The 40th running of the Maryland Juvenile and 35th edition of the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Fillies, both for Maryland-bred/sired horses sprinting seven furlongs, serve as co-headliners on a nine-race program that begins with a 12:25 p.m. first post.

Both races were originally carded for Dec. 4 before racing was paused to allow for maintenance on Laurel's main track. Live racing resumes Thursday.

Based at Charles Town with trainer Jeff Runco, a winner of more than 4,500 career races, Coastal Mission romped by 6 ½ lengths in his Sept. 25 debut going 4 ½ furlongs over his home course. He ran second, beaten two lengths, in the Maryland Million Nursery Oct. 23 at Laurel, his most recent race.

Pointed directly to this spot out of the Maryland Million, Coastal Mission has breezed three times since at Charles Town. All three have been the fastest on the day, including three furlongs in 35.60 seconds Dec. 3 in his latest move.

“He's doing great and ready to go,” Runco said. “These delays happen, unfortunately, but it gave him a little bit more time. He'll be ready for Saturday.”

By Great Notion out of the Crowd Pleaser mare Smart Crowd, Coastal Mission is a full brother to Runco-trained Lewisfield, a West Virginia-bred who earned eight of his nine career wins in Maryland including all four of his stakes victories as well as his career finale last November before being retired to Virginia.

“They're both good-looking horses but they don't have the same personality,” Runco said. “They're both very athletic and all that. Lewisfield was a pretty tough horse. He was kind of ornery. This horse isn't like that. He looks good and he's doing good.”

Another horse with strong lineage is No Guts No Glory Farm's Alottahope, a half-brother to stablemate Street Lute, an eight-time stakes-winning 3-year-old filly also trained by Jerry Robb. Alottahope has raced once, a professional 2 ¾-length triumph Nov. 13 in an off-the-turf maiden special weight sprint at Laurel.

Also entering the Juvenile off victories are Local Motive, Joe, One Ten and Royal Spy. Bird Mobberley's Local Motive is a two-time stakes winner, taking the five-furlong Hickory Tree on the Colonial Downs turf Aug. 2 in his second start, and most recently gutting out a head victory in the six-furlong James F. Lewis III Nov. 13 at Laurel.

The Elkstone Group's Joe, a homebred Declaration of War colt, was a popular 3 ½-length maiden special weight winner going a mile Nov. 21 at Laurel. One Ten and Royal Spy exit split divisions of a seven-furlong waiver maiden claimer Nov. 26 at Laurel, with Royal Spy winning in 1:25.35 and One Ten in 1:26.20.

Robert D. Bone and Edward J. Brown Jr.'s Shady Munni has encountered trouble in each of his two most recent starts, finishing third as the favorite after bobbling at the start of a one-mile optional claiming allowance Nov. 21 at Laurel. Prior to that he was bumped early and wound up fourth in the Nursery.

“[Last race] he stumbled a little bit when the gate opened and he grabbed himself a little and lost a shoe,” trainer Claudio Gonzalez said. “Even with that, he ran good. He came back good, and that is more important. He has been doing good to now. He's a nice horse.”

Trainer Jamie Ness entered the trio of Mr. Mox, a two-time winner that ran fifth in the Nursery, and Delaware Park maiden winners Uncle Irish and Crabs N Beer. Gallant Gold, Kobe Tough and Wish Me Home round out the group.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has kept the The Elkstone Group's homebred Jester Calls Nojoy on target for the Juvenile Fillies. A bay daughter of Maclean's Music, she will be getting some class relief after running sixth in the Oct. 3 Frizette (G1) at Belmont Park and fifth in the Oct. 29 Myrtlewood at Keeneland in her most recent efforts.

Jester Calls Nojoy shows a steady string of half-mile works over Belmont's training track since her last start, including 50.88 seconds Dec. 4 and 49.66 Dec. 11, as she chases her first stakes victory.

“We've been fortunate that we've been able to continue training as normal,” Pletcher said. “We've gotten two breezes into her since the race was originally carded, so hopefully we have her fit and ready to go.”

Luna Belle, Sparkle Sprinkle and Sweet Gracie all faced off in the Oct. 23 Maryland Million Lassie and are entered to meet again in the Juvenile Fillies. Eric Rizer homebred Sparkle Sprinkle was third by a length, a head in front of Luna Belle. Sweet Gracie wound up eighth after forcing eventual winner Buff My Boots early.

