Top horses to compete in W. Virginia Derby

Staff report

CHESTER, W.VA.

The top three finishers in the Iowa Derby and the top two from the Los Alamitos Derby are among a field of nine entered for Saturday’s $500,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort.

The grade III fixture for 3-year-olds is the centerpiece of a nine-race Saturday program that will begin at 2 p.m.

The Derby is carded as the eighth race with a post time of 5:35 p.m.

Shortleaf Stable’s High North, Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister’s Mr Freeze and Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing’s Lionite finished a tight one-two-three, respectively, in the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino on July 6.

The Iowa Derby was run at 11/16 miles, while the West Virginia Derby is at 11/8 miles.

Trained by Brad Cox, High North, a colt by Midnight Lute, won the Iowa Derby from just off the pace in a frantic finish.

In his previous start he finished a respectable fourth in the grade III Peter Pan Stakes — at 11/8 miles but around one turn — at Belmont Park in New York, and earlier this year was on the Triple Crown trail in graded stakes in Louisiana and Arkansas.

Mr Freeze, a lightly raced colt by To Honor and Serve, was two-for-two heading into the Iowa Derby and missed by a half-length.

He has shown the ability to race close to the pace or come from behind with success for trainer Dale Romans, who won the 2006 West Virginia Derby with Bright One.

Lionite, who made up the most ground late in the Iowa Derby and previously won the Prairie Meadows Mile, is trained by Steve Asmussen, who has collected five West Virginia Derby victories since 2005.

The Quality Road colt has been training at Saratoga Race Course in New York for the summer and may appreciate the added distance at Mountaineer.

Asmussen and Winchell Thoroughbreds teamed to win the West Virginia Derby twice, in 2014 with Tapiture and in 2007 with Zanjero.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who has won three editions of the West Virginia Derby with Cupid (2016), Prayer for Relief (2011) and Concord Point (2010), conditions the Bodemeister colt Once On Whiskey, who won the grade III, $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby by a head over Draft Pick on July 14 at Los Alamitos Race Course in California.

Owned by Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman, Once On Whiskey overcame a slow start to win the 11/8-mile race in his first start around two turns and never has finished worse than third in four starts.

C R K Stable’s Draft Pick, trained by Peter Eurton, won the grade III Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita Park in California before his near miss at Los Alamitos. The Candy Ride colt is yet another consistent two-turn runner entered in the West Virginia Derby.

Another California-based entrant is Kramer Racing, Nice Guys Stables and Steven Keh’s King Cause, who finished evenly in the Los Alamitos Derby and Affirmed Stakes for trainer Doug O’Neill.

The Graham Motion-trained Rugbyman figures to attract plenty of attention given his efforts at Belmont Park in the spring.

The Tapit colt will make his two-turn debut at Mountaineer after racing one mile and 11/16 miles around one turn in New York.