The 35th Running of the West Virginia Breeders Classics

By Vicky Moon and Leonard Shapiro

John Casey with Juba one of three stallions standing at Taylor Mountain Farm.

Photo by Vicky Moon

On a recent sweltering Sunday afternoon after lunch at the Locke Store in Millwood, we head out on a dreamy drive to Taylor Mountain Farm in Charles Town, West Virginia. North on Rt 340, east onto Meyerstown Road and then north to Kabletown Road.

Open fields are filled with corn, approaching harvest. The Shenandoah River is just to the east as we make a final turn onto Old Shennandale Road, to the immaculate 220-acre Taylor Mountain horse farm owned by the Casey family.

The farm was named after Taylor Mountain where the now 91-year-old patriarch, James Casey, did his final army training while at Fort Dix in New Jersey. It’s a family affair that began when Mr. Casey and his late wife Eleanor bought their first horse in 1963. Royal Sketch had a total of 14 wins, six seconds and three thirds out of 51 starts in her career.

Since then, the Casey family--James, a veterinarian and trainer; John, a blacksmith and trainer and Ann, a school teacher and owner--have become one of the most successful racing families at Charles Town Races.

John Casey is the farm manager and leads visitors on a tour of the property the family purchased in 2000. There are four barns and two indoor arenas. They now stand three stallions with over 50 broodmares and their offspring each year. All the young horses are broken on the farm and all go on to run in West Virginia and are trained by family members.

Taylor Mountain Farm’s Castle Bound, trained by James Casey won the $300,00 West Virginia Breeders Classic in 2019

Photo by Coady

The West Virginia Breeders Classics races were founded by Middleburg residents Carol Holden, currently the president and Sam Huff, the NFL Hall of Fame player, now chairman emeritus. With the 35 th running of the event approaching on Saturday, Oct. 9 at the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, the Casey family is gearing up for yet another successful evening.

This year there will be purse money of $1 million offered. There are races scheduled for two-year-olds, three-year-olds, a sprint called the Dash for Cash presented by Rockwool at 4½ furlongs and, of course, the Classic for three-year- olds and up at 1 and 1/8 th mile. Through the years, Taylor Mountain has had 33 winners and nine of them were bred by the farm.

In addition to the purse money, the Oct. 9 races provide an added percentage of money for Foal Nominator and West Virginia Stallion Nominator awards. The additional funds come from the casino slot machines.

As yet another added incentive, there is the West Virginia Thoroughbred Development Fund which distributes almost $5 million to breeders, owners, and sire owners of accredited West Virginia-bred and/or sired horses. Awards are based on all of the horse’s annual earnings (up to $100,000 of any single purse) at Charles Town and Mountaineer race tracks and are based on the betting handle.

John Casey said Taylor Mountain has received a check each year around Feb. 15 for the past 20 years.

“It’s been anywhere between $200,000 to $700,000 each year,” he noted, adding the funds are used to feed, care and train their horses.

Keep your eye on the winner’s circle.