Deborah Greene and trainer Hamilton Smith's Luna Belle, a homebred daughter of Great Notion, returned to be second in the Nov. 13 Smart Halo at Laurel, beaten 3 ¼ lengths by Buy the Best but 7 ½ lengths clear of third-place finisher Click to Confirm, who also comes back in the Juvenile Fillies.

Tee N Jay Stable's Dazzy, like Jester Calls Nojoy, has maintained a regular work schedule at Belmont ahead of what will be her stakes debut in her second career start. The Divining Rod filly was a 12-length winner of a restricted maiden special weight Oct. 29 at Belmont and tuned up for the Juvenile Fillies with a half-mile breeze in 48.45 seconds over its training track Dec. 11, ranking ninth of 117 horses.

Completing the field is Three M's Racing and Rafael Lopez's Preparefortakeoff, a maiden special weight winner sprinting seven furlongs two starts back Oct. 21 at Laurel.

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The 10th running of the Lewis for 2-year-olds and 25th renewal of the $100,00 Smart Halo for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting six furlongs, join the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go for females 3 and older going 1 1/16 miles on the nine-race program. First race post time is 12:25 p.m.

Run to Daylight, a gelded bay son of champion sprinter Runhappy, has been favored in each of his first three races, winning by 11 ¼ combined lengths, all at trainer Jeff Runco's Charles Town base. Run to Daylight debuted August 22 and captured the Sept. 18 Henry Mercer Memorial going 4 ½ furlongs, before taking the 6 ½-furlong Vincent Moscarelli Memorial Breeders' Classic Oct. 9.

“So far he's done pretty good. He's a nice Runhappy colt that's won two stakes now, and he's got a little experience,” Runco said. “We stretched him out and he kind of got off a little slow in his last start, but was able to overcome that and ran very well. He kind of pulled away there at the end. He ran a nice race.”

Because of his tardy break last out, Run to Daylight showed a new dimension in the Moscarelli after a pair of front-running triumphs. All of his races have come under jockey Arnaldo Bocachica, who returns to ride from Post 2 in a field of eight. All horses carry 122 pounds.

“Whenever you have a horse that's gone to the lead twice, and won both on the lead, if they get off slow and then they show that they can come from off the pace, its shows that the horse definitely has some talent and he's versatile,” Runco said. “He doesn't have to be in front. I like seeing that; I'm sure any trainer would. He ran a real nice race off the pace last time and finished up well.”

Run to Daylight initially fetched $115,000 at Keeneland's January 2020 Horses of All Ages sale, then was purchased by Raim for $60,000 as a yearling eight months later from the Dromoland Farm consignment. Runco signed the ticket.

“We've liked him all along. I liked him when I bought him as a yearling. I've had some siblings out of same family and they've all run pretty good. He's a real nice-looking colt. Once we got him in training, he worked well,” Runco said. “I'm not sure if he'll go a route or not yet. It's still a little early, but that's a possibility. He definitely looks like six or seven [furlongs] is going to be fine for him as a 2-year-old.”

Runco also entered Coleswood Farm, Inc.'s homebred Amidships, a maiden winner second time out Sept. 18 at Charles Town who ran a decisive second to his stablemate in the Moscarelli, 10 lengths clear of third-place finisher Ryan's Sword. By Midshipman, he is also making his first start outside his native West Virginia.

“He ran a good race, and he had a little bit of a tough trip. He got off just a tick slow, not bad, but he had to chase three wide on a really hot pace. He was three wide around the turn and it just kind of got to him the last part of it.,” Runco said. “I'm not saying which one of the two is better; the other horse won the race. But when you chase three wide, that's tough on a horse that's only run two times. He's a pretty nice colt, too. If he gets a good trip I think he'll be formidable, also.”

Denis Araujo has the call on Amidships from Post 3.

Three other stakes winners are entered in the Lewis – Timonium Juvenile winner Cynergy's Star, coming off a sixth in the Maryland Million Nursery Oct. 23 at Laurel; Local Motive, winner of the Hickory Tree on the Colonial Downs turf Aug. 8 in his second start; and No Sabe Nada, who captured the Sept. 25 First State Dash at Delaware Park. No Sabe Nada was most recently third in the one-mile Rocky Run Oct. 16 at Delaware; the winner, Cooke Creek, came back to be second in the Nov. 6 Nashua (G2) at Belmont Park.

