Work All Week romps in Sen. Robert Byrd Memorial

A distinct class drop enabled defending Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion Work All Week to register his first victory of the season in Saturday’s Sen. Robert Byrd Memorial Stakes at Mountaineer Racetrack.

The six-furlong Byrd was one of seven $100,000 stakes on a nine-race program headed by the Grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby and the $200,000 Governor’s.

Work All Week ($2.60), ridden by Florent Giroux, was second as the odds-on favorite in the first two starts of his 6-year-old campaign in the Grade 3 Aristides at Churchill Downs and the Grade 2 Smile Sprint at Gulfstream Park. He was far too classy for the group of older sprinters he faced in the Byrd and coasted home eighth lengths in front after six furlongs in 1:09.71.

Work All Week set fractions of 21.39 and 44.37 seconds, held a three-length advantage at the top of the stretch, and increased his margin to the wire.

"This was a nice stepping-stone to let him get back his confidence," Giroux said. "At Gulfstream, he smashed his face in the gate. The other race, he broke slow from the gate. He most definitely felt as good as he did last year to me."

Brueggemann said Work All Week was a victim of circumstances in his first two outings of the season.

"In one race he broke slowly and then rushed up," Brueggemann said. "In the other race he broke through the gate. I was just trying to find a race for him before the Phoenix at Keeneland."

Jasizzle, placed second inthe 2013 running of the Byrd after he was disqualified from an apparent easy victory, finished second again, a length in front of the Kentucky-based Bump Start.

In the other undercard stakes worth $100,000 apiece:

Heavily favored Keep Crossing ($3.20) made up a three-length deficit and passed two horses in the final furlong to win the West Virginia Secretary of State for fillies and mares. Ridden by Kerwin Clark for trainer Larry Jones, the 4-year-old Keep Crossing finished a length in front of 26-1 outsider Brown Eyed Mary after six furlongs in 1:11.87.

Officer Griffin ($10.80), making his second start since he was claimed by trainer Joe Sharp for $25,000, improved to 2 for 2 for his new connections with a 1 1/4-length score in the West Virginia Legislature Chairman’s Cup. A 5-year-old gelding making just his second stakes appearance during his 22-race career, Officer Griffin ran 4 1/2 furlongs in 51.12 seconds for jockey Corey Lanerie.

Lanerie and Sharp teamed up for their second win of the program when favored Aztec Brave ($5) held off Rose Brier to win the West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker's Cup. Aztec Brave, coming off a one-length defeat in the Grade 3 Red Bank, covered a mile and 70 yards on turf in 1:38.22.

The Bill Mott-trained 4-year-old filly Market Magic ($10.80), making her stakes debut following an allowance win at Ellis Park, won the West Virginia President’s Cup for fillies and mares on turf. Ridden by Miguel Mena, Market Magic was all-out to beat Annulment by a half-length. It was another neck back to Street of Gold.

Gulfstream Park shipper Bullet Gone Astray ($3) cruised to a nine-length win under Luca Panici in the Mountaineer Juvenile. Bullet Gone Astray, now 2 for 2 for trainer Henry Collazo, covered six furlongs in 1:12.97.

Sombree ($26), coming off a maiden victory at Indiana Grand, scored by 2 1/2 lengths over another Indiana Grand maiden winner, 37-1 longshot, Cheyann’s Hope, in the Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies. Ridden by Edgar Prado for trainer Eric Reed, Sombree ran six furlongs in 1:13. 23.