Courtesy of The Racing Biz.
A pair of events restricted to West Virginia-bred two-year-olds shined the spotlight on several of the potential rising stars of the state-bred program during Saturday’s West Virginia Breeders Classics at Charles Town Races.
The WVBC program kicked off in formful fashion when Annapolis Road (Arnaldo Bocachica) lived up to his role as the 1-2 favorite in the $75,000 Vincent Moscarelli Memorial for state-bred two-year-olds. Annapolis Road benefited from patient handling early and then overhauled the speedy Im the Director despite being carried very wide by that rival turning for home.
A juvenile son of Outwork trained by Jeff Runco for owner-breeder Coleswood Farm, Annapolis Road recorded his second win in three career outings by getting the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:20.13. He also avenged a prior setback to Im the Director, who had outlasted him to prevail in the Henry Mercer Memorial Stakes here one month earlier.
“He’s really got a lot of ability, and we knew when he got beat in the other stakes that he just needed a little more distance,” Runco said. “He was able to get a good trip until he got carried out on the far turn. But he’s got a bright future, and this group represents the future of West Virginia-bred racing.”
“I thought he would be better going two turns,” Bocachica said. “That 4 1/2 was just a little short for him. But he’s got a lot of ability. I think the longer races are going to be perfect for him.”
Annapolis Road is out of the winning Midshipman mare Kentucky Road and is a half-sibling to a couple of other winners.
Several races later in the $75,000 West Virginia Triple Crown Nutrition BC for state-bred two-year-old fillies, Diakonissa (Bocachica) just lived up to her role as the 9-5 favorite when she surged to command on the far turn then just outlasted the late bid of 11-1 shot Summon the Glam for a neck score. A juvenile daughter of Preservationist trained by Anthony Farrior for owner Ultra Championship Racing, Diakonissa notched her second stakes tally and third win in five career outings by getting the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:21.25.
“She got to looking around a little bit and she might need blinkers down the road,” Farrior said. “She looked like she didn’t want to settle down early, but she picked it up down the backside. It looked like she got a little tired at the end, but she just lasted today.”
Diakonissa was bred in West Virginia by Michael Furr. She is out of the unplaced Lemon Drop Kid mare Florid. Ultra Championship purchased her for $7,000 as a yearling at last October’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic fall yearling sale.
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