Cupid, Mo Tom in Full WV Derby Field

Indiana Derby (gr. II) winner Cupid and Ohio Derby victor Mo Tom are among a field of 12, with another on the also-eligible list, entered for the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (gr. II) for 3-year-olds Aug. 6 at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort.

The 1 1/8-mile Derby is the eighth race on a nine-race all-stakes program that begins at the special first post of 2 p.m. EDT. Purses for the card total $1.65 million.

Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier, and Derrick Smith's Cupid, a Tapit   colt who will carry top weight of 122 pounds as the only grade II winner in the field, overcame an outside post and eventful stretch run to win the 1 1/8-mile Indiana Derby July 16 at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino. It was a key effort for the Bob Baffert-trained Cupid, who bounced back from two disappointing efforts after a win in the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) at Oaklawn Park in March.

Rafael Bejarano, who rode Cupid in Indiana, has a return call from post 1.

GMB Racing's Mo Tom, who circled most of the field to win the 1 1/8-mile Ohio Derby at JACK ThistleDown Racino June 25, drew post 3 for trainer Tom Amoss and the hot-riding Joe Bravo. The Uncle Mo   colt has been training at Saratoga Race Course but took a pass on the July 31 Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II), which won by the 27-1 maiden Laoban.

Mo Tom earlier this year won the Lecomte Stakes (gr. III) and therefore will carry 120 pounds in the West Virginia Derby as will Southwest Stakes (gr. III) winner Suddenbreakingnews, another come-from-behind runner who drew post 12 for trainer Donnie Von Hemel and jockey Luis Quinonez.

Suddebreakingnews, a Mineshaft   ridgling, finished second to Creator in the Arkansas Derby (gr. I) in April, and then checked in fifth and ninth, respectively, in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (both gr. I).

Brittlyn Stables' Forevamo, also sired by Uncle Mo, prepared for the Mountaineer fixture with a strong victory in a 1 1/16-mile allowance event at Churchill Downs June 26 for trainer Al Stall Jr. Second to Gun Runner in the Veterans Ford Risen Star Stakes (gr. II) in February, Forevamo drew post 11 with Florent Geroux named to ride at 118 pounds.

"He just ran right past the other horses (at Churchill)," Stall said. "He's really getting it together. And he keeps improving as he goes along. I've been training him at Saratoga this summer, and he's in the same barn stall where I had Departing."

Departing won the 2013 West Virginia Derby for Stall. The 6-year-old War Front   gelding will return to Mountaineer Aug. 6 for the $200,000 West Virginia Governor's Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles for trainer Tom Drury Jr. Departing won the July 16 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial Stakes at Indiana Grand in his first start for Drury and is nearing the $2 million mark in career earnings.