Bourbonic Gets Class Relief in West Virginia Derby

Calumet Farm's Bourbonic (Bernardini), overmatched in two legs of the Triple Crown after scoring a Grade II upset this spring, will step a few rungs down the class ladder Saturday when invading Mountaineer Park for the track's signature race on the calendar, the GIII West Virginia Derby.

Breaking his maiden by open lengths for a $50,000 tag Dec. 6 at Aqueduct, the homebred repeated in a starter/optional claiming spot there Jan. 17 and was runner-up in a sloppy Parx allowance/optional claimer Feb. 23. Ambitiously spotted by Todd Pletcher off that run in the GII Wood Memorial S., the dark bay rewarded his trainer's confidence with a shocking last-to-first run to get up at 72-1. Unable to factor when 13th in the GI Kentucky Derby, he improved slightly when fifth in the GI Belmont S. June 5, but was still beaten double-digit lengths.

Brad Cox starts a pair of improving sophomores, most notably Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Warrant (Constitution). Graduating second out at six panels Feb. 16 at Fair Grounds, the homebred missed by a nose in a Keeneland allowance/optional claimer Apr. 3 before filling the same slot behind subsequent GIII Matt Winn S.-winning barnmate Fulsome (Into Mischief) in the Oaklawn S. May 1. Suffering a seemingly impossibly wide trip in the Texas Derby last out May 31 at Lone Star, the chestnut proved his resolve, surging late to a three-quarter length success.

The horse he wore down that day, Mr. Wireless (Dialed In), returned to win impressively in the GIII Indiana Derby July 7 at Indiana Grand and has been given the 9-5 morning-line preference here. A victory would give trainer Bret Calhoun back-to-back West Virginia Derby trophies after he scored with Mr. Money (Goldencents) in 2019 (the race was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic).

Other contenders in the seven-horse group include Bourbon Thunder (Quality Road), third at 30-1 against elders in a Saratoga allowance for trainer Ian Wilkes July 15, and Cox's other entrant Kinetic Sky (Runhappy), who most recently chased a sizzling pace before prevailing by 1 1/4 lengths in a Churchill allowance/optional claimer June 26.

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‘Improving’ Mr. Wireless Headlines Saturday’s West Virginia Derby

Mr. Wireless, who recently captured the $300,000 Indiana Derby, and Bourbonic, winner of the $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes in early April, are among the seven horses entered in the $500,000, Grade 3 West Virginia Derby, which will have its 51st running Aug. 7 at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort.

The 1 1/8-mile local fixture for 3-year-olds is carded as Race 8 on a nine-race program that begins at the special first post time of 2 p.m. EDT. The Derby post time is set for 5:35 p.m. The card includes the $200,000, Grade 3 West Virginia Governor's Stakes and five $75,000 stakes on the dirt and turf.

Mr. Wireless, a Kentucky-bred gelding by Dialed In, finished a troubled fifth in his career debut in Louisiana in March, but since then has gone three-for-four. He broke his maiden at Oaklawn Park later in March and then won an allowance race at the Arkansas track in early May.

Trainer Bret Calhoun then shipped him to Lone Star Park, where he finished second behind Warrant after a less-than-ideal journey. The Grade 3 Indiana Derby, which he won by 3 ¾ lengths while never worse than second, proved to be a breakout race for the Mr. Wireless, who is owned by JIL Stable and Jon Lapczenski.

Calhoun won the 2019 West Virginia Derby with Mr. Money, who like Mr. Wireless entered the race in top form. Mr. Wireless is the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the West Virginia Derby with regular rider Ramon Vazquez named.

“Everything has gone really well since his last start,” Calhoun said. “He's improving and steadily getting better. It seems like we're never getting to his bottom—he has a lot of stamina.”

Mr. Wireless has been training recently at Colonial Downs in Virginia with some of Calhoun's other horses. They had been at Churchill Downs in Kentucky, but horses had to leave for a few months due to reconstruction of the turf course.

“It has been great at Colonial, which is a very horse-friendly place,” Calhoun said. “He seems have thrived here. His races have all been very good—he had an excuse in his first start—and his two-turn races have been better. He faced Warrant once and finished second, but I think a couple of things could have gone differently that day.”

