Saturday’s $750,000
West
Virginia Derby (G2) shaped up as a two-horse race, with Kentucky Derby (G1)
winner Mine That Bird (Birdstone) and lone speed Big Drama (Montbrook)
commanding most of the pre-race attention, but Zayat Stables’ SOUL WARRIOR (Lion
Heart) delivered a shocking upset when rallying late to a neck decision at Mountaineer Park. After outfinishing third-placer Mine That Bird through
the stretch, the 23-1 outsider caught pacesetter Big Drama in the final strides
to record his first stakes win.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, who also sent out Saturday’s Jim Dandy S. (G2)
winner Kensei (Mr. Greeley) and will saddle Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d’Oro) in
Sunday’s Haskell Invitational (G1), Soul Warrior entered the West Virginia Derby
off a runner-up finish in the Iowa Derby and captured a one-mile allowance at
Churchill Downs two starts previously. Local jockey Dale Beckner picked up the
mount, and the chestnut colt paid $48, $8 and $2.60 for the surprise victory.
Big Drama, the slight 4-5 favorite, sprinted clear into the first turn and
passed the quarter-mile mark in :23 3/5 with a clear lead. He led by 10 lengths
through a half-mile in :46 2/5 and by nine lengths after three-quarters in 1:10
2/5, but his cushion began to disappear as he exited the final bend. Soul
Warrior, who rated comfortably in third over the fast track during the early
stages, advanced into contention on the far turn with Mine That Bird, and both
horses appeared ready to blow past the speed at the top of the stretch. Big
Drama fought on gamely despite noticeably tiring, hitting the mile mark in 1:37
with a two-length lead, and while Mine That Bird came up empty in the final
furlong, Soul Warrior was able to capitalize, surging late to finish to the 1
1/8-mile test in 1:51 2/5.
Big Drama returned $2.80 and $2.20, and Mine That Bird was worth $2.20 as the
4-5 second choice in the six-horse field. The perfecta paid $111, and the 1-4-2
trifecta yielded $119. Next under the wire came Awesome Rhythm (Toccet), Sunday
Sunrise (Lemon Drop Kid), who was coupled with the winner, and Monty’s Best
(Montbrook).
Bred in Kentucky by Bob Austin, Copperhead Stable and David Hanley, Soul
Warrior brought $175,000 as a 2006 Keeneland November weanling, but
the price tag dropped to $95,000 when he sold as a yearling at the 2007 Keeneland
September sale. Zayat Stables purchased him for $290,000 last year at the OBS
March two-year-old sale. He’s out of the unraced Urmia (Meadowlake), who is also
the dam of stakes victress and Grade 3-placed My Miss Storm Cat (Sea of Secrets)
and an unraced juvenile filly named Cautionary Tale (Yes It’s True), and she
is the daughter of multiple Grade 3 winner Chaldea (Cutlass). This is the immediate
family of multiple stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Better Than Bonds (Sweetsouthernsaint).
Soul Warrior has now earned $589,720 from a 7-3-2-0 career line.