West Virginia Derby Time Approaches at Mountaineer
CHESTER, WEST VIRGINIA – Fifty-seven horses had been nominated for this 12 months’s forty second working of the Grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby. The 1 1/8-mile match for three-year-olds will anchor a nine-race card comprised solely of stakes on Saturday afternoon, August 6, at Mountaineer On line casino Racetrack & Lodge.
“The West Virginia Derby is our signature match, and the West Virginia Derby card constitutes our signature day of racing,” mentioned Joe Narcavish, Mountaineer’s racing secretary, “Our assured handbag distribution for the day can be $1.47 million. That is some huge cash for any monitor, anyplace, in North The us.”
Remaining 12 months’s West Virginia Derby featured a front-running rating by means of Brotherly love Level, educated by means of Corridor of Famer Bob Baffert and ridden by means of Martin Garcia. Baffert plans to go into Prayer for Aid, a two-length winner of the Grade 3 Iowa Derby on June 25, on this 12 months’s West Virginia Derby.
Brotherly love Level was once an Iowa Derby winner as neatly, this means that Baffert is attractive an overly an identical plan to the only he had closing 12 months. Prayer for Aid is scheduled to reach at Mountaineer this coming Monday. The colt, owned by means of Ahmed Zayat, has a occupation report that incorporates six begins, 3 wins, one second-place end and handbag income of $214,000.
West Virginia Derby OTB making a bet at Mountaineer Race Observe at Off Observe Having a bet on-line race e-book
Little Drama, bred and owned by means of Harold L. Queen and educated by means of David Fawkes, may be regarded as a most probably West Virginia Derby starter. Little Drama two times completed 3rd in Grade 2 occasions at Gulfstream Park this 12 months, and gained the Philmont Stakes at Parx Racing (previously referred to as Philadelphia Park) in past due April.
A gelding, Little Drama is a homebred half-brother to the 2010 North American dash champion, Giant Drama. In 2009, Giant Drama went postward within the West Virginia Derby and blazed to a ten-length lead throughout the opening half-mile, prior to dropping by means of a neck to Soul Warrior, educated by means of Steve Asmussen.
Soul Warrior’s triumph (wherein he additionally defeated that 12 months’s Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Hen) was once the 3rd for Asmussen within the West Virginia Derby – he additionally gained with Actual Dandy in 2005 and with Zanjero in 2007.
Asmussen has nominated 4 horses to this 12 months’s race. The gang comprises Astrology, who completed 3rd within the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Route on Would possibly 21; Superior Guess, who gained the Barbaro Stakes at Delaware Park on July 9; Dominus, who gained the Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park on July 2; and Wilburn, who was once an allowance winner at Churchill Downs in mid-Would possibly.
Infrattini, who completed a fast-closing moment within the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill on June 18, is at the record of West Virginia Derby contenders. The similar is right for Sherriff Cogburn, who was once a stakes winner at Prairie Meadows at age two and completed moment on this 12 months’s Iowa Derby.
Teacher Neil Drysdale has indicated that Dreamy Child, who at odds of 19-1 gained the Grade 2 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park on July 9, would possibly send from his Southern California base to run within the West Virginia Derby. The Swaps may be run at 9 furlongs, so there is no doubt that Dreamy Child can maintain the West Virginia Derby distance.
The West Virginia Derby received graded standing in 2002, and for the primary time since then a filly has been nominated to the race. Santina Dond, educated by means of Gennadi Dorochenko, has gained on each the filth and turf ovals at Mountaineer this 12 months.
3 times, all within the far away previous, fillies have gained the West Virginia Derby. Norah completed the feat again in 1924 on the race’s authentic house, the Tri-State Honest Grounds monitor, which was once 9 miles east of Huntington. Etimota and Kerensa gained in 1963 and 1966, respectively, when Mountaineer was once referred to as Waterford Park.
Along with its $750,000 handbag, Mountaineer will supply an advantage of $150,000 to any Grade 1 successful horse who additionally wins this 12 months’s West Virginia Derby. The victors of all 3 Triple Crown races are a few of the nominees.
However Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom is injured and won’t race for the rest of the 12 months. Preakness winner Shackleford and Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice are scheduled to run within the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 31.
Submit time for the West Virginia Derby card can be 2 p.m. EDT. Admission and basic parking are loose.