Calhoun, who will be at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 7 to saddle By My Standards in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes, said the plan is to ship Mr. Wireless to West Virginia the evening of Aug. 5 for a Friday morning arrival.

Bourbonic, owned and bred by Calumet Farm, posted a 72-1 upset in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York before finishing 13th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, the first and third legs of the Triple Crown, respectively. The colt by Bernardini is conditioned by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, who won the 2015 West Virginia Derby with Madefromlucky.

Three-time winner Bourbonic, the 3-1 third choice on the morning line, has been working regularly on the training track at Belmont Park in New York. Eric Cancel is named to ride.

“Bourbonic has trained well since the Belmont Stakes,” Pletcher said. “He needed a little freshener, and he has responded.”

Twin Creek Racing Stables' Warrant, who defeated Mr. Wireless in the Texas Derby in late May and hasn't raced since, is the 5-2 second choice on the morning line. He is trained by Brad Cox, who also entered Robert LaPenta's Kinetic Sky (6-1) in the Derby.

Warrant, never worse than third in five starts, worked a sizzling :59 2/5 for five furlongs at Ellis Park in Kentucky, Kinetic Sky, who worked the same time in company with Warrant, will make his stakes debut in the West Virginia Derby. Warrant will be ridden by Florent Geroux, while Joe Talamo is listed aboard Kinetic Sky.

The Derby wasn't run in 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions and logistical issues with shippers from out of state. The race has a history of stops and starts, but it had been held for 22 consecutive years since 1998, when it returned to the Mountaineer calendar after a seven-year absence.

For this year, anyone attending the races in the grandstand or on the apron on West Virginia Derby day must purchase a ticket because patron attendance is limited to 1,500. To order tickets visit the Mountaineer Casino website.

In the event the limited number of tickets are not all purchased online, walk-up ticket purchases will be permitted on race day until the limit is reached. For those who don't have tickets, tailgating will be permitted on the grassy area that overlooks the backstretch and far turn.

Mountaineer will be offering advance wagering on the entire Derby program on Friday, Aug. 6, in the casino off-track betting area for those who may not wish to attend on race day. Online wagering is also available through various advance deposit wagering outlets including TVG.

$500,000 WEST VIRGINIA DERBY (Grade 3)

Post Horse Jockey Odds

1BourbonicEric Cancel (3-1)

2Kinetic SkyJoe Talamo (6-1)

3 – Bourbon ThunderDeshawn Parker (8-1)

4Mr. WirelessRamon Vazquez (9-5)

5Warrant – Florent Geroux (5-2)

6 – Channel Fury – Malcolm Franklin (10-1)

7AmericainaedJoe Mussaro (50-1)

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Calhoun Readies By My Standards For Whitney, Mr. Wireless for West Virginia Derby

Trainer Bret Calhoun is poised for an action-packed weekend with Allied Racing and Spendthrift Farm's By My Standards lined up to start in the $1 million Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The four-time graded stakes winner has accumulated earnings in excess of $2.2 million with two Grade 1-placings on the NYRA circuit, including a runner-up effort in last year's Whitney to Improbable. He was a late-closing second to fellow Whitney contestant Silver State last out in the Grade 1 Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 5 at Belmont Park.

By My Standards has posted all four of his graded stakes victories over two turns, capturing the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds Race Course during his 3-year-old year following a third-out maiden score. As a 4-year-old, the son of Goldencents captured the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds, the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap, and the Grade 2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs.

Prior to the Met Mile, By My Standards made a triumphant 5-year-old debut in the Oaklawn Mile at Oaklwan Park in Hot Spring, Ark., on April 10. The Whitney will be By My Standards' first start this year going nine furlongs, which Calhoun says is the horse's best distance.

“That's one of the things that impressed me about his last race, he ran so well and it wasn't his ideal distance,” Calhoun said. “A one-turn mile is a little shorter for him, but he definitely can move forward off that race. He ran a nice race in the Met Mile. He got ran over at the gate a little bit, but he bounced back and trained very well since. I like the good spacing between his races. He'll go an easy half-mile Sunday at Colonial and will arrive at Saratoga Wednesday morning. Hopefully, everything goes well between now and then.”

