Chunk of Gold to go in Bourbon Flight instead of St. Louis Derby

The connections of Chunk of Gold decided Monday morning that the West Virginia Derby winner will make his next start in the $300,000 Bourbon Flight on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Chunk of Gold also was entered in the $250,000 St. Louis Derby that runs Friday at Fairmount Park. Chunk of Gold, who is based at Turfway Park, drew post 11 for the St. Louis Derby and is the 3-2 favorite on the morning line.

“We’re going to go to the race at Churchill, the Bourbon Flight,” said Ethan West, who trains Chunk of Gold for Terry L. Stephens.

“It’s closer to home – not that the ship to St. Louis was out of reach by any means. He shipped a lot this summer and spring. So, it’s a little closer to home, a smaller field, a little bit better post position, and he’s had a trip across the track already.”

Chunk of Gold was ninth in the Kentucky Derby after running second in a pair of major preps at Fair Grounds. He is coming off a dominant win in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby.

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The 1 3/16-mile Bourbon Flight drew a field of eight, and Chunk of Gold will start from post 5 under regular rider Jareth Loveberry.

The 1 1/16-mile St. Louis Derby drew a field of 11, with several entrants also in the Bourbon Flight.

“There’s five of us that are juggling the two races,” trainer William E. Morey, who has Brotha Keny cross-entered in both stakes, said Monday morning. “It’s a little tricky as to who’s going to go where.”

Brotha Kenny was third last out in the West Virginia Derby.

Trainer Kenny McPeek said Monday that Hypnus, who is cross-entered in both races, will run in the St. Louis Derby. He is 7-2 on the morning line at Fairmount following a third-place finish in the Smarty Jones at Parx Racing. McPeek, who won the 2022 running of the St. Louis Derby with Rattle N Roll, has had Hypnus based at Saratoga.

“I think its good spot for him,” McPeek said Monday. “We’ve run well over there in the past. He’s coming out of the New York division, and I think he’s primed to make a presence over there.”

Admiral Dennis and Excite are the other horses cross-entered in both the Bourbon Flight and St. Louis Derby.

The drawn field for the St. Louis Derby from the rail with riders is: Disco Time (Florent Geroux), Dune a Veta (Javour Simpson), Excite (Junior Alvarado), Hypnus (Colby Hernandez), Admiral Dennis (Luan Machado), Brotha Keny (J.D. Ramos), Extradition (Ademar Santos), Mickswagger (Elvin Gonzalez), Smoken Boy (Olaf Hernandez), Spellmaker (Reynier Arrieta), and Chunk of Gold (Loveberry).

The Bourbon Flight from the rail with riders: Run Quiet Run Fast (Marcelino Pedroza Jr.), Brotha Keny (Jose Ortiz), Excite (Alvarado), Hynus (Brian Hernandez Jr.), Chunk of Gold (Loveberry), Whiskey Shot (Geroux), Admiral Dennis (Machado), and Just a Fair Shake (Axel Concepcion).

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