ELEVEN DRAW IN FOR THE WEST VIRGINIA DERBY
By Bill Mooney
A field of 11 has been entered for the 46th running of the Grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby. The
1 1/8-mile event highlights a nine-race card, comprised entirely of open stakes, to be run this Saturday
at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort. Post time for the first race will be 2 p.m.
Todd A. Pletcher, a seven-time Eclipse Award winner as North America’s outstanding trainer, has
entered three horses in this year’s West Virginia Derby. The trio includes Madefromlucky, who won the
Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park; Stanford, who was second in a photo in the Louisiana Derby
at Fair Grounds; and Tommy Macho, who finished third in Belmont’s Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes.
Also in the field are Tale of Verve, who finished second to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in
the Preakness Stakes; Bent On Bourbon, who won the Grade 3 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows; War
Story, who placed in a trio of graded events during the Fair Grounds meet; and Iron Fist, who finished
third to American Pharoah in last year’s Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity.
Completing the group are Tekton, who finished second in a photo in the Grade 3 Pegusus Stakes at
Monmouth Park; Souper Colossal, who has thrice won and twice placed in stakes; Alliseeisgold, who
won the state-restricted Cleveland Gold Cup at Thistledown; and Thirtysilverpieces, who was claimed for
$25,000 at Keeneland in April and has since been stakes-placed on the turf at Indiana Downs.
“Our West Virginia Derby card’s going to be awesome – from top to bottom,” said Mark Patterson, the
assistant racing secretary and co-host of the in-house handicapping telecast at Mountaineer. “The Derby
itself is bringing in horses from many regions of the country, near and far. And, of course, the
participation of Tale of Verve provides a strong Triple Crown presence, which is huge for a race like this.”
Indeed, variety in a black-type stakes makes it all the more interesting. The West Virginia Derby has
lured speedsters with staying power. Souper Colossal led wire-to-wire in winning the one-mile Sapling
Stakes by 5 ½ lengths at Monmouth in August of last year. Alliseeisgold wired the field in his 6 ¾-length
victory in 1 1/8-mile Gold Cup on July 4 of this year.
Stanford led most of the way before getting beat by just a neck in the 1 1/8-mile Louisiana Derby.
Tekton set the pace through the opening three-quarters before losing the 1 1/16-mile Pegasus by just a
head.
Colts such at Bent On Bourbon and Iron Fist are more inclined to “attend the pace.” In racing
parlance, this means they stay within a length or two of the pacesetters before making a move to the
lead. Bent On Bourbon employed this tactic in his three-length Iowa Derby score, as did Iron Fist in his
most recent outing, which resulted in a victory in a one-mile allowance at Santa Anita.
But this year’s West Virginia Derby has some deeper closers, too. Madefromlucky came from fourth
position in a five-horse field to win the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan by a length. Tale of Verve was last in the
eight-horse field, trailing by 17 lengths, before making his move to gain the place position in the
Preakness.
Pletcher’s horses will not be coupled in the West Virginia betting – each will run as a separate
wagering entity. The West Virginia Derby will be the eighth race on Saturday’s Mountaineer card, and
will be televised by TVG and HRTV.
Purses for the entirety of the card will total $1.65 million. Admission and general parking at
Mountaineer, as always, will be free
West Virginia Derby Undercard Notes: Commanding Curve, who finished second in last year’s
Kentucky Derby, is entered in $200,000 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes . . . Work All Week, winner of
last year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, is entered in the $100,000 Robert C. Byrd Memorial . . . Cosmic
Evolution, winner of the Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs, is entered in the $100,000 Mountaineer
Juvenile Fillies Stakes.
The West Virginia Derby Field:
Post
Position
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Horse
Stanford
Tommy Macho
Alliseeisgold
Tekton
Tale of Verve
War Story
Iron Fist
Bent On Bourbon
Thirtysilverpieces
Madefromlucky
Souper Colossal
Jockey
Undecided
Edgar S. Prado
Mario G. Pino
Alex Cintron
Robby Albarado
Scott Spieth
Mike E. Smith
Corey J. Lanerie
Luis A. Gonzalez
Undecided
Paco Lopez
-30-
Trainer
Todd A. Pletcher
Todd A. Pletcher
Louis V. Ruberto, Jr.
Anthony W. Dutrow
Dallas Stewart
Jeffrey A. Radosevich
Jerry Hollendorfer
Eddie Kenneally
Kenneth W. Marshall
Todd A. Pletcher
Edward Plesa, Jr.