WV Derby Runner-Up Game Over Likely for Travers

Owner Ron Paolucci could take another run at a big event or two at Saratoga Race Course before the meet is out.

The Loooch Racing Stables principal said his Game Over, runner-up in the Aug. 5 West Virginia Derby (G3), will likely be entered in the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) Aug. 26. Paolucci could also run grade 2 winner War Story, fourth in the Aug. 5 Whitney Handicap (G1), back in the Sept. 2 Woodward Stakes (G1). Both horses are trained by Jorge Navarro; Paolucci owns Game Over outright and races War Story in partnership with Glenn Ellis and Imaginary Stables.

"There's no clear-cut horse in the 3-year-old division I don't want to go run against," Paolucci said. "The Travers is a stallion-making race, and my horse is a very talented horse."

Game Over, by Mineshaft , was a $100,000 purchase by agent Ben Glass from Hunter Valley Farm's consignmenmt to the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale. He broke his maiden by four lengths going six furlongs for Gary and Mary West in March while entered for a $40,000 tag, won May 14 over seven furlongs for William Sparks, and was purchased privately by Paolucci next.

The colt ran fifth in the June 24 Ohio Derby (G3) before earning the stakes-placed credit in the West Virginia Derby while making his fourth start. 

"My horse is very lightly-raced, and he was probably a couple works short heading into the West Virginia Derby," Paolucci said. "The inside was not the place to be that day, it was like he was running on quicksand and when he finally shifted out he closed well but we couldn't catch the winner.

"He's a very talented horse to do that in his fourth lifetime start. There weren't killers in there, but the quality was good. You had the Derby runner-up and the horse that was third in the Belmont. It was pretty good quality from top to bottom. We'll go ahead and enter, and if we draw inside, we'll run."