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Horse Betting » General » Big Money on the Line for West Virginia Derby

Big Money on the Line for West Virginia Derby

By Aaron Huber

This Saturday the big money for 3-year-olds isn’t at Saratoga, Del Mar, or even Monmouth, it’s at small one-mile oval called Mountaineer Park in Chester, West Virginia. Ten horses from around the country as well as several local starters have been entered in the 1 1/8-mile West Virginia Derby (G2) which carries a hefty purse of $750,000. Of course, most of the horses who were on the triple crown trail opted for a shot at the more prestigious Jim Dandy or Haskell Invitational which were run last week. The entry of Haskell victor Coil’s stalemate Prayer For Relief, and the last horse to beat Coil, Dreamy Kid adds an extra element of intrigue for these late developing 3-year-olds. A standout performance in this race could mean a spot in the Travers at Saratoga on August 27th – a short three weeks away.

The winner of this race will most likely come from the ranks of the top three choices profiled below. This is a race historically won by smart connections and powerful shippers. While I’m sure the racing fans in West Virginia would love to see a local winner of this race – it won’t happen anytime soon with such a large purse attracting horsemen from around the country to compete.

Looking good in post position number one is the Bob Baffert trained Prayer for Relief. After making a positive switch from synthetic to dirt in the Iowa Derby (G3) on June 25 at Prairie Meadows, trainer Bob Baffert is looking to take this colt places. Last year Baffert accomplished a similar feat by running Concord Point in the Iowa and West Virginia Derbies and winning them both.

A deep closer you may want to look out for is Awesome Bet. While not finding much success on grass, trainer Steve Asmussen switched him to dirt where he became a new horse. He’s won his last three in a row including an impressive win where he made up 11 lengths in a come from behind victory in the Barbaro Stakes at Delaware Park.

Thanks to Coil’s impressive win in the Haskell stalemate Dreamy Kid is likely to be a shorter price than deserved at post time. Dreamy Kid was a long shot stakes winner in the Swaps Stakes (G2) at Hollywood Park where he caught Coil by a head at 19-1 odds. This will be his second lifetime start on dirt, his first being a third place finish in a maiden race at Santa Anita.

The 1 1/8-mile West Virginia Derby (G2) is the highlight of a special nine-race card and will be run as the penultimate race on the card.