Bird Mobberley's Maryland-bred Local Motive was a debut winner July 24 going six furlongs on the main track at historic Pimlico Race Course, then cut back to five-eighths and switched to turf for the Hickory Tree, rallying by a half-length. In his most recent start, he pressed the pace set by eventual winner Buff Hello into the stretch before tiring to be third by 2 ¼ lengths, beaten a neck for second by Coastal Mission. Both horses were also nominated to the Lewis.

“He chased that horse all the way and he didn't stop. He got beat a [neck] for second but, on a normal basis, I don't think that horse beats him again,” trainer John Salzman Jr. said. “He's doing fine, he's training fine, he came out of that race and everything's good. The only reason I'd hesitate is the three weeks. That horse ran big. It's just going to be up to what the race looks like.”

Salzman is proud of how Local Motive has rebounded from a failed run in the Timonium Juvenile, where he went off as the favorite but was pulled up by jockey J.D. Acosta and vanned off following a freak incident. Acosta rides back from Post 7.

“He's a nice horse. He's done everything I've asked of him. He's won on the turf, he's won on the dirt. Timonium was just a freak thing,” Salzman said. “He got hit in the eye and it scared him more than anything. He was all over the place and he scared the rider. He did the right thing and he pulled him up. He thought something serious was wrong and, knock on wood, it wasn't. He came back and he gave me a big effort.”

Completing the field are Timonium Juvenile runner-up Slaats, a popular waiver maiden claiming winner Oct. 15 at Laurel; Beast or Famine, a winner of two straight; and Tops the Chart, who exits a Sept. 25 maiden special weight victory at Monmouth Park.

The James F. Lewis III honors the late longtime Maryland horseman and first president of Maryland Million Ltd. He bred and/or campaigned a number of prominent runners in the region, led by 1974 Test (G2) winner Maybelline, Flirtation (G3) winner Heartful and multiple stakes winner Swift Attraction. His daughter, Lisa, is a multiple graded-stakes winning trainer based in New York and Florida.

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The Lewis and $100,000 Smart Halo for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting six furlongs, are joined on the Nov. 13 program by the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/16 miles, which is part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

Cheyenne Stables' Cooke Creek is 2-0 for Laurel-based trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer. The son of 2010 champion juvenile male Uncle Mo earned both his victories at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del., including the one-mile Rocky Run Oct. 16 over Affable Monarch and No Sabe Nada, also Lewis nominees.

David Raim's Run to Daylight, by 2015 champion sprinter Runhappy, has won each of his three starts at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in Charlestown, W. Va., for trainer Jeff Runco, with back-to-back stakes triumphs in the 4 ½-furlong Henry Murcer Memorial Sept. 18 and 6 ½-furlong West Virginia Vincent Moscarelli Memorial Breeders' Classic Oct. 9.

Joseph Besecker's Buff Hello, from the barn of Maryland's four-time leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, rolled to a front-running two-length score in the six-furlong Nursery Oct. 23 at Laurel, his second win from five career starts. Coastal Mission, Local Motive, Shady Munni, Mr. Mox, and Timonium Juvenile winner Cynergy's Star respectively ran second through sixth and are also nominated, though Mr. Mox is entered Nov. 4 at Laurel.

Other Lewis nominees include Oct. 11 Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile winner Longshadow; Sept. 25 First State Dash winner No Sabe Nada; stakes-placed Amidships, Practical Coach, Slaats, and Wow Whata Summer; and last out winners Barber Road, Beast Or Famine, Captain Chazz, Defend, Kenner, Radical Right, Tops the Chart, Trust Daddy, and Uncle Irish.

Bird Mobberley's Buff My Boots, half-length winner of the Maryland Million Lassie Oct. 23 at Laurel, is prominent among 25 nominees to the Smart Halo. The Buffum filly owns three wins from five starts for Laurel-based trainer John Salzman Jr. Sparkle Sprinkle and Luna Belle, respectively third and fourth in the Lassie, are also nominated.

Other nominees include James McIngvale homebred Runup, a winner of two straight including the one-mile Sorority Sept. 6 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., before finishing ninth in the Oct. 8 Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.; stakes-placed Advocate Harbor, Morning Matcha, and Whiteknuckleflyer; and last out winners Beneath the Stars, Buy the Best, Click to Confirm, Disco Ebo, Intrepid Daydream, Louella Street, Preparefortakeoff, and Trade Secret.

