Fool Proof stretches out in A Huevo

Fool Proof, who dominated nine other 3-year-olds in last month's $112,000 West Virginia Lottery, tackles older foes and stretches out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time in Saturday night's $50,000 A Huevo Stakes at Charles Town.

The race, restricted to West Virginia-breds, drew a field of 10, including Donald's Pride, a 14-time winner locally, and Eastern Delite, who has been first and second in the last two runnings of the $450,000 West Virginia Breeders Classic.

Fool Proof, trained by Larry Curtis, came from 12 lengths back to win the seven-furlong West Virginia Lottery by 8 1/4 lengths, earning a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure. He has been first or second in 7 of 8 lifetime starts, but will be racing around three turns for the first time.

The 8-year-old Donald's Pride, now in the barn of Ken Huffman, returns to one of his best distances after six starts at seven furlongs or less. The last two times he raced nine furlongs, Donald's Pride was a solid second against open company in the Governor's Cup and won the restricted Lil Abner.

Eastern Delite deserves to be favored after posting back-to-back Beyers of 93 and 91 as the second-place finisher behind local 3-year-old star Ghostly Thunder in the West Virginia Breeders Classic and all-time Charles Town favorite Confucius Say in the Robert Hilton Memorial. Last year, Eastern Delite won the Breeders Classic, only to be disqualified from the purse for a positive test for caffeine.

Gold Standard also merits respect after romping by 9 1/2 lengths against open company in a second-level allowance last time out. But he finished far behind Eastern Delite in the Breeders Classic, his only previous attempt at nine furlongs.