Jubawithatwist overwhelms in Sam Huff WVBC Classic
Wears down defending champ in dominant score
Ted Black
October 11, 2026
Heading into the 40th edition of the $300,000 Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders Classic for state-bred older runners traveling the three-turn distance of one mile and one-eighth, much of the attention was focused on defending champion Teachintherelease, the reigning West Virginias-bred horse of the year.
But his repeat bid was foiled by a rival who took an unorthodox approach to the yearly feature for this group.
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When the gates opened in the latest edition of the Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders Classic, Teachintherelease broke alertly as expected to vie for command entering the far turn the first time. But he had immediate company in the form of 5-2 second choice Jubawithatwist, who had prepped for this three-turn affair by winning a one-turn state-bred allowance in mid-September for owner-trainer Kristy Petty.
Although Teachinthelease had arrived off consecutive sharp victories in two-turn outings over the strip, he was unable to shake loose from Jubawithatwist as they remained on virtually even terms through modest fractions of 24.67, 48.97 and 1:14.22 for the first three calls. At that point, most onlookers perhaps expected Teachintherelease to draw away from his nearest rival, but that foe had other intentions.
Heading into the far turn, Jubawithatwist drew alongside the odds-on choice and appeared be traveling the better of the two. The Juba gelding shifted gears in the final furlong and drew clear from the defending Classic hero to a 10-length score while stopping the timer in 1:52.53 for the nine furlongs. Teachintherelease proved no match for the winner in the lane, but held the place spot over Gimmethatsugar.
A five-year-old Juba gelding owned and trained by Kristy Petty and bred by the late John A. Casey, Jubawithatwist recorded his fourth win from eight seasonal tries and now owns 13 wins and roughly $625,000 banked from 24 career outings. Both Petty and rider Antonio Lopez admitted the 4 1/2-furlong prep was hardly ideal, but it ultimately served its purpose.
“When I was looking for a prep race for him, the one mile and one-sixteenth allowance didn’t go,” said Petty, who recorded her first win in the Classic to go along with three victories in the Cavada courtesy of Hessica and Petty Perfect. “So, I really had no choice. He needed a race and a workout, so I told Antonio and he said he was going to do his best to win that race. We thought the best strategy was to sit off of Teachintherelease. We knew he was the speed and my horse just stayed with him. I thought Teachintherelease might get away from him, but once Jubawithatwist got going he was really good.”
“I knew that Teachintherelease was going to be the speed, so I just wanted to stay close to him,” Lopez said. “He has so much ability and he really is able to relax. When I went after him on the far turn, I knew my horse was the winner. He just raced super. It’s great to win a race like this for Kristy. I like to go to her barn to exercise her horses. She’s really the reason I keep riding. This was my third Classic win, but it probably means the most.”
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