Chilean Group 2 winner Cheetara and Grade 1-placed Off Topic are among 21 nominees to the Thirty Eight Go Go. Stud Los Leones' Cheetara won the Haras de Chile Marcel Zarour Atanacio (G2) last December and exits a Keeneland allowance victory Oct. 24. D Hatman Thoroughbreds' Off Topic was third in the Grade 2 Gazelle and Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks as a 3-year-old in 2019 for previous trainer Todd Pletcher. Now with Phil Schoenthal, she made her comeback off an 11-month layoff Sept. 18 at Laurel.

Multiple stakes winners Artful Splatter, Kiss the Girl, and Mrs. Orb; and stakes winners Ask Bailey, Josie, Malibu Beauty, Miss Leslie, Trolley Ride, and Sweet Willemina, who has reeled off six straight wins since being claimed by trainer Scott Lake June 17, are also nominated.

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That's racing in 2021. Don't take a chance. Don't test your horse. Always go for the softest spot.

The problem is that she has nothing to gain by winning the Distaff. That is, outside of the purse money, which can't possibly matter to Larrea. She's already clinched the older filly and mare championship and there's nothing that can happen in the race to embellish her reputation. She's 6-for-7 on the year while racing exclusively against fillies with four Grade I wins and has traveled all over the country. For her, the Distaff is pretty much just another race.

She deserves a chance to prove her greatness and that can only happen with a start in the Classic. Win the Distaff and she's just another very good filly. Win the Classic and she can be mentioned in the same breath as a Rachel Alexandra or a Zenyatta.

It may also be her only real chance of becoming Horse of the Year. Should any of the top three or four horses in the Classic go on to win, they will be named Horse of the Year. For Letruska to win the title, she would need to win the Distaff and have an outsider win the Classic.

This year's Classic is loaded. Knicks Go (Paynter), Essential Quality (Tapit), Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), Medina Spirit (Protonico), Art Collector (Bernardini), Max Player (Honor Code) and Maxfield (Street Sense) headline one of the deepest fields ever assembled for the race. There's also the matter of Letruska's running style. She is a front-runner, which means she'd either have to alter her style in the Classic or go to the lead and risk getting into a suicidal early duel with Knicks Go.

No one is saying this would be easy. As talented as Letruska is she simply may not be good enough to beat the very best males. But the potential rewards outweigh the risks and this terrific mare deserves every opportunity to truly show what she is made of. Is Letruska a great horse? Is she among the best fillies of her era? Give her the chance to answer that question.

Win and You're Not In

The “Win and You're In” program leading up to the Breeders' Cup has been a success. Not only are the races important preps for the Breeders' Cup, but several top trainers have said they gravitate toward these races because a win in one of these races cuts way down on the expenses normally involved with getting a horse into a Breeders' Cup race. Win one of the “Breeders' Cup Challenge” races and pre-entry and entry fees are paid and any horse based outside of the home state for that year's Breeders' Cup will have its travel expenses paid.

Most of the races that are part of the program make perfect sense. Obviously, races like the GI Runhappy Travers S., the GI TVG Pacific Classic, the GI Champagne S., etc. belong. But there are some notable races missing from the series.

Saturday's GII Vosburgh S. at Belmont, which attracted just four starters, is a Win and You're In race. But on the same day, the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. is not. The Sept. 18 Jockey Club Derby Invitational, for 3-year-olds on the grass, qualifies but the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational, run the same day for 3-year-old turf fillies, does not. The other notable omission is the Grade I races at Parx. The GI Pennsylvania Derby has become a very important race, but is not a Win and You're In. Neither is the GI Cotillion S. for 3-year-old fillies. Both deserve to be included.

Lugo Deserved More Than 30 Days

It was announced last week that jockey Carlos Lugo was suspended 30 days by the Gulfstream stewards for failing to persevere when riding Princess Tereska in the fourth race on Oct. 3.

The race was won by Princess Tereska's stablemate Rubysa (Gone Astray), who was hammered down from 15-1 in the morning line to 5-2. Though a $12,500 maiden claiming race, the six-furlong event handled more than any other race on the card. Both horses are trained by Juan Reveriego.

That the Gulfstream stewards took action against Lugo is commendable. A lot of tracks would have just looked the other way. But, under the circumstances, 30 days doesn't seem like enough. And what about Reveriego? If there was a betting coup and he was in on any part of it, he would certainly seem to deserve some sort of stiff penalty.

Runco, Bocachica on a Roll at Charles Town

Though the West Virginia Breeders' Classic card at Charles Town was overshadowed by the many preps run the same day for the Breeders' Cup, it featured one of the standout training and riding feats on the year.

Trainer Jeff Runco won seven races on the nine-race card, all of them stakes. The list includes a win by Muad'dib (Fiber Sonde) in the $300,000 West Virginia Breeders' Classic S. The 4-year-old is 8-for-8 lifetime.

And Runco's regular rider, Arnaldo Bocachica won eight races, a Charles Town record. Bocachica finished fourth in the third race aboard Aaron's Tap (Northern Afleet) for his only loss on the night. It was also a big night for owner David Raim, who had five winners.

Runco is largely unknown outside of West Virginia, but his numbers are noteworthy. He has 4,494 career wins from 20,992 starters, 12th best among all trainers.

Medina Spirit and the Eclipse Awards

If a horse were to win the GI Kentucky Derby, the Shared Belief S, the GI Awesome Again S. and the Breeders' Cup Classic would that be enough to be named Horse of the Year or, perhaps, 3-year-old champion? Normally, the answer would be yes. Four horses have won the Kentucky Derby and the Classic in the same year and three (Authentic, American Pharoah and Sunday Silence) were named Horse of the Year and 3-year-old champion. The fourth, Unbridled, was named 3-year-old champion, but lost out on Horse of the Year to Criminal Type.

So what should voters do with Medina Spirit in the case that he wins the Classic? The way things are dragging along with his betamethasone positive from the Derby, it's entirely possible that the matter will be unresolved by the time voters must make their choices for the Eclipse Awards. That would mean that, technically, Medina Spirit would still be the winner of this year's Derby.

Would that mean he should be given credit for winning the Derby, at least until the matter is resolved? Most voters will likely assume that he will eventually be disqualified from the Derby and vote for someone else. But a case could be made that Medina Spirit would at least deserve serious consideration for year-end honors.

The post The Week in Review: Letruska Belongs in the Classic appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Bocachico, a native of Puerto Rico, has called Charles Town his home track since he started riding in 2006. He logged his first career graded stakes win there in 2016, winning the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks on Covey Trace, and scored his 2000^th career victory in March. Saturday, he started the evening with a win in the West Virginia Vincent Moscarelli Memorial Breeders' Classics Stakes on Run to Daylight, the favorite. The streak continued with wins in all but Race 3, where Bocachico finished fourth. Seven of his winners were favorites.

Bocachico's eight victories from nine mounts best the record of seven on a Charles Town card set by jockey Travis Dunkelberger in 2000. In addition to Run to Daylight, Bocachico's winners included The Sky Is Falling (Race 2), Social Chic (Race 4), Door Buster (Race 5), Penguin Power (Race 6), Star of Night (Race 7), Muad'dib (Race 8), and Stowe Angel (Race 9). All but Door Buster were horses trained by Jeff Runco.

Runco, a regular on the West Virginia circuit and currently Charles Town's leading trainer with 101 wins, stands at number 12 on the list of winningest North American trainers, behind such names as Steve Asmussen, Todd Pletcher, Bill Mott, and D. Wayne Lukas. After a short career as a jockey, Runco started training in 1984, and, according to Equibase statistics, has 4,494 wins from 20,992 starters.

Owner David Raim also had five winners from his five starters the West Virginia Breeders' Classics card, all trained by Runco and ridden by Bocachico.

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Star of Night won six of seven starts during her 2020 campaign, all at Charles Town, earning $152,405 for owner Huntertown Farm and trainer Jeff Runco.

The season was a steady climb up the class ladder, starting with a 5 1/2-length maiden special weight win on Jan. 30. A jump to the allowance ranks yielded similar results, going gate to wire to win by 5 3/4 lengths on Feb. 29. She suffered her lone defeat of the season in the following start, beaten just a head in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance on May 15.

The Creative Cause filly got back on the winning track with force on June 27, winning a 6 1/2-furlong allowance by an astounding 10 3/4 lengths.

Star of Night moved up to stakes competition of that win, and the story remained the same. She won the Sylvia Bishop Memorial Stakes by 5 1/4 lengths on Aug. 28, then she took the West Virginia Tourism Office Breeders' Classic Stakes by 4 3/4 lengths on Oct. 10.

Her season finished with her biggest test, stretching out to 1 1/8 miles for the My Sister Pearl Stakes. It was also her biggest fight of the year, battling against Bridging the Gap, the horse that handed her the lone defeat of the season, and prevailing by a half-length.

Star of Night was bred in West Virginia by Heinz Steinmann, out of the Mailbu Moon mare Splendiferous Moon.

Following is a complete list of winners from the WVTBA awards:

Horse of the Year: Star of Night
2017, Creative Cause x Splendiferous Moon, by Malibu Moon
Breeder: Heinz J Steinmann
Owner: Huntertown Farm, LLC
Trainer: Jeff C Runco

Champion 2-Year-Old Filly: Shutupn'kissme
2018, Fiber Sonde x Kiss on Command, by Langfuhr
Breeder/Owner/Trainer: John McKee

Champion 2-Year-Old Colt: Youthinkthatsfunny
2018, Fiber Sonde x Humored, by Distorted Humor
Breeder/Owner/Trainer: John McKee

Champion 3-Year-Old Colt: Fancy Concho
2018, Fiber Sonde x Shes Pretty Fancy, by My Boy Adam
Breeder: Tim & Judith Grams
Owner: Grams Racing Stable LLC
Trainer: Timothy C. Grams

Champion Older Filly/Mare: Anna's Bandit
2014, Great Notion x Onearmedbandit, by No Armistice
Breeder: John Robb
Owner: No Guts No Glory Farm
Trainer: John Robb

Champion Older Colt/Gelding & Champion Sprinter: Dr. Feelgood
2015, Fiber Sonde x Happy Numbers, by Polish Numbers
Breeder: Francis W. Daniel III
Owner: Jill Daniel
Trainer: Crystal G Pickett

Champion West Virginia-Sired, Non-WV-Bred Runner: Bridging The Gap
2016, Fiber Sonde x Seet Sang, by Fusaichi Pegasus
Breeder: Don E. Cain,
Owner/Trainer: John McKee

West Virginia Broodmare of the Year: Happy Numbers
2000, Polish Numbers x Happenchance, by Alydar
Owner: Francis W Daniel, III

West Virginia Stallion of the Year: Fiber Sonde
2005, Unbridled's Song x Silken Cat, by Storm Cat
Owner: John McKee

West Virginia Breeder of the Year: John & Cindy McKee, Beau Ridge Farm

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The personable, quiet, hard-working journeyman jockey has led the jockey standings at Charles Town in both wins and purse earnings the last three years. He currently leads the meet with 52 wins and $788,326 in earnings. He rides first call on many of leading Charles Town trainer Jeff Runco's starters.

“A big congratulations to my main man Arnaldo Bocachica and his agent Billy Kennedy on his 2,000th win,” said Runco on Twitter.

“Thank you boss for the support over the years,” Bocachica replied. “I'm grateful to be part of the Runco team.”

Bocachica's weekly stats included 10 wins from 23 mounts for a 43.4% win percentage and 78% in-the-money percentage. He tied for second with number of wins for the week. His total purse earnings were $154,113.

Bocachica out-polled fellow riders apprentice Alexis Centeno who won his first graded race, Jose Ferrer who won the Gr. II Tampa Bay Derby, Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won the most races for the week with 14, and Joel Rosario who won the Gr. I Santa Anita Handicap.

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The six-furlong Sprint for 3-year-olds and up is among eight stakes and four starter stakes on the 35th Jim McKay Maryland Million program, 'Maryland's Day at the Races' celebrating the progeny of stallions standing in the state.

Carded as Race 10, the Sprint immediately precedes the featured $150,000 Classic for 3-year-olds and up. First race post time is 11:25 a.m.

A gelded 6-year-old son of Great Notion, the Maryland Million's leading active sire with 13 career winners, Lewisfield won the Sprint in 2018 and was third last year during a campaign where he was named the champion Maryland-bred sprinter, bookending his season with stakes victories at Laurel in the Not For Love and Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial.