Gabriel Saez, who has piloted By My Standards in 14 of his 16 starts, will return to the irons.

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Calhoun could also garner prosperity in West Virginia on Saturday with Mr. Wireless in the $750,000 Grade 3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park in New Cumberland, W.Va. The Jon Lapczenski and JIL Stable-owned sophomore son of Dialed On won the Grade 3 Indiana Derby on July 10 at Indiana Grand Race Course in Shelbyville, Ind. last out over Sermononthemount and graded stakes winner Fulsome.

Calhoun also could have Tom Durant's graded stakes-winning veteran Silver Dust target the $200,000 Grade 3 West Virginia Governor's Cup. The four-time graded stakes-winning son of Tapit won the Governor's Cup in 2019 and captured the Grade 2 Ben Ali on April 10 at Keeneland two starts ago.

Calhoun said Silver Dust would prefer a cooler climate.

“It's under consideration,” Calhoun said of the nine-furlong event. “He's a lot better in the cooler weather. He just seems to thrive in cooler weather. His energy level isn't near as high in heat. We'll watch the weather and see what happens.”

Calhoun saddled Ain't No Elmers to a second placing at graded stakes level in Wednesday's Grade 2 Honorable Miss at the Spa, where she set the pace and held on gamely for third behind graded stakes-winners Bell's the One and Lake Avenue.

“I thought she ran great. She battled all the way down the lane and never gave up,” Calhoun said. “She was outrun by two very high-quality fillies, so kudos to them. Elmers bounced back good and hopefully, there's a graded stakes with her name on it in the future.”

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Mr. Wireless Earns First Stakes Victory In Indiana Derby

Trainer Bret Calhoun picked up his second Indiana Derby victory in three years on Wednesday night as Mr. Wireless – a 3-year-old gelding by Dialed In – came from just off the pace under jockey Ramon Vazquez to win going away by 3 3/4 lengths in the Grade 3 contest at Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, Ind.

Winning for the third time in five starts – all in 2021 – Mr. Wireless covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.84. He paid $9.80 to win as the third wagering choice in the field of six 3-year-olds and picked up $178,200 as the winner's share of the $300,000 purse. He is owned by Jon Lapczenski and JIL Stable. Mr. Wireless, produced from Voussoir, by Arch, was bred in Kentucky by John and Iveta Kerber, who race as JIL Stable.

Sermononthemount finished second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Fulsome, the 2-5 favorite from the Brad Cox stable who came into the Indiana Derby off three consecutive victories, including a last-out score in the G3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 29. Starrininmydreams finished fourth, Convention fifth and W W Crazy, the early pace-setter fading to last.

Mr. Wireless, bobbled at the start but settled in just behind pacesetter W W Crazy, who set fractions of :24.16 and :48.31 for the opening half mile. Mr. Wireless grabbed the advantage before reaching the far turn, getting the opening six furlongs in 1:12.41, then was never challenged there, leading by 1 1/2 lengths at the furlong pole (with a mile split in 1:36.61) and drawing away under steady encouragement from Vazquez.

Mr. Wireless debut  with a fifth-place finish March 4 at Fair Grounds in Louisiana, then graduated with a nose victory going a mile at Oaklawn Park on March 27. He posted another nose victory next out, winning a May 1 allowance at the Arkansas track, then finished second in his stakes debut behind Warrant in the May 31 Texas Derby on a sloppy track at Lone Star Park.

Calhoun won the 2019 Indiana Derby with Mr. Money for Allied Racing Stable.

The Indiana Derby was the last of 12 races, including six stakes, on the afternoon/evening program at Indiana Grand. Spurred by $905,027 in new money on the Straight Fire 6 jackpot bet that had a mandatory payout and a $166,573 jackpot going in, nearly $6.3 million was wagered, exceeding the previous all-time high of $5,979,952 bet on last year's Indiana Derby card.

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