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West Virginia Derby: Baffert Seeks Third with Cupid
The $750,000 West Virginia Derby isn’t the big name race on Saturday that Saratoga’s G1, $1.25 million Whitney is.
But, it’s a better bettor’s race, for sure.
West Virginia Derby History
I went back to research the history of the West Virginia Derby and was surprised to find that the race dates back to the 1900’s when Tender Seth won it in 1923 for trainer H. Cavanaugh, taking home $1,765 for the effort.
As I skimmed down the list of previous winners, I discovered that the race was won 4 times in a row by a runner from the barn of Patsy Santo between 1963 and 1966.
In ’66, I was just five years old so the names Patsy Santo, Peter Le Grand, Pantuity, or two of the three fillies ever to win the race, Etimota and Kerensa, don’t mean anything to me.
When I got to the entry for 1974, won by Park Guard, I finally recognized a name on the list. But it wasn’t the winner.
In ’74 I was just thirteen. It was around the time I started attending the races at Fair Grounds with my grandfather, and the name Jonathan Sheppard, who trained Park Guard, wasn’t one I knew at the time.
The further down the list I got, the more familiar the names became.
As I said, the West Virginia Derby isn’t the biggest race this weekend.
In fact, recognizing the names of some of the previous winners like Doc’s Leader in ’89, Stellar Brush in ’99, Wiseman’s Ferry in ’02, or even last year’s winner Madefromlucky, I surmise that it’s never been the biggest race on any weekend since 1923.
Off-track betting and simulcast wagering puts West Virginia Derby on Map
Around the early 90’s simulcast racing kept fans busy handicapping and wagering on races from around the country, right from their home track.
In ’94, I remember being in a tent at the Fair Grounds watching and wagering on races being simulcasted from New York and Kentucky.
It was the year after the fire on December 17, 1993 that destroyed the historic track where I grew up honing my skills as a handicapper. And it forever changed the way the New Orleans locals played the races.
But what simulcasting did was keep the money flowing after a meet ended. And as the money flowed, the purses grew at tracks like Mountaineer Park where the West Virginia Derby has become a target for top horsemen.
If you look at the list of winners, you’ll see that in 1990, Challenge My Duty took home $60,000 for owner William Rickman.
But by 1998, the winner’s share had doubled and Da Devil earned the $120,