length ahead of her rival at the latter marker.

No Love for Juba
No Love for Juba (#5) rallied past Music Lass to win the West Virginia Futurity. Photo by Coady Photography.

Entering and rounding the turn, Lord of Cork began to tire, while 3-5 post time favorite Juba’s Notion mounted a menacing outside move to close within a length of the lead. But he would get no closer.

Meanwhile, No Love for Juba was able to save ground around both turns. Bocachica put him in gear entering the backstretch, and he made progress between and then inside of horses.

No Love for Juba was able to round the far turn on the rail while reaching contention, and when Bocachica steered him to the outside in the lane, No Love for Juba closed willingly to win by 1 ¼ lengths in 1:29.27 for seven furlongs on a fast main track.

Music Lass ran a big race to hold the place, more than three lengths ahead of I’m the Money Man in third. Juba’s Notion finished fourth.

No Love for Juba paid $23.00 to win in a race in which only two runners – 3-5 Juba’s Notion and 9-2 I’m the Money Man – were in single-digit odds. The exacta returned $521.60 on a one-dollar wager.

The Futurity was the final stake scheduled for the 2022 racing season at Charles Town.

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