Sprawl flips the script on Mighty Heart in W. Va. Governor's Cup

Sprawl turned the tables on Mighty Heart, defeating the dual Canadian classic winner in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 West Virginia Governor's Cup for older horses traveling 1 1/16 miles at Mountaineer.

Ridden by Joe Talamo for trainer Tom Drury, Sprawl went to the lead and the rail heading into the first turn. They were shadowed by Mighty Heart through opening fractions of 24.39 and 48.08 seconds.

Mighty Heart turned up the pressure entering the second turn with a three-wide Exulting joining the fray from tracking range. Mighty Heart gained a short lead with two furlongs remaining, but Sprawl wouldn't give up the fight.

The 4-year-old colt by City Zip battled back gamely along the inside to prevail by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:44.95 seconds. Bourbon Calling was up late for third, 2 3/4 lengths behind the runner-up. They were followed home by Exulting, Shy Guy, and Colonelsdarktemper. I Wanna Win scratched. Favored Sprawl paid $4.60 to win.

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A homebred owned by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider, Sprawl was beaten a head when third behind Mighty Heart and Night Ops in the Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 29. In his final start before the Governor's Cup. Sprawl finished third in the Grade 2 Stephen Foster.

President’s Cup

Catch a Bid angled to the outside in the upper stretch and drew away from favored Evil Lyn to take the $75,000 West Virginia President's Cup for fillies and mares at 1 mile and 70 yards on the turf.

Ridden by Corey Lanerie for his third stakes victory on the card, Catch a Bid settled in midpack along the rail as Well Spent blasted out to set fractions of 22.91 and 47.30 seconds.

Lanerie eased Catch a Bid outside on the backstretch to pass a tiring Elegant de Domino, then angled back to the pocket and was placed in a bit tight.

Evil Lyn bid for the lead under a hard drive on the turn and passed Well Spent. Catch a Bid was clear of traffic at this point, however, and switched out at the three-sixteenths pole. Catch a Bid then rolled past Evil Lyn to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:39.01.

It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Don't Blame Judy in third. Elegant de Domino, Petrchor, Well Spent, Pallas Athene, Tantara, and Thirsty Gal completed the order of finish. Catch a Bid paid $4.60 to win as the second betting choice.

A 5-year-old mare by Real Solution, Catch a Bid earned her second career stakes triumph. She won the Riskaverse Stakes at Saratoga in 2019 when conditioned by Chad Brown.

Catch a Bid was purchased by Highlander Training Center for $180,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November auction and transferred to trainer Joe Sharp.

"We were really pleased with it," Sharp said about the trip. "Corey watched the replays and saw that she's definitely better when she has a chance to cover up and finish going long."

Catch a Bid sprinted in three starts leading up to the President's Cup. Sharp mentioned that it was "most likely" that Catch a Bid would cut back in distance for her next start, possibly the Grade 3, $600,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint on Sept. 11.

Secretary of State

Trainer Ben Colebrook's audible paid off as Club Car rallied from last to win Saturday's $75,000 West Virginia Secretary of State Stakes at six furlongs for fillies and mares.

“We didn’t want to take on Hello Beautiful at her home track,” trainer Ben Colebrook told Daily Racing Form earlier this week about his decision to withdraw Club Car from last week's Alma North Stakes at Pimlico.

Hello Beautiful won the Alma North at 1-10 odds with a 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

Ridden by Corey Lanerie, Club Car traveled comfortably at the back as 44-1 longshot Sheisthehero set fractions of 22.53 and 46.23 seconds while mildly pressured by Command Strike and a three-wide Nomizar.

Instead of swinging widest turning for home, Lanerie opted to follow Command Strike, and Club Car readily squeezed through in between horses in upper stretch.

Club Car soon took the lead and drew off to win by 2 1/4 lengths over Command Strike in 1:11.32. It was another 3 1/4 lengths back to Nomizar in third. They were followed home by Flat Out Smokin and Sheisthehero. Spice It Up and Shy Money scratched.

"Corey did exactly what he's supposed to," Colebrook said after the race. "The speed went, and he waited. When he wheeled her out, she had plenty of run and won going away. It was a good run for her."

The Secretary of State was Club Car's first stakes win. A 5-year-old mare by Malibu Moon, Club Car finished second in Grade 3 races on both dirt and Polytrack this year.

Colebrook mentioned Keeneland's Grade 2, $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes on Oct. 9 as a possible long-term goal for Club Car. She is owned by Michael and Katherine Ball.