Silver Dust has class edge in West Virginia Governor's Cup

The temperamental Silver Dust probably will never make things entirely easy on the humans around him, but a couple seasons of solid work at least has turned the mercurial gelding into a consistent racehorse. He’s finished first or second in eight of his last nine starts and earned Beyer Speed Figures between 93 and 95 his last five outings. If Silver Dust can keep his head screwed on right he can win the Grade 3, $200,000 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes, the prelude Saturday at Mountaineer to the West Virginia Derby.

Silver Dust has faced the best competition among any of the 11 expected starters (Imperative is likely for the Whitney at Saratoga) and comes off a creditable second-place finish in the $100,000 Schaefer Memorial at Indiana Grand, where he was beaten a head by the useful Pioneer Spirit.

“I do think last time he had a little excuse because he blew a shoe during the race,” said Bret Calhoun, who trains Silver Dust for Tom Durant. “That could have been a factor.”

At least Silver Dust didn’t blow his mind. Silver Dust at some point has pitched a fit at just about every activity required of an equine athlete, from standing in the gate to saddling in the paddock. Calhoun’s team has brought him past the worst of his neuroses.

“I don’t know if he’ll ever get over all that stuff,” Calhoun said.

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The 1 1/16-mile Governor’s does appear to have a well-matched field with several contenders and, perhaps, a lack of significant early pace. A moderate early tempo would help Snapper Sinclair, who wants to lead or stay close and gets a big heart when things go his way on the front end. He breaks from post 2, with Exclamation Point in post 3 perhaps his main pace rival. Silver Dust also should keep in contact with the leaders.

Kukulkan, the Mexican import who was unbeatable on the south-of-the-border circuit, drew poorly on the far outside but has turned in a pair of encouraging performances since being overmatched in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational. He was third behind Silver Dust last out at Indiana Grand but lost ground on both turns and finished with good energy.

Sir Anthony ran the best race of his life rallying from far back to capture the Grade 3, $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker last out, but had a fast pace at which to run in that nine-furlong race and could find the dynamics of Saturday’s start more challenging. So, too, will Canterbury invader Sky Promise, who would hold longshot appeal under a better pace setup.

Byrd better than purse

The $75,000 Sen. Robert C. Byrd Memorial Stakes, a six-furlong dash, drew a field of greater substance than its purse.

Share the Upside, with Joe Bravo riding for trainer Steve Asmussen, is listed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite off a second-place finish in the Iowa Sprint but appears to hold no meaningful edge over several others.

Heartwood is listed at 5-1 on the morning line and would be playable at something close to that price. At Oaklawn this winter, he bounced in the Hot Springs Stakes in March after winning the King Cotton in February, and Heartwood was an easy winner of a July 5 open allowance race at Belterra Park that was surely just a prep for the Byrd, a race Heartwood won a year ago as a 6-1 shot. He’s well drawn in post 9 from which jockey Luis Quinones can spy the other speed and dole out his mount’s pace as necessary.

It’s hard to overlook Sparticle, who was claimed out of his most recent start by trainer Kevin Patterson, he of the 42 percent strike rate from 83 starters during 2019. Patterson has compiled a 7-4-3 record from 16 Mountaineer starters this meet.

Cox has turf ammo

No Midwest trainer has more high-allowance or low-stakes horses to deploy across the region than Brad Cox, who, unsurprisingly, has live chances in the two turf stakes on the Saturday card.

In the $75,000 West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker’s Cup, Cox sends out the useful Big Changes, who won the 2018 edition of this race by more than three lengths. Big Changes might have held a tighter edge a year ago than he does right now, but he does exit a Churchill Downs allowance-race victory that could have him set to improve Saturday. Caribou Star and Cullum Road look like the main threats.

Front-running filly Cool Beans is Cox’s hope in the $75,000 West Virginia Senate President’s Cup for fillies and mares. Cool Beans has been well managed through a 10-start career that’s produced a record of 3-4-3, and her rateable speed gives her an edge over main rival Lift Up.

◗ Astrollinthepark finished second in the 2018 West Virginia Secretary of State Stakes for female dirt sprinters but should come out on top this time, while Fort Fortitude is an odds-on favorite in the 4 1/2-furlong West Virginia Legislature Chairman’s Cup.