Coastal Mission was a win machine in West Virginia for Charles Town-based owner/trainer Jeff Runco for the first three years of his racing career, with the gelding notching 10 of his first 11 victories in the state of his birth.
Since December, Coastal Misson has primarily been taken on the road to other tracks in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, not with the same level of dominance, but with success. A stakes winner at Laurel Park in April and again in his most recent start in September at Parx Racing in Pennsylvania, Coastal Mission is now even a graded stakes winner in New York. Racing Oct. 26 in the $250,000 Forty Niner Stakes (G3) during the Belmont at the Big A meet, he notched his first victory at the graded level while also vaulting past $1 million in earnings.
With his West Virginia-based jockey Arnaldo Bocachica coming to Aqueduct Racetrack for the mount, the victorious gray and/or roan settled in sixth for the first half-mile of the one-mile Forty Niner before kicking into gear with a wide rally over the race's only turn. Third coming into the stretch, he collared pacesetting Nelson Avenue with about a furlong remaining and outfinished him for length victory.
He raced a mile in 1:36.10 following splits of :22.86, :45.70, and 1:10.51 set by runner-up Nelson Avenue. Coastal Mission paid $11 to win.
"He is the best horse that I've ever rode," said Bocachica. "He's taken me on a nice ride; I've been different places, and he always tries hard. He is special to me, this horse."
Another gray, Winit, rallied to show, ahead of Repo Rocks in fourth. The latter was stuck inside in traffic on the turn and early stretch and offered an even finish once an opening materialized.
Favored Jefferson Street ran fifth, and second favorite Messier was pulled up late in the race while bleeding from the nostrils. He was transported off the track in an equine ambulance.
None of the competitors raced with the diuretic Lasix under rules for stakes races.
Coastal Mission, bred by Coleswood Farm out of the Crowd Pleaser mare Smart Crowd, is a son of leading Maryland stallion Great Notion , who stood for $7,500 at Northview Stallion Station this past breeding season. Great Notion is further represented by graded stakes winner Future Is Now this year.
Runco said a start in the Dec. 7 Cigar Mile Handicap (G2) is planned for Coastal Mission. The gelding ran fifth in the race last year when breaking from the inside post.
"He'll be going into this race much better than he did last year when he had a lot of time between races and missed a couple workouts," his trainer said.
Video: Forty Niner S. (G3)
Runninsonofagun Earns Second Bold Ruler Via Disqualification
Winless since capturing the 2022 Bold Ruler Stakes (G3) as a 3-year-old, the now 5-year-old Runninsonofagun took his picture in this year's edition after taking the Saturday event via disqualification for trainer John Toscano Jr.
The $175,000 Bold Ruler marked Runninsonofagun's return to the stakes level after the gelding had made several starts in allowance company. Sent to post as the second-longest shot on the board at 16-1, the son of Gun Runner put his best foot forward when it counted most.
Laying well off the pace under jockey Joel Rosario, Runninsonofagun picked his way in between horses as a bold My Buddy B seized command with a three-wide move after a half-mile run in :45.73. Switched to the outside, Runninsonofagun was resilient down the lane, heading My Buddy B and continuing to close as that rival bore out badly into him down the lane. My Buddy B prevailed by a nose under the wire but upon review of the race, Runningsonofagun ($34) was declared the official race winner.
My Buddy B was placed in second ahead of third-place getter Twenty Four Mamba.
The time for the six furlongs was 1:09.42 on a fast main track.
"He was injured and I had to lay him up. It took him a while to get back into gear," Toscano said. "His first couple of starts he was a little flat, but he progressed and got better and better. Hopefully, he's now back where he was."
Owned by Karen Zimmerman, Runninsonofagun improved his bankroll to $567,865 with his second stakes victory.
