Confucius Say field small but mighty

West Virginia-bred millionaire Confucius Say won three editions of the West Virginia Breeders’ Classic. The last of those came at age 8, and he continued on to win a stakes at age 10.

None of the five entrants in Saturday night’s $50,000 Confucius Say Stakes for West Virginia-accredited runners at Charles Town have reached his level of accomplishment. Still, the competitive field matches several mainstays of the West Virginia stakes circuit.

Trainer Jeff Runco has three of the five entrants in the Confucius Say, carded as the second race on the program: Penguin Power, Opera Nite, and North Atlantic. Arnaldo Bocachica is named to ride both Penguin Power and North Atlantic, meaning one will either have to scratch or find a replacement rider. Jose Montano has the mount on Opera Nite.

Penguin Power is by last year’s leading West Virginia sire Fiber Sonde, as is graded stakes winner Runnin’toluvya, who is approaching the milliondollar mark in earnings, all for trainer Tim Grams. Both are major threats in this spot off successful 2019 seasons.

Runnin’toluvya won 10 consecutive races from 2018 into 2019, with five stakes wins including the 2018 West Virginia Breeders’ Classic and the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic in April 2019. In the Charles Town Classic, he bested Diamond King by a half-length, with familiar names such as War Story, Mongolian Groom, Imperative, and Discreet Lover also in the field.

However, Runnin’toluvya tailed off somewhat at the end of the season, and the rising Penguin Power defeated him in the Frank Gall Memorial. That was part of a seven-race win streak to end the season for Penguin Power, which also included the A Huevo Stakes in November over several others he will face here. Overall, Penguin Power has won 10 of 13 starts and has never missed the board.

Runnin’toluvya got the jump on Penguin Power to start this season, winning a March 21 allowance at Charles Town over that foe by two lengths.

Opera Nite is by Gattopardo, who stands at O’Sullivan Farms, which bred and campaigned Confucius Say. Opera Nite, who is making his first start of the year, owns a consistent career record of 19-7-7-1. He was second in last year’s West Virginia Breeders’ Classic, beaten a head by Castle Bound, and was second in the A Huevo to Penguin Power last October in his most recent outing.

North Atlantic won the 2017 A Huevo and owns 11 stakes placings, including runner-up finishes in the 2017 and 2018 editions of the West Virginia Breeders’ Classic, a third-place finish in that race last year, and a second in the 2019 Confucius Say. North Atlantic was fourth behind Runnin’toluvya and Penguin Power on March 21.

The field is completed by Maryland-bred V. I. P. Ticket, who was fourth in his 2020 debut in March at Laurel Park for trainer Jerry O’Dwyer. V. I. P. Ticket, stakes-placed at Pimlico last year, was an allowance winner at Charles Town last summer.