Familiar faces expected at WV Breeders Classics
Nine ’25 winners expected back
Ted Black
October 6, 2026
Of the 10 West Virginia Breeders Classics winners from one year ago at Charles Town, nine are expected to be on hand this coming weekend for the 40th edition of the track’s signature night for state-bred runners.
While three-time Onion Juice hero No Change has since retired, five other runners will be looking to defend their respective titles that night. Four others won age restricted events last fall and will ascend to an older bracket this season.
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Headlining the list of defending champions from one year ago is Teachintherelease, hero of the Sam Huff Classic for trainer Stephen Murdock and owner Robert Cole, Jr. Fresh off his third consecutive victory in the $75,000 Frank Gall Memorial Stakes, Teachintherelease will seek to maintain his dominance in the older state-bred ranks, having won seven straight at the track, including both the Classic and the $75,000 Randy Funhouser Memorial last fall.
Teachintherelease is one of 17 runners nominated to the Sam Huff Classic and is expected to be the odds-on choice in his title defense.
While Teachintherelease looms the favorite to defend his title in the Classic, defending Cavada BC heroine Petty Perfect will likely be second choice at post time in the night’s biggest event for the distaff set. Instead, it’s likely that Overnight Pow Wow, the 2024 Cavada champ, will catch the bettors’ eyes.
After a terrific three-year-old campaign that saw her win the Sylvia Bishop Memorial and the It’s Binn Too Long to go along with her Cavada triumph, Overnight Pow Wow toiled through a disappointing 2025 in which she went 2-for-6 and was a distant fourth in the Cavada. This year, though, she’s got her groove back, with five wins in seven outings and a pair of stakes victories.
Thirteen are nominated to the Cavada.
Three other older state-bred runners will also be seeking repeat victories on WVBC night.
An even dozen are nominated to the Roger Ramey Distaff, in which Jubaslilballerina attempts to repeat at one mile and one-eighth for trainer Ronald Sigler but arrives winless in six ’26 outings.
Maggie’s Girl is one of 11 nominated to the 1/ST Bet at 4 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares for trainer Tim Grams as she seeks her second straight score in the event. And Time To Rock will look to upend reigning West Virginia-bred sprint champion Duncan Idaho for a second straight year in the WV Dash For Cash, albeit for a different trainer. Time To Rock won the event last fall for trainer Stacey Viands, but he was claimed away from Viands recently for $25,000 by trainer Mike Jones, Jr. and will make his second start for the new barn in the Dash.
Jeff Runco trainees Zip Start [WV Lottery] and Spotafreeone [Russell Road] both won their respective stakes for state-bred three-year-olds last year, but both will have to ascend into older company this fall. Zip Start is nominated to both the Cavada and the Distaff, while Spotafreeone is likewise nominated to both the seven-furlong Onion Juice and the nine-furlong Sam Huff Classic. With No Change retired, the Onion Juice will crown a different champion for the first time since 2022.
Similarly, both Edy’s Flame [Triple Crown Nutrition] and Tricks R For Juba [Vincent Moscarelli Memorial] won their restricted stakes for state-bred two-year-olds last fall. Trained by Anthony Farrior, Edy’s Flame is nominated to both the Cavada and the WV Lottery but will have to face a tiger – Overnight Pow Wow in the Cavada or the David Walters-trained At a Premium in the WV Lottery – either way.
Tricks R For Juba is nominated only to the Russell Road for three-year-olds, but there he may have to tangle with the Jeff Runco trainee Ryan’s Run, who will be a strong favorite after a big third in the Robert Hilton Memorial.
Neither At a Premium nor Ryan’s Run made a single start at age two, but both won their first four races this year in style before finally tasting defeat in the Charles Town Oaks and Robert R. Hilton, respectively, on Charles Town Classic night in late August.
Entries will be taken for Breeders Classics night on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
Post time for Saturday’s race card is 7:00 p.m.
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