Substance, intrigue in West Virginia Derby field
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The nine 3-year-olds entered Monday for Saturday’s Grade 3, $500,000 West Virginia Derby have some substance and intrigue to them.
From the rail out, with riders, the West Virginia Derby field includes Lionite (David Cabrera), Draft Pick (Joe Talamo), Caloric (Ricardo Mejias), King Cause (Julien Leparoux), Once On Whiskey (Flavien Prat), Rugbyman (Jorge Vargas), Pamir (Luis Quinones), Mr Freeze (Robby Albarado), and High North (Florent Geroux).
The 1 1/8-mile West Virginia had its purse trimmed from $750,000 this year and is one of two six-figure races along with the $200,000 Governor’s Cup on a multi-stakes card at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack, and Resort in New Cumberland, W.Va.
Three-time West Virginia Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert, whose most recent victory in the race came with Cupid in 2016, ships Once On Whiskey from Santa Anita as the likely favorite. Once On Whiskey made his stakes debut July 14 winning the Los Alamitos Derby by a head over Draft Pick, who had captured the Affirmed Stakes in his previous start. The third Californian in Saturday’s race, King Cause, was fourth in the Los Alamitos Derby.
Rugbyman, quirky but talented, is set to make his two-turn debut after a somewhat disappointing fourth in the Dwyer Stakes, his first race in blinkers.
High North, Mr Freeze, and Lionite filled the first three positions in the Iowa Derby on July 6 at Prairie Meadows.
Caloric will be at least 30-1, Pamir at least 50-1.
The 1 1/16-mile Governor’s Cup also drew a solid bunch that includes Hawaakom, who won the race in 2016 and finished fourth last out in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster. Also entered is the Foster third-place finisher, Matrooh, who returned to run fifth in the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker.