Home Brew Likely to Run in West Virginia Derby
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Photo: Ryan Denver/ EQUI-PHOTO
Home Brew wins the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park
Gary and Mary West's Home Brew , who had been considered a candidate for the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1), will instead run in the Aug. 6 $500,000 West Virginia Derby (G3) for 3-year-olds at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort, according to trainer Brad Cox.
The homebred son of Street Sense was a lopsided 6 1/4-length winner of the TVG.com Pegasus Stakes, Monmouth Park's prep for the Haskell, but Cox was leery of having the 3-year-old make his graded stakes debut in a difficult spot such as the grade 1 Haskell.
"He hasn't danced in a graded stakes yet, so maybe he should dance in a grade 3 before he dances in a grade 1," Cox said July 15 at Saratoga Race Course, where he won with his first two starters on the card. "The Pegasus was a great spot for Home Brew, but that doesn't mean the Haskell is a great spot for him."
Home Brew has won four of six starts, taking the Oaklawn Stakes prior to the Pegasus.
Cox will still be represented in the Haskell by grade 1 winner Cyberknife , a grade 1-winning son of Gun Runner owned by Gold Square.