Coastal Mission, who dominated state-bred foes and beat open company, was named WV-bred Horse of the Year Sunday at the WV breeders banquet.
Pennsylvania-bred Angel of Empire was named the Top Midlantic-bred of 2023 after a campaign that saw him win the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.
Coastal Mission brings a six-race win streak into Saturday’s Grade 2 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct and will break from the rail.
A brand-new Top Midlantic-bred Poll is out, and the top three, as well as four of the top seven, are Pennsylvania-breds.
No Change continued his second-half emergence with a win in Charles Town’s Randy Funkhouser Memorial Stakes, his third straight stakes score.
Coastal Mission, the overwhelming favorite for Saturday’s Funkhouser Memorial, will bypass that race and target the Grade 2 Cigar Mile.
Coastal Mission dominated the field in last month’s Sam Huff WV Breeders Classic, and he looms a towering favorite in Saturday’s Randy Funkhouser Memorial.
Coastal Mission passed his latest test with flying colors, winning the 1 1/8-mile Sam Huff WV Breeders Classic by nearly six lengths with consummate ease.
Trainer Jeff Runco arrives at WVBC night with a strong hand, including the favorites in the Classic and potential history-maker Penguin Power.
Trainer Jeff Runco has horses in six stakes Friday night at Charles Town, including Muad’dib, bidding for an upset in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic.