Getting to front after the opening half mile went in forty seven and two fifths, Mb Stables Tactical was determined not to let Rampage Stables Where You At get to the rail and hold off his challenge to the very end.

• The WV Derby- Grade III Purse $500.000
• Mountaineer Racetrack – For Three Year olds
• One Mile and an Eighth- Main Track

Jockey Hernandez would make the trip down from Woodbine this weekend to guide Tactical to his third straight victory this season. The gray son of Cherokee Sunset was taking on his first ever Graded event after capturing the Bertrando Stakes at the end of June. The five to one colt has now shown he can compete at a longer distance, and he awarded his trainer with his tenth out of eleven stakes titles on the day, four of those being Graded company events. Will be interesting to see which path Dan takes with this sophomore, hopefully back to a miler to continue the win streak.

Runner-up was Rampage Stables Where You At, who at times in the race nearing the close looked much like he had nothing left for the leader or the rest of this field, and then it was like jockey J L Ortiz asked for a little more, and the 7-1 bay colt responded. He definitely turned in a better effort here then in the OH Derby back in mid June. I personally would like to see him in a seven eights race where I think he could shine brightly.

Third place was awarded to Mb Stables other entry of Glitter Diety ( even money ) and John Henry’s Instagooglefacetweet ( 6-1 ). Both these runners were doing their best to make a closing effort work for them in the final sixteenth of a mile in this event. Not that they were going to catch the winner, but they definitely convinced Where You At to find another gear.

Others who competed on the day were Maxmillion Farm’s Charleys Glance ( 55-1 )for fifth in his first off the turf for awhile. Sixth would be D J C Racing Stables Sharp Azteca (6-1 ) who would place ahead of his stablemate Texas Flood (16-1 ) who placed behind Joshua Stables Pure At Forty ( 7-1 ) in eighth place.

Duffer

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES