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WV Derby positions are drawn
By Bill Mooney
Prayer for Relief was established as the 5-2 favorite for Saturday’s West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort.
Prayer for Relief, which will start on the rail, is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who’s trying for his second consecutive West Virginia Derby victory. Concord Point registered a front-running, one-length score in 2010. Prayer for Relief will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano, who also has a prior West Virginia Derby win on his resume, aboard Sir Shackleton in 2005.
Post positions were drawn for the 42nd running of the West Virginia Derby on Tuesday. The 1 1/8-mile race for three-year-olds highlights a nine-race card. The first race is scheduled for 2 p.m.; the Derby is the eighth race on the card.
Dreamy Kid, trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale and ridden by Joseph Talamo, is the second favorite at 7-2, and will go from the no. 8 position.
Also in the 10-horse field is Sherriff Cogburn, who finished second in the Iowa Derby, and is the 5-1 third favorite. Perry Compton will be aboard Sheriff Cogburn, which will start from the No. 6 position.
Infrattini has three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin H. Borel in the saddle and was set at 8-1. Infrattini will start in the No. 2 post position.
Trainer Steve Asmussen, who has had entries in five of the last six West Virginia Derbys — and has won three —will send out Awesome Bet in the fourth position at 6-1. Asmussen trained Soul Warrior, who upset Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird in 2009.
Little Drama, a half-brother to the 2009 West Virginia Derby runner-up (and 2010 North American male sprint champion) Big Drama, will be ridden Kendrick Carmouche. Little Drama will start in the No. 3 position and was also set at 8-1.
Trained by David Fawkes, Little Drama has twice placed in graded company this year, and most recently finished third in the $153,000 Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth. Little Drama also won last year’s Frank Gomez Memorial Stakes at Calder Race Course.