Ahead of Mr. Money decision, West Virginia Derby takes shape

Earlier this month, the connections of Mr. Money faced a decision: Step up in the Haskell Invitational (G1), or go as a heavy Indiana Derby (G3) favorite for half the purse.

Similarly, horsemen with charges under consideration for the Grade 3, $500,000 West Virginia Derby are awaiting another Mr. Money race choice with the Aug. 24 Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga a possibility.

If Mr. Money goes to Mountaineer’s signature event, that may chase off a few takers. The son of Goldencents, who has won his last three races with ease, still appears plenty sharp, working a bullet half mile Friday at Churchill Downs.

“I think that’s a little bit of an indication of how good he’s doing,” trainer Bret Calhoun said. “We’ve been lucky the last four, five mornings with some really cool mornings and that’s helped sharpen him up a little bit. You could tell coming into this work. I’m not surprised he worked fast. I just didn’t want it that fast, but Gabe (Saez) said it was like he was galloping.

"That he was well within himself in Gabe’s mind. It was way too fast in my mind. I just wanted him to stretch his legs. But it did seem like it was pretty easy for him. He cooled out well, wasn’t stressed out about it.”

Mark Patterson, assistant racing secretary and a longtime on-air handicapper at Mountaineer, listed a number of possibilities for the West Virginia Derby, which will run for the 50th time on Aug. 3 at 1 1/8 miles. Entries will be taken Monday.

• In addition to Mr. Money, Grade 3-placed Math Wizard and Chilly in Charge, a Parx Racing-based stakes winner, are both probable.

• Top Line Growth, placed atop the running order in the Iowa Derby, is likely to go next in the West Virginia Derby. He was the beneficiary of front-running Winning Number’s disqualification in the July 5 race at Prairie Meadows.

• Trainer Marat Kozhomzharov will run at least one, and possibly both, of Conative and Cornstarch. Conative, a son of Noble Mission, has run on every type of surface, with his maiden victory coming on turf. Cornstarch, a son of Awesome Again, has also tried turf, dirt and synthetic, with his maiden score three back on Arlington Park’s All Weather.

• Two names familiar from the Kentucky Derby, Plus Que Parfait and Gray Magician, are both possible. The former was sixth when trying turf in the Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) since then, while the latter chased Mr. Money in the Indiana Derby for second.

• A newcomer to the Jorge Navarro barn, Carlos L. is a Kentucky-bred wh made his previous nine starts in Panama, where he was never worse than third and last time won the Clasico Presidente de la Republica (G1).

• Patterson termed the Easy Goer Stakes winner Majid as “50-50,” while Jason Servis-trained Grumps Little Tots after scratching Friday’s Curlin Stakes at Saratoga. Servis is a West Virginia native with strong ties to Mountaineer.

First post time on the card is 2 p.m. ET, and the West Virginia Derby typically goes off around 5:30 as the eighth of nine races. Seven stakes in all will run, with the top undercard event the West Virginia Governor’s Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles.

Last year, Dale Romans-trained Mr. Freeze won the West Virginia Derby, while Leofric, an eventual Grade 1 winner, took the West Virginia Governor’s Stakes for trainer Brad Cox.