Several 3-year-olds that won or placed in graded stakes on this year's Triple Crown trail are among the overflow field entered in the Grade 3, $500,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort Aug. 6.
The 1 1/8-mile Derby drew a full field of 12 plus two horses on the also-eligible list. The Grade 3, $200,000 West Virginia Governor's Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles also attracted 12 entrants, with one on the also-eligible list.
This year's Derby program moves to a Sunday with a first post time of 5 p.m. The Governor's Stakes and Derby are races seven and eight, respectively, on a nine-race card.
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who has won five editions of the West Virginia Derby, has entered Winchell Thoroughbreds' Red Route One, who most recently finished eighth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and fourth in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes. The homebred colt by Gun Runner earlier this year finished second in two graded Kentucky Derby preps at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas.
Red Route One, who usually comes from far back early, drew post position four with Cristian Torres named to ride.
Though Grade 3 Indiana Derby winner Verifying is not entered, Raise Cain, who rallied strongly to finish a nose behind him in the 1 1/16-mile stakes, has been training forwardly in Kentucky for the Mountaineer fixture. Trained by Ben Colebrook for Andrew Warren and Rania Warren, the Violence colt won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes in New York in March at 23-1 and finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby after a troubled trip.
Raise Cain drew post 11 with Luan Machado named to ride.
Jonathan Kalman's One in Vermillion, a winner of five of 10 starts—four of them stakes in Arizona, New Mexico and California—has been based at Canterbury Park in Minnesota this summer with trainer Esteban Martinez. After a second-place finish in the Canterbury Derby, the Army Mule colt crossed the wire first in the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows only to be disqualified and placed second for interference in the stretch.
One in Vermillion, who set the pace in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in April and finished a respectable fifth, likes to be forwardly placed. He drew post eight with Harry Hernandez, the leading jockey at Canterbury, listed to ride.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who won the 2022 West Virginia Derby with Skippylongstocking, entered Vegso Racing Stable's Lord Miles, who won the Grade 2 Wood Memorial in at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York at 59-1 in April. The Curlin colt returned to action in late June and finished fourth in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown.
Lord Miles drew post two with Arnaldo Bocachica, the leading rider at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, named to ride.
Gary and Mary West's Best Actor, winner of last year's Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing in Pennsylvania, drew post 12 in the West Virginia Governor's Stakes with Kendrick Carmouche listed to ride. The 4-year-old Flatter colt raced once this year; he finished second in a June 30 allowance race at Ellis Park in Kentucky for trainer Brad Cox, who has won the Governor's Stakes three times.
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