WVBC: Learn the release romp in Sam Huff Classic * The Racing Biz

Heading into the latest edition of the $300,000 West Virginia Breeders’ Classic, the feature on the annual West Virginia Breeders’ Classic card that highlights the state’s top bred horses in training, the main focus was on the speedy Teachintherelease, the 1-5 favorite despite the presence of defending champion Runaldo.

Sixteen months ago, owner Robert Cole, Jr. and trainer Stephen Murdock stepped in to raise Teachintherelease for $20,000 from a grant/optional claim event. The five-year-old Windsor Castle gelding had since won seven races, four of which have now been state-bred stakes. Last fall he finished second in the WVBC Onion Juice, but capped his campaign with a handy score in the Randy Funkhouser Memorial at the same three-turn nine-furlong distance, and that’s when the 2025 plan was set in motion.

With a three-race win streak heading into the Classic, including a sharp score in the $75,000 Frank Gall Memorial when he led throughout despite racing against some serious closer bias on the Charles Town Classic and Charles Town Oaks undercard, Teachintherelease (Carlos Lopez) could easily fill his role as odds-on pick. the Classic, although even his connections admitted they were surprised by the ease with which she prevailed.

Away from post eight to take command entering the far corner for the first time, Teachintherelease also shook off the short pressure the first time and crossed the finish line, driving through early splits of 24.33, 48.18 flat and 1:14.17 over the first three calls and gradually distancing himself from his rivals. In fact, Teachintherelease extended his lead under very little prodding from Lopez on the far turn and romped home at 14 ¼ clear, stopping the timer in 1:52.67 for the nine furlongs.

“When he got to the front so easily, I just let him sail along,” Lopez said. “I never really had to chase him. I thought there would be some pressure at some point, but every time I looked there was no one around. He started riding free going into the far corner and I never really put him down. He was just the best.”

Teachintherelease, who now has four wins from five season outings, also boasts a 14-10-1 record and collected more than $550,000 from 32 career outings. Both were left almost speechless by his performance on Saturday evening and his owner expects the Windsor Castle gelding to have several more successful years under his belt.

“This is the second largest grant I have won,” Cole said. “I once won a $500,000 bet 20 years ago, but this is the second biggest purse. He has so much natural early speed that he makes it easy for himself. I knew when he got to the front in 48 and 1:14 that they were never going to pass him. He’s only five and he’s healthy, so I think he’ll be good in his seven- or eight-year-old season.”

“I thought it would take a little more speed to go with him, but I thought he could take the lead,” Murdock said. “I didn’t think he could get away so easily at the front. It probably helped that Coastal Mission wasn’t there. You have to respect that horse and he decided to skip the race and that helped. But he was really good. He was better than I ever expected.”