WVBC: Defending champs won’t be favored in dashes
Both likely to be second or even third wagering choice
Ted Black
October 7, 2026
Throughout the course of the year at Charles Town, a solid percentage of the races are contested at the track’s famed, one-turn dash distance of 4 1/2 furlongs. But those races tend to get overlooked on West Virginia Breeders Classics night, when the focus is on the three-turn Sam Huff West Virginia Classic at nine furlongs.
This Saturday night, though, both the $75,000 West Virginia Dash for Cash for older runners and the $75,000 1/ST Bet BC for state-bred fillies and mares could be among the more contentious events on the card.
This article contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, we may earn a commission at no extra charge to you.
Pick up reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!
Defending Dash champion Time to Rock, trained by Stacey Viands last fall, is now conditioned by Mike Jones, Jr. via the claiming box this summer, while reigning West Virginia-bred sprint champion Duncan Idaho looms the solid favorite despite being edged in the $40,000 Last Enchantment Stakes on the Charles Town Classic undercard.
Duncan Idaho, Honeyquist, Pork Chop Pete and Time to Rock have faced one another in many of the local one-turn sprints. While Duncan Idaho, the full-brother to former state-bred stars Late Night Pow Wow and Muad’dib and current queen of the older mares, Overnight Pow Wow, owns the advantage, Time To Rock arrives as the defending Dash champion.
Honeyquist looms an upset possibility despite his prolonged bridesmaid status on these events for trainer Anthony Farrior.
“It sure would be nice to see him win one of these things,” Farrior said of Honeyquist. “He’s definitely been the bridesmaid. But he runs his race every time. In the 4 1/2-furlong races up here you need to break and avoid traffic trouble and have to have a little luck. He’s been close so many times, he deserves to win one of these things. But there’s some really good ones in there. It’s going to be a great race. I’m just hoping things finally go our way.”
While the one-turn stake for boys will center around the grizzled veterans, trainer David Walters will saddle Life Is Daily for his stakes debut. Favored in all of his seven starts to date, Life Is Daily likely won’t be on Saturday. He is 4-1 on the morning line.
“He’s run well both in one-turn and two-turn races up here. I thought the Dash was a better spot for him,” Walters explained. “That race is definitely going to come up tough, but I think that’s his best distance. He’s run well every time he’s gone in the gate. I don’t expect him to be on the lead early, but I think he can come running late and get a good piece of it.”
Duncan Idaho has been installed as the even-money favorite, with Honeyquist at 5-2 and defending champ Time to Rock at 6-1.
In a race that has rapidly developed into a fixture on the WVBC card and earned its first status as a Breeders Classic event last fall, the 1/ST BET BC for fillies and mares looms a contentious affair.
As is expected to be the case in the Dash, defending champion Maggie’s Girl will likely yield the favorite’s role to Thelastsay. Thelastsay was a determined winner of the $50,000 Autumn Stakes for this group as the 7-5 choice on the Charles Town Classic undercard for trainer Ronney Brown. In that event, Thelastsay wore down Maggie’s Girl to win by a neck.
Brown, who had claimed her for $20,000 in February, is optimistic about the rematch.
“She went into that race doing great and she came out of it really well,” Brown said. “I definitely think she’s going to be the favorite. A lot depends on the [post position] draw and the break. Tim’s mare is going to be tough in there again. But my filly is coming into perfect. These stakes races are the reason I claimed her.”
Thelastsay is 7-5 on the morning line and will leave from the four-hole, while Maggie’s Girl is 3-1 and leaves from the eight. Ten are entered.
Thelastsay’s win over Maggie’s Girl came after the latter had been idle for more than four months. Trainer Tim Grams admitted that Maggie’s Girl needed the race. Since that race, in which Maggie’s Girl led early and stayed on gamely late, the six-year-old Uncle Lino mare has had a pair of sharp works. She won’t have that same excuse to fall back on.
“She definitely was short going into that last race,” Grams said. “But I needed to get a race in her before the Classics. I thought she ran a hell of a race off the layoff. Ronney Brown’s filly was able to run her down late, but my mare never stopped trying. She’s coming into this race great. She had a real nice workout the other day. Now we need a little luck in the draw and a little racing luck. I would rather be more on the outside then draw the rail, so the draw is going to be really important.”
Pick up reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!
LATEST NEWS
