The WV Derby (Grade 3)- $500.000 Purse
MNR- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
August 4, 2024

There’s purse money to be won on Sunday at MNR as the 21st running of the WV Derby. This was a free race from 2003-2011 but would get the fields it deserved beginning in 2012 when Vouvray beat the boys to get the win. Since then, we have seen horses such as Tactical and Edwin Drood get the win here, and in 2023, Terabyte got the job done for Fractious. That was his first race for the trainer and came after he paid $2,325.000 for him in private sales. He did well for Fractious and would be second in the BC Dirt Mile before since being retired. He’s been active as a sire since. This year, we’ll have six heading to the starting gate. Let’s meet them now:

1- Gaslight (Mb Stables, ridden by M Franco)- Ran second in the Wood Memorial at AQU, and would then run in the Peter Pan, a race where he came out on top. It’s always interesting to see what Peter Pan winners do in the BEL when they are entered, but for Gaslight, it was not a career highlight. More concerning was a rather mediocre effort in the IND Derby last time out. Maybe he will better here as he tries the state derbies that are just below the radar.

2- Run Forty (Asgar, ridden by P Lopez)- Started his career by running very well against PA-Breds, and that carried into strong results in the prep races as well. He just missed in the Holy Bull, settling for second, and was then third in the Fountain Of Youth. That was not enough to get into the KYD, but he did run in the PRK two weeks later. That was not his best, as he was soundly beaten, but he had a better recovery after than Gaslight did, by running second in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes. I like him here.

3- Derby Dreams (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by T Gaffalione)- Didn’t get into the main derby he was dreaming of, but he’s been settling into lesser-known state derbies as of late. Over Memorial Day weekend, he went wire to wire to win the TX Derby, and then last time out, he made it up to IND, and took the same approach to the IND Derby, before settling for second. Now, it’s off to WV for the WV Derby and he should have a good shot.

4- Inherently (Mb Stables, ridden by R L Moore)- Up to this point, Inherently has been a turf horse, and he has typically done a good job getting some portion of the purse every time. Two starts ago, he scored the win in the $125.000 Snow Chief Stakes, for CA-Breds, at SA in May. Since his last race, he’s been working on the dirt, and has been looking good so the trainer will give him a shot here. I expect him to be fine with the dirt element, but still faces some strong foes otherwise.

5- Cinco de Mayo (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by D E Centeno)- The trainer is hoping for more than what he has gotten from Cinco de Mayo thus far, and gelded the horse last week. That comes after two wins over eight starts, but also three second place finishes, including in the $175.000 Maxfield last time out. So, he is close, and gelding might just do enough to turn those seconds to wins. Also, starting from post five can’t hurt.

6- Edward The Good (Fractious, ridden by J R Velazquez)- He has lived up to his name thus far, with three wins over six starts, including two graded wins. Back in May, Edward The Good won on the KYD undercard by taking the $600.000 Grade 2 Day Mile Stakes, and he had the same result out at IND, topping the likes of Gaslight and Derby Dreams in the IND Derby victory. The race between them is an ugly looking dud, but I am prepared to completely throw that out right now. This is one of the top choices in a balanced field.

Prediction: 2-6-3-1

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES