Coastal Mission denied stablemate Muad'dib a third consecutive Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders' Classic win on Saturday night when cruising wire to wire en route to a comfortable 5 3/4-length triumph in the $300,000 race for 3-year-olds and older at Charles Town Races.
The Great Notion gelding took charge into the first turn under Arnaldo Bocachica and led 129-1 shot Tyry Tyrannosaurus by a length through the first half mile while Muad'dib rated in seventh. Coastal Mission extended his advantage on the far turn and opened up by 8 1/2 lengths in early stretch before coasting across the finish line for a six straight victory.
West Virginia's reigning horse of the year, Muad'dib, who took the back-to-back editions of the race in 2021 and 2022, unleashed his rally entering the far turn and advanced to third but could not get close enough to challenge Coast Mission and settled for second. Late in the Game finished another length back in third.
Sent off the 1-5 favorite in the field of 10 West Virginia-breds, Coastal Mission returned $2.40 for the win after finishing the 1 1/8 miles in 1:53.40 on a sloppy (sealed) track.
Trained by Jeff Runco, who bred and campaigns the gray/roan gelding with his wife, Susan, in the name of Coleswood Farm Inc., Coastal Mission notched his eighth win from nine start this year while scoring his third stakes of the season, all at Charles Town. His only off-the-board finish came at Laurel Park March 18 when he was fifth in the Not For Love Stakes.
Overall, Coastal Mission has won or placed in 15 of 16 career starts, his career line standing at 11-3-1. The $141,075 winner's share of purse increased his lifetime earnings to $572,728.
Coastal Mission was produced by the Crowd Pleaser mare Smart Crowd, the dam of Maryland-bred stakes winner and $535,264-earner Lewisfield, who was twice graded-placed.
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