Both stakes wins came at the Sprint's six furlongs, where Lewisfield owns a record of 7-4-5 from 19 tries. Finishing first or second Saturday would put him over $500,000 in lifetime earnings.

“He definitely likes the track and that's the distance he likes,” trainer Jeff Runco said. “We had a nice workout the other day with him and he's been training well since, so we're going to get him ready for Saturday. Hopefully, he'll do well. I think he'll be fine.”

Lewisfield is named for an Arabian breeding operation owned by Zang's late father-in-law. Her husband, James F. Lewis III, was a mainstay on the Maryland racing scene as an owner-breeder and first president of Maryland Million Ltd., and has had a stakes race for 2-year-olds run in his honor since his death in May 2012.

Like many horses, Lewisfield's 2020 season was compromised amid the coronavirus pandemic that put racing on hold across the country including Maryland and Runco's base at Charles Town. Lewisfield didn't debut until July 4 at Laurel, finishing fourth in a six-furlong optional claimer, beaten less than three lengths off a seven-month layoff.

In his most recent race, Lewisfield was in striking position for a half-mile in the seven-furlong Russell Road Aug. 28 at Charles Town before fading in the final eighth to run last of nine. He didn't return to the work tab until Oct. 1, and fired a bullet half-mile in 48 seconds Oct. 15 for the Sprint.

“He wasn't able to race. He was in training the whole time,” Runco said. “There's a lot of horses out there like this, who were ready to run but with no place to run so you train them and train them and train them. It's really not good for the horses because they need to race when they're ready to run.

“The shutdown was tough on him,” he added. “He lost a lot of time this year being in training and everything closed down. It's a shame, but it is what it is. We'll see how he does. We'll try this and I think after this I want to give him a chance on the grass, hopefully this year.”

Lewisfield has won four career stakes and placed in 10 others through 25 starts, including thirds in the 2018 and 2019 Maryland Sprint (G3) at Pimlico Race Course. Horacio Karamanos is named to ride from Post 7 for Runco, a winner of more than 4,300 career races.

“He's just been great. He's a great horse. He's been a fun horse to have,” Runco said. “We've been able to travel with him. He always tries. He's had a couple of rough trips here and there but that's how racing is. He gives it his all every time. Hopefully we'll have a good trip on Saturday and we'll see how it goes.”

Also making his third straight trip to the Sprint, but first for trainer Jerry O'Dwyer, is Clover Hill Farm and Clover Hill Racing's Onemoregreattime. Another son of Great Notion, the 5-year-old gelding finished fourth in 2018 and sixth last year for previous trainer Jerry Robb.

Onemoregreattime was beaten a head after setting the pace in a six-furlong optional claimer July 4 at Laurel, his debut for O'Dwyer and first race following the 2 ½-month coronavirus pause. He has finished off the board in three subsequent starts, most recently running fifth in the Polynesian Stakes Sept. 5.

“We're very happy with him. We think he runs best fresh, so we haven't run him for a while. We just decided to back off him and aim him for this race,” O'Dwyer said. “This is our primary goal, so that's why he hasn't run in a while. But he's a very active horse, he hasn't missed a beat in training, he breezes good every week. We just did a nice maintenance half-mile last week, he's very fit. We just wanted to keep him fresh and happy going into the race.”

In his recent races, Onemoregreattime has run up against such horses as multiple stakes winner Laki, who parlayed a runner-up effort in the Polynesian to victory in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) Oct. 3, and Polynesian winner Eastern Bay, who is the first of five Maryland-bred also-eligibles in the Sprint.

“He's always knocking heads with the best of them around here, and he's always right there. He'll get his turn,” O'Dwyer said. “Hopefully this year this could be his year. We hope it can be. I'm very happy with how he is. He can't be in any better form. I think we finally figured out that he just likes to run fresh so we're going to try to keep him that way. He's run some very good numbers and he's never disgraced.”

Jevian Toledo has the call from Post 3.

Maryland's leading trainer the past three years, Claudio Gonzalez entered both Eastern Bay and Maryland-sired Baptize the Boy, a son of 2014 General George (G3) winner Bandbox that drew Post 2. Magic Stable's Baptize the Boy has been third or better in seven of nine starts this year with two wins, racing primarily at Parx.

Robert D. Bone's Eastern Bay, claimed for $35,000 in February, would need at least two scratches from the main body of the field to draw into the race. Following the Polynesian, he came up a nose short of Laki following a dramatic late run in the De Francis.

