West Virginia Derby

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Kentucky Derby (G1) winner MINE THAT BIRD  (Birdstone) will return to
the races in Saturday’s $750,000 West Virginia Derby (G2), but the late-running
gelding appears to be at a tactical disadvantage in the six-horse field. BIG
DRAMA (Montbrook) should be in control of a moderate pace from the start, and
we’ll tab him for a wire-to-wire decision.

Trained by David Fawkes, Big Drama exits a seven-length romp in the
lucrative, seven-furlong Red Legend S. at Charles Town, but he’s a two-time
stakes winner at a route and didn’t run poorly when fifth in the 1 3/16-mile
Preakness S. (G1) two starts back. His BRIS Early Pace ratings lay over his
rivals in this spot, and the classy colt owns excellent Speed numbers as well.
Regular rider Eibar Coa will be in to ride.

Mine That Bird will be the first Kentucky Derby winner to run at the West
Virginia oval, and he’s shown that his 50-1 upset at Churchill Downs was no
fluke, recording a second in the Preakness and a third in the Belmont S. (G1).
Mike Smith is familiar with the Chip Woolley runner, guiding him to his
fast-finishing second at Pimlico, and the Kentucky-bred appears to be training
well for this start. We won’t be surprised to see him catch the pacesetter in
the stretch, but we feel he’s probably more likely to come up a little short.

Canadian invader AWESOME RHYTHM (Toccet) didn’t run well in his lone dirt
start earlier this year, but he really came on this spring for trainer John
Ross, recording three straight convincing stakes wins over the Polytrack at
Woodbine. We’ll throw out his last race on turf and look for a solid showing in this
spot from the stalker in his second dirt attempt.

SOUL WARRIOR (Lion Heart) is lightly raced and offered a decent run for
second in the Iowa Derby last time. His BRIS Speed ratings are a little low, but
he still owns room for improvement and is a threat for a minor award here.

MONTY’S BEST (Montbrook) exits a pair of wins over short allowance fields at
Woodbine, but he did finish second in the Iroquois S. (G3) last fall on the
dirt. We could make a case for the Reade Baker trainee at a shorter distance,
but we’ll go against him at nine furlongs. SUNDAY SUNRISE (Lemon Drop Kid) was
crushed in the Dwyer S. (G2) at Belmont last time and probably needs an easier
spot to be effective.