It's Wait and See for Large WV Derby Field

Two colts that have been chasing Triple Crown winner American Pharoah will seek to get back on track when they face nine other 3-year-olds in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (gr. II) Aug. 1 at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort.

The 1 1/8-mile West Virginia Derby drew a large field, but whether it holds together remains to be seen. Three Derby entrants—Stanford and Tommy Macho from the Todd Pletcher barn and Tekton, trained by Anthony Dutrow—also were entered in the $100,000 Curlin Stakes July 31 at Saratoga Race Course.

And, the draws for two other major 3-year-old stakes this weekend, the $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 1 at Saratoga and the $1 million William Hill Haskell Invitational (gr. I) Aug. 2 at Monmouth Park, haven't been held yet. Earlier lists of probable runners for the Haskell included Tekton and West Virginia Derby entrant War Story.

The two colts that last raced in the June 6 Belmont Stakes presented by DraftKings (gr. I) appear likely for the Mountaineer race: Charles Fipke's Tale of Verve, who finished seventh, and Cheyenne Stables and Mac Nichol's Madefromlucky, who checked in sixth. That day and in earlier races in the spring both finished behind American Pharoah, who will race in the Haskell.

Tale of Verve, trained by Dallas Stewart, didn't fire in the Belmont, but in his previous start in the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I), the Tale of Ekati   colt passed all but the winner after a quick pace on a sloppy track. Before that he broke his maiden in his sixth career start in a 1 3/16-mile maiden special weight test at Keeneland.

The West Virginia Derby field—as entered—appears full of legitimate early speed, which could favor Tale of Verve if several get into a battle. Robby Albarado is named to ride at 118 pounds from post 5.

Before his one-paced Belmont effort, Madfromlucky was a comfortable winner of the Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) at Belmont Park and in March finished second behind American Pharoah in the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) at Oaklawn Park. The Lookin At Lucky   colt is the 122-pound highweight with Joe Bravo, expected to be named to ride from post 10.

One of the more lightly raced horses in the field is the improving Bent On Bourbon, who captured the grade III Iowa Derby in his last start June 27. The Arch   colt owned by Jamie Hill's Bourbon Lane Stable has been pointed to the West Virginia Derby by trainer Eddie Kenneally.

"He had some minor issues—routine baby issues—and we didn't want to rush him along early," Kenneally said. "But since we put him on the track, he has moved forward very nicely. The Iowa Derby was his first try around two turns. In (the West Virginia Derby), we're taking a bigger step, but he's ready to go for it."

The Iowa Derby is at 1 1/16 miles, but Bent On Bourbon's pedigree suggests he should have little trouble with the extra sixteenth of a mile. Corey Lanerie, who has ridden him twice with success, had the call at 120 pounds from post 8.

One of the quicker colts entered in the West Virginia Derby is Live Oak Plantation's Souper Colossal, a War Front   colt that began prepping for the major 3-year-old stakes with a victory in a five-furlong turf sprint stakes at Gulfstream Park in early February. But he developed a virus and those plans were scrapped.

In his last start Souper Colossal, trained by Edward Plesa Jr., finished a solid second to Stanford in the 1 1/16-mile Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth. Plesa indicated the colt is back on track.

"He's coming to West Virginia in 100% condition," the trainer said. "We're ready to roll."

Souper Colossal drew post 11 and will be ridden by Paco Lopez, who has won with him three times, at 118 pounds.

Looch Racing Stables and Glenn Ellis' War Story finished fourth after a poor start in the Ohio Derby at ThistleDown Racino in his last start June 20 but had a good run in major 3-year-olds stakes in Louisiana earlier this year. He is now in the barn of Jeff Radosevich—the primary trainer for Looch Racing at ThistleDown—and would only have to ship about 90 minutes from his base in the Cleveland, Ohio, suburbs.

Scott Spieth, who has been riding at Delaware Park this summer but is no stranger to Mountaineer, has the call about the Northern Afleet   colt at 118 pounds from post 6.

The West Virginia Derby, with a probable post time of 5:10 p.m. EDT, is the eighth of nine races on a special program that begins at 2 p.m. All nine events are stakes, with more than $1.6 million in purses to be paid.