“He ran so big the last time. He didn't break that sharp and it was a little too much for him to do. If he was a little closer to the group, maybe we catch him, but that's racing,” Gonzalez said. “He likes what we do with him. He's a classy horse. He doesn't need too much. We try to keep him happy and he shows you he is in the afternoon.”

Also in the main body of the race are Whiskey and You; recent Parx allowance winner Brilliant Chase; Seany P; stakes-placed Hall Pass, fourth in last year's Sprint; Karan's Notion, For the Moment and Let's Play Nine, a winner of three of four career starts but unraced since March 13.

Grade 3-placed stakes winner Whereshetoldmetogo, Abuelo Paps, defending Sprint champion Taco Supream and Girls Love Me join Eastern Bay on the also-eligible list.

The post ‘He Gives It His All Every Time’: Lewisfield Making Third Consecutive Trip To Maryland Million Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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If you had the 9 in the 7th at Charles Town … this qualifies as a #BadBeat @StanfordSteve82 @notthefakeSVP @chrisfallica pic.twitter.com/CdUISoLVuC

— Race Charles Town (@RaceCharlesTown) July 10, 2020

The Jeff Runco trainee made it onto SVP's Bad Beats with Scott Van Pelt and Stanford Steve on ESPN. Though River Crosroad RVF broke his maiden in his next start, he pulled his signature stunt once again on Sept. 10. Charles Town stewards have now barred the horse from competing at the West Virginia track.

The Bad Boy of Charles Town made it back on Bad Beats …

We can report that River Crosroad RVF has been barred indefinitely from racing here at Charles Town. https://t.co/IdvqA3QwQ2

— Race Charles Town (@RaceCharlesTown) September 15, 2020

The post Twice Ain’t Nice: Charles Town Bars Horse After Pair Of Mid-Race Incidents appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Starting from the outside post eight, Flatter Hymn was one of the first to contend for the lead with Indiana Grand's leading jockey DeShawn Parker aboard. The duo sat along the outside of Chipofftheoldblock and Alex Achard through the early stages of the one mile, 70-yard event. In the turn, it appeared that the late closers might be too tough to tackle as Mai Tai's Gem and Santo Sanjur along with race favorite Two Last Words and Fernando De La Cruz moved up into position.

In the stretch, Flatter Hymn came alive and got back into contention for the lead, getting the advantage in the last few strides to win by one and one-quarter length over Mai Tai's Gem. Two Last Words finished third.

“I had trouble getting him to settle,” said Parker. “I was trying to get him to relax at first. He actually backed off at one point, but he seemed to get a breather and then he came right back and hit another gear. He gave me everything he had. He didn't have a bit of trouble with two turns.”

Flatter Hymn was the third choice on the board, paying $8.60, $4.00, $3.00 across the board. Bred by Sugarland Thoroughbreds of Indiana, the sophomore gelding is owned by Everett Novak's New Farm, who purchased him as a yearling for $30,000 from the Fasig Tipton Mid Atlantic Eastern Fall Sale in Maryland. Jeff Runco trains.

Runco is the longtime leading trainer at Hollywood Casino Charles Town. He is once again leading the standings in 2020 and has amassed more than 4,300 career wins. The Graded Stakes winning trainer mainly focuses his stable in West Virginia, but when the stakes opportunity came up for Flatter Hymn, he decided to send him to Indiana and reconnected with Parker.

“I used to ride a lot for Jeff (Runco) when I was out at Mountaineer,” said Parker. “I even went over to Charles Town to ride for him some. I talked to him on the phone about this horse and he told me both times, he got in trouble in his last races. I watched his last race, and he was in trouble at the top of the stretch, and there, once you get in the stretch, it seems like only a few jumps and you are at the wire. For him to get out of trouble and go on and win in that start was really impressive.”

Flatter Hymn returns to West Virginia as a stakes winner and a near-$100,000 winner. He keeps his record perfect with three wins in three starts. Flatter Hymn was unraced at two.

“When Jeff (Runco) decided to nominate this horse to the stakes, he gave us a call,” said Ricky Giannini, who oversees Brad Cox's Stable at Indiana Grand. “He shipped in a few days ago with Jeff's assistant just for this race. We actually sent a West Virginia bred to Jeff a few weeks ago for a race, so we just traded horses for a little bit.”

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