War Story could get the trip in the West Virginia Derby

A 1 1/8-mile race that draws multiple horses with early speed often sets up perfectly for a deep closer. That may well be the case for War Story in Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort. 

In breaking his maiden (at first asking) at Churchill Downs last November, War Story closed from eighth position in a nine-horse field to get up by 2 ¾ lengths. In his second career effort, a one-mile allowance at Fair Grounds in December, War Story employed more of a stalking strategy. That proved successful as well, as he drew off to another 2 ¾-length victory. 

Since then, War Story has raced five times in graded company. In each case he has allowed the pacesetters free reign to do the early work before attempting his late-closing drive. This gained War Story second-place finishes in the Grade 3 LeComte and the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes, and a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. All three of these efforts were also at Fair Grounds. 

In May, War Story finished well up the track in the Kentucky Derby. In June, he made a modest late gain in the Ohio Derby at Thistledown and finished fourth. Theoretically, the West Virginia Derby – a two-turn race with a full fist of front-runners in the field – might ideally suit War Story’s abilities. It’s also true that he has yet to win this year, which is one of the reasons War Story is 12-1 in the morning line. 

A gelded son of the multiple graded-winner Northern Afleet, War Story is a Kentucky-bred and has been consigned to public auctions four times. He was sold for $90,000 as a yearling at Keeneland; did not get sold as a two-year-old at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company venue in Florida; and got sold again for $51,000 at the Fasig-Tipton two-year-old sale in Maryland.       

Earlier this month War Story’s owners, Glenn K. Ellis and Ronald Paolucci (whose nom de course is Loooch Racing Stables), consigned the gelding to the Fasig-Tipton horses of racing age sale in Lexington. Bids reached as high as $545,000 for War Story.  

But this figure did not meet the “reserve” (the minimum price established by the consignor for a transaction to take place). So, War Story remains the property of the Ellis/Paolucci partnership. To date, he has earned $268,600 in purse monies – well more than what he cost at auction at age two, and well less than what he could have fetched at auction only three weeks ago.  

During his racing days, War Story has had three trainers. Ron Moquett sent him out to get his maiden win. Thomas M. Amoss was given conditioning responsibilities after that. (Amoss is currently under a 45-day suspension imposed by the Indiana Racing Commission, a penalty enforced by all U.S. racing jurisdictions.) Jeffrey A. Radosevich now conditions War Story and will saddle him at Mountaineer. 

Scott Spieth will be aboard War Story on Saturday. Spieth has no prior West Virginia Derby mounts on his resume. But through July 26 of this year, Spieth had won 4,441 races during his career. He first gained notice at Detroit Race Course, and has primarily ridden at Midwestern and Ohio Valley racetracks ever since.  And Spieth has registered ten wins in other black-type races at Mountaineer. Among them are two stakes on West Virginia Derby undercards: the 2000 edition of the West Virginia Senate President’s Cup with Grab N Go; and the 2014 edition of the West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker’s Cup with Global Power. Spieth is a jockey who knows these grounds. 

Deep closing longshots have not won the West Virginia Derby with frequency. But neither do they lack a precedent – Soul Warrior closed from 12 lengths behind at odds of 23-1 to win in 2009. The story of War Story already contains some interesting chapters. The most noteworthy chapter might be written this Saturday at Mountaineer. 

Derby Day Notes: Trainer Todd A. Pletcher has named Joe Bravo to ride Madefromlucky and Florent Geroux to ride Stanford in the West Virginia Derby ... Bet Seattle, winner of last year’s West Virginia Legislature Chairman’s Cup, has been again entered in this year’s edition of the race – Bet Seattle has won six of his last seven starts.  

Written by Bill Mooney/Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort