West Virginia Derby 2018: Full Mountaineer stakes picks

Of the nine races carded for Saturday at Mountaineer, seven are stakes, which lead up to the featured graded events, the West Virginia Governor's Stakes for older horses and West Virginia Derby for 3-year-olds. Horse Racing Nation handicapper Jarrod Horak analyzes each race:

Race 2 (West Virginia House of Delegates Speakers’ Cup, 8.32T) 

#9 SPECIAL OPS (4-1) won this event last year for Leparoux/Maker, and he owns running style versatility. #5 Big Changes (8-5) exits back-to-back turf wins and figures in the hunt throughout, but there are others with early pressing speed. #4 Bandar (9-2) likes this turf course and returned from a layoff to defeat today’s rival Runaway Posse at a flat mile last time. #2 Runaway Posse (5-1) is most effective at shorter distances, and his new rider Spieth is going to have to time his move perfectly at this trip. #3 Nun the Less (12-1) has not won in quite some time, but he is one of the fastest in the stretch and can spice up the exotics. 

Wagers: #9 to win, Exacta Box 5-9, Trifecta 2-4-5-9/2-4-5-9/3

Race 3 (West Virginia Secretary of State, 6f) 

#3 NISHA (4-1) defeated Your Love by a length in the Belmont mud June 28, and that runner returned to capture the Shine Again at Saratoga earlier this week. #2 Astrollinthepark (3-1) is a sharp Churchill shipper for Larry Jones. She owns early/pressing versatility. #5 Golden Mischief (9-5) romped in two of her last three including an easy stakes win at Prairie Meadows July 5. She has not strung together sharp efforts in quite some time. #7 Puntsville (7-2) is a neck away from five straight wins, and the front runner is 10-for-13 with two place finishes at this distance. 

Wagers: #3 to win, Exacta 3/2-5-7, Exacta 2-5-7/3, Trifecta 2-3/2-3-5-7/2-3-5-7

Race 4 (West Virginia Legislature Chairman’s Cup, 4.5f)

#9 WARLEIGH (3-1) ships from Maryland to West Virginia, and the last time he ran here, he stalked, pounced, and scored by four-plus lengths vs. allowance foes at five panels on May 1. #3 Concord Fast (5-2) gets pace to chase in the paper race and might finish full of run at this abbreviated trip. #6 Dr. Koy (12-1) won three of his last four all-weather starts at Presque Isle Downs, and in his lone local outing last fall, he romped by 14 lengths. The versatile gelding is an interesting contender on the surface switch. #8 Roman Officer (7-2) is 5-for-6 with a third at Mountaineer, and he is also 10-for-14 at this distance. 

Wagers: #9 to win, Exacta Box 3-9, Exacta 3-9/6-8

Race 5 (West Virginia Senate President’s Cup, 8.32T) 

#5 BOMBSHELL (6-1) may have found a home on turf. She moved from the Jimmy Jerkens barn to Arnaud Delacour, and she switched to turf and gamely prevailed off a three-plus month layoff at Delaware Park July 11. She drilled a Fair Hill bullet for this July 27. #7 Mythical Mission (8-1) drops out of a Grade 2 at Woodbine and returns to her winning distance third off the shelf for the productive Vargas Jr.-Motion tandem. #6 Lilt (12-1) picks up sharp grass rider Prat, and she might improve in her second turf outing after rallying for fourth on July 7 (bothered start). #1 Gianna’s Dream (9-5) drops out of the graded ranks and might rebound third off the shelf. #8 Susie Bee (3-1) packs a decent late kick from time to time, and she finished second in her lone local turf outing. 

Wagers: #5 to win, Exacta Box 5-7, Trifecta 5-6-7/1-5-6-7-8/1-5-6-7-8

Race 6 (Senator Robert C. Byrd Memorial, 6f) 

#6 LINE JUDGE (4-1) scored off the Amoss re-claim June 6. He is 7-for-15 overall and 2-for-2 at this distance, and his new rider Prat should have options with the versatile colt. #3 Colonel Sharp (6-1) hit the board in his last two all-weather sprints at Presque Isle, and he earned quality numbers in four dirt sprints prior to his last pair. His dirt numbers are better, and a stalking trip is expected. #8 Balandeen (3-1) finished 1 1/2 lengths behind Colonel Sharp in a synthetic stakes event last time, and he earned a good number in an off-the-pace dirt sprint stakes tally before that. #10 Sevier (9-2) exits a sharp wire job in the mud at Ellis Park. He captured five of his last eight starts around one turn. #1 Awesome Gent (10-1) is an 8-for-16 win type (three straight wins), and he owns competitive numbers. 

Wagers: #6 to win, Exacta Box 3-6, Trifecta 3-6/1-3-6-8-10/1-3-6-8-10

Race 7 (G3 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes, 8.5f) 

#3 LEOFRIC (6-1) fired trifecta shots in his last seven outings (5 wins), and he should be finishing for the productive Geroux/Cox team. #7 Matoooh (7-2) owns competitive numbers and running style versatility. He won the G3 Hanshin at Arlington earlier this year, and followed that up with a show finish in the G1 Stephen Foster. #8 Term of Art (10-1) earned his best career number in his winning 4-year-old debut for his new trainer Brad Cox on July 14. He owns stalking speed in a race without any pace, and he might get the jump on the late runners under Leparoux. #5 Hawaakom (5-2) easily beat Leofric in the mud in the G3 Razorback earlier this year, and he is 1-for-1 at Mountaineer. The late runner is at the mercy of the pace. 

Wagers: #3 to win, Exacta 3/5-7-8, Exacta 5-7-8/3, Trifecta 3-7-8/ALL/5

Race 8 (G3 West Virginia Derby, 9f) 

#6 RUGBYMAN (8-1) has been running in one-turn events at Belmont recently, and I want to see what the son of Tapit can do at this longer trip. He disappointed in the G3 Dwyer last time, but his Easy Goer number matches up well vs. these, and he should offer value for the productive Vargas Jr/Motion team. #2 Draft Pick (3-1) turned the corner in a sharp two turn maiden win at Santa Anita May 12, and he followed that up with a nice score in the G3 Affirmed. He just missed in the G3 Los Alamitos Derby last time, and he looks like a solid stalking threat today. #5 Once On Whiskey (5-2) got up late to upset Draft Pick in the Los Al Derby July 14, and now he figures to be overbet for Prat/Baffert. #9 High North (4-1), #8 Mr. Freeze (9-2), and #1 Lionite (6-1) finished 1-2-3 in the Iowa Derby last time. Mr. Freeze has the most upside with only three starts under his belt, and he is the one I want out of that event. 

Wagers: #6 to win, Exacta 6/2-5-8, Exacta 2-5-8/6, Trifecta Key 6/1-2-5-8-9