Strong group of shippers invade West Virginia Derby

Raise Cain, Lord Miles, Red Route One, and One in Vermillion have all had success on the road and Sunday night they will invade Mountaineer Park for the Grade 3, $500,000 West Virginia Derby.

The 1 1/8-mile race highlights a card that includes the Grade 3, $200,000 West Virginia Governor’s. The races were previously run on a Saturday, but were moved to Sunday to avoid clashing with major stakes cards at other venues such as Saratoga, officials said. First post is 5 p.m. Eastern.

The West Virginia Derby shippers are part of a field scratched down to 10 with the defections of leading contender Tapit’s Conquest, Dreaming of Kona, My Man Biggie and one of the also-eligibles, Russian Hammer. The track is listed as sloppy for the opener after a downpour.

Raise Cain could vie for favoritism with One in Vermillion after big races last out. Raise Cain, who is based at Keeneland, is coming off a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby on July 8. Earlier in his career, he won the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct.

“His biggest attribute is probably his mentality,” trainer Ben Colebrook said. “He’s straightforward, very, very good mentally. So, the ship and all, that doesn’t really bother us.”

Raise Cain was beaten a nose by Verifying last out in the Indiana Derby and equaled his best Beyer Speed Figure, a 93.

“He ran great, just missed,” Colebrook said. “Indiana, it just plays a little bit more of a speed bias there, so we knew we were up against it. They didn’t really go fast enough early, but he still almost got there. He’s come out of it with two really good breezes.”

Raise Cain will start from post 11 under jockey Luan Machado.

“It looks like there’s enough speed where he’ll probably be able to use his main style, which is to kind of take back and make one run,” Colebrook said. “He hasn’t really been able to do that in the last few because the pace was so slow.”

Raise Cain will be first-time Lasix, and has worked on the diuretic, Colebrook said.

Mountaineer is not racing under the jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and as such Lasix use is permitted in stakes.

Raise Cain is proven on a wet track. His win in the Gotham came on a muddy track at Aqueduct.

One in Vermillion, who has not raced on a wet track, is based at Canterbury Park and has had stakes success in Southern California. He’s coming off a start in the Iowa Derby in which he finished first in a dead heat, but was disqualified for interference and placed second. He will start from post 5 under regular rider Harry Hernandez.

Lord Miles, who has never raced on a wet track, traveled to Aqueduct and won the Grade 2 Wood Memorial in April. He’s raced once since, a fourth in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby on June 24 at Thistledown.

“We’ve got him back on track,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “He ran just evenly last time – nothing to get us off track. He’s come back with a couple of good works and this seems like a spot he should be competitive in.”

The drills include a bullet five-eighths in 58.60 seconds on a good track July 29 at Gulfstream Park. Lord Miles will break from the rail under Arnaldo Bocachica.

“He’s drawn where he’ll have to work out a trip,” said Joseph.

Joseph sends out another capable runner in West Coast Cowboy.

“He runs prominent, puts himself in a good spot,” Joseph said.

Red Route One won his maiden on the road at Kentucky Downs. He will be ridden by Cristian Torres.

The Governor’s precedes the West Virginia Derby. O’Connor and Masqueparade could vie for favoritism with the defection of Best Actor. Trainer Brad Cox said Best Actor would be scratched, in part because the horse drew post 12 for the 1 1/16-mile race. War Campaign and Buck Moon also have been scratched from the Governor’s.

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