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West Virginia Derby Switches to Sunday This Season

Mountaineer Park's premier stakes, the GIII West Virginia Derby, will shift to the first Sunday in August with a later post time this year in an effort to make the $500,000, nine-furlong race for 3-year-olds better stand out against national simulcast competition.

The West Virginia Derby, plus the supporting GIII $200,000 West Virginia Governor's S. at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-olds and up, will now be carded Sunday, Aug. 6, after the track received unanimous permission for that change at Tuesday's West Virginia Racing Commission (WVRC) meeting.

The purses for both stakes remain level from last year.

Jim Colvin, Mountaineer's racing director, detailed to commissioners the reasons for the switch.

“This year, we are requesting to run our Derby on Sunday versus Saturday [because] we are trying to stay off the Grade I races [at competing tracks] on Saturday. I know there was some problems in the past about races overlapping, That was one of the reasons,” Colvin said.

In 2022, the West Virginia Derby went off at 5:56 p.m. Eastern, just seven minutes after Saratoga's GI Whitney S., the nation's marquee race that Saturday. In 2021, the West Virginia Derby went off a 5:39 p.m., 11 minutes ahead of the 5:50 p.m. Whitney.

“We are also changing the [first] post time to 5 p.m. instead of the normal 2 p.m. post time on Derby day,” Colvin continued. “The seventh and eighth races, which would be the Derby and Governor's races, would be close to being in prime time on TVG as well.”

Starting Apr. 30, Mountaineer will race 124 dates on Sundays through Tuesdays, with Wednesdays added June 21-Dec. 13. Colvin said another aim with the switch to Sunday is so bettors don't get caught off guard with the Derby being carded on a non-standard Saturday.

“We felt, honestly, to move back to a [regularly] scheduled race day would [keep customers from] getting confused on what days [we're] racing,” Colvin said.

Also at the Apr. 18 meeting, Mountaineer was unanimously granted approval by the WVRC to be reimbursed out of the capital improvement fund for two recentl projects.

One was a $44,000 main track sand upgrade project. Ironically, even though West Virginia is one of two states (along with Louisiana) that is under a federal injunction that will keep the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority's rules from being implemented until a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of HISA gets decided in full, Mountaineer has opted to abide by one of the HISA standards regarding track safety in case that injunction expires during the running of the upcoming meet.

WVRC executive director Joe Moore explained it this way: “In the Racetrack Safety Program, HISA requires the racetracks to replace and regrade their sand on an annual basis. Mountaineer, even though we're not under HISA, saw this as a safety issue and wanted to go ahead and complete it before the start of this racing meet, in the chance that HISA would come into effect in West Virginia [sometime] during their meet and require them [to either do] this or stop racing until it's completed.”

Colvin pointed out that Mountaineer totally replaced its main track two years ago, so the project recently completed this spring was more along the lines of routine maintenance to ensure a 5 1/2-inch uniformity of the top layer.

“At whatever point we do fall under {HISA's rules], this is basically a project that's going to have to be done annually to meet their requirements,” Colvin said. “When you have rain, some of the track ends up [washed] between the main track and the turf course. Therefore, the sand has to be replaced. We just put 300-some tons of sand on the track when we did this. It was low in some places [and] we had to add the material to get the surface consistent with the other parts of the track.”

The WVRC also approved a $79,620 capital improvement reimbursement for a rebuilt outdoor viewing deck.

“Mountaineer Park, on their apron, they have a very large deck for viewing the races,” Moore explained. “This year, the deck was in such poor shape that it was necessary, before patrons [could use it], to tear it down and replace it.”

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MJC to Host Hiring Fair at Pimlico

The Maryland Jockey Club announced it will host a hiring fair Apr. 20. Open to the public from 1-4:00 p.m., the fair will offer short- and long-term employment opportunities with local businesses including Select Event Group, SAFE Management, The Beadle Group, Battle Tested Security, Ridgewells Catering, Atlas Restaurant Group and the Maryland Jockey Club.

Positions that a slew of companies will look to fill at this year's fair include: line and prep cooks, host staff, servers, kitchen, assistants, buffet managers, action station attendants, tent chefs and supervisors, unarmed event security staff, facilities staff, transportation drivers, commercial driving license (CDL) drivers

field crew project and junior foremen project managers.

Parking is free and will be available in the Clubhouse Parking Lot off Hayward Avenue. Attendance to the event is free and open to the public. Attendees should dress professionally and bring resumés.

To register, visit www.preakness.com/hiring-fair.

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Keeneland Expands Public, Corporate Hospitality

Keeneland Hospitality announced a number of new offerings in its stable of unique experiences available to the public through its Keeneland Crafted brand along with expanded enhancements for corporate and private events designed to meet the goals of clients.

Keeneland Hospitality, under its Keeneland Crafted banner, will offer both new and returning ticketed events for the public May through August. These curated events include:

A Taste of Keeneland Tour (May-July). Guests will embark on a behind-the-scenes racing tour with a signature race-day cocktail and participate in a mock betting challenge. Tickets are $65 each.

The Exhibit Dinner (May 24 and July 19). A six-course specialty dining experience held at Keeneland Library, which is presenting an exhibit about African American horsemen and – women titled Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers. Tickets are $200 each.
The Chef's Secret Dinner Series (May 18, June 21, July 27, Aug. 23). Locally sourced cuisine, craft cocktails and live music in surprise unexpected locations throughout the Keeneland grounds. Tickets are $150 each.
Breakfast at the Track (June 17). Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children. Kids 3 and under get in free.

Tickets for these summer events go on sale beginning at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, April 19. For more details, visit Keeneland.com/crafted.

Keeneland Hospitality will also offer corporate and private events. Included among the event enhancements available:

Master Class culinary experiences offering unique dining settings led by Chef Marc Therrien
Team-building elements for corporate retreats and conferences. Activities are led by professional consultants designed to foster workplace connections
“And They're Off.” Simulated handicapping activities – Bet-to-Win Challenge and Handicapper's Hustle.
Bourbon tastings and pairings
Keeneland Scavenger Hunt. Scavenger Hunts are customized for each group to hit the hots spots that relate to corporate missions, history and interests
Keeneland Tours – behind-the-scenes tours of Keeneland grounds or Bluegrass horse farms in conjunction with Horse Country Tours
“Call to the Post”
The Keeneland Shop

For more information on corporate events, click here.

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Bregman’s No Nay Never Colt Steals the Show at OBS Monday

A colt by No Nay Never (hip 332) turned in the fastest quarter-mile work of the second session of the under-tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Monday in Central Florida, covering the distance in :20 4/5. The juvenile was the first of three from an initial pinhooking group owned by Houston Astros third-baseman Alex Bregman to hit the OBS track ahead of next week's auction.

Bregman Family Racing made its debut on the racetrack a winning one just last May when the first horse to carry the family's colors, Cadillac Candy (Twirling Candy), graduated at Churchill Downs.

The family's focus will still be on racing, according to Ciaran Dunne, whose Wavertree Stables preps Bregman's horses in Ocala, but the reoffered lots reflect a slight adjustment for the three-year-old stable.

“Alex made the decision to sell a few colts to try to finance his racing stable,” Dunne said. “I think he's decided that racing fillies is probably, in his grand scheme of things, going to be a better plan. He wants to develop a broodmare band and sort of have a long-term plan of action. By selling the colts, it helps finance some of the racing stable and the broodmare band. That's not to say he won't race a colt going forward, but, if he races fillies, he wants to own them 100% and he'll partner on colts with the hope of making a stallion. We have three in the sale for him here and if the right people with the right plan came along, I am sure he would be more than willing to stay in and be a partner.”

Hip 332, an Irish-bred son of No Nay Never, was purchased on behalf of Bregman by bloodstock agent Mike Akers for €180,000 at last year's Arqana August Yearling Sale. He is the first foal out of group winner Etoile (War Front), who is a full-sister to group winner and multiple Group 1-placed Ancient Rome.

“We got him in October or November sometime,” Dunne said of the colt. “It took him a little while to get his feet underneath him. It's a long process between shipping and quarantine and everything else. But ever since, he's been a really straightforward horse. His works have been more than solid coming into this. So we went in there with high expectations and I think he delivered. He's just a really solid colt by probably one of the top stallions in Europe.”

On behalf of the Bregman family, Wavertree will also send out a colt by Twirling Candy (hip 402) to work Tuesday and a son of Omaha Beach (hip 617) to work Wednesday.

“He absolutely loves the horse business,” Dunne said of Bregman. “It will be bittersweet for him. Racing is his first love. Pinhooking is probably going to be very hard for him. But we've had the discussion, 'look if you bring them over, you have to sell them.' So I think he will. But, like I said, if someone were to come along, I think he would be more than happy to stay in.”

Four horses shared Monday's fastest furlong time of :9 4/5. A filly by Flameaway (hip 177, video) worked the bullet for David McKathan and Jody Mihalic's Grassroots Training and Sales just minutes after the session's 8 a.m. start time. Out of Cinnamon Girl (Meadowlake), the chestnut filly was purchased by Grassroots for $15,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

Consignor Marcial Galan sent out a colt by Jimmy Creed (hip 239, video) to share the fastest furlong time Monday around 10:30 a.m. Out of Days Like This (Congrats), the juvenile was bred by Jason Hall, Stephen Baker, Herschel Martindale and Mike Riordan.

A colt by Triple Crown winner Justify (hip 299, video), who is out of D'Wildcat Speed (Forest Wildcat) and is a half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy), gave Jonathan Navas's Navas Equine its first :9 4/5 work when he hit the track around 10:40 a.m. Monday morning.

“I am very fortunate to have such a nice individual under my care,” Navas said. “He is an easy colt to work with. He is that kind that goes out there, puts in a lot of effort in training, does his best in the morning, and then comes back to the stall. Rest and repeat.”

Navas picked the well-bred colt out of the back ring at Keeneland last September and purchased him as part of a pinhooking partnership for $50,000.

“I saw him in the back ring, but I didn't inspect him at the barn,” Navas said. “His page is obviously really strong. And I liked the way he was taking everything in at the sale. We liked what I thought I could polish and develop a little bit more with training.”

Asked if he was surprised to get the colt at that price last fall, Navas said, “Yes, to be honest, it was a little bit surprising. With that pedigree, I would have thought I would have had to extend my budget a little bit more. He didn't look as athletic as he does now. He had a belly and he was a little bit narrow as a yearling. But with the time and training, he became a better-looking athlete. That's what I visualized last year and I think that's what we have right now.”

From a racing family in Venezuela, Navas launched his consignment in 2020. He was represented by a Shackleford filly who worked a quarter-mile bullet in :20 3/5 at the 2021 OBS June sale. Purchased for $7,500 at the 2020 Keeneland September sale, the filly sold for $70,000 that June. Now named Join the Dance, she resold for $110,000 at last year's Keeneland Horses of Racing Age Sale and is two-time stakes-placed.

“This is my third year consigning and I had never had a :9 4/5 before,” Navas said of hip 299's work Monday. “He was able to put up this great workout for us and am I very happy with it. It was pretty impressive.”

A colt by Twirling Candy (hip 192, video), consigned by Steve Venosa's SGV Thoroughbreds, completed the quartet of bullet workers shortly before noon Monday. Out of Conquest Babayaga (Uncle Mo), the dark bay was bred by St. Elias Stables and RNA'd for $120,000 at Keeneland September last fall.

The colt was the second from the SGV Thoroughbreds to turn in a :9 4/5 work this week at OBS. A filly by Flameway (hip 37, video) hit that mark for the consignment Sunday.

The final sets of Sunday's initial session of the under-tack show had horses working into a headwind, but it was the earlier sets Monday that had to deal with the wind, according to Dunne.

“All the way through the first set and through the second set, there was a pretty good headwind and then it seemed to get quieter towards the end of the day,” Dunne said. “We had a horse go :10 1/5 in the last set, so I think the track has been consistent the whole way through, which is all we can ask.”

The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning daily at 8 a.m. The Spring sale will be held next Tuesday through Friday. Bidding commences each day at 10:30 a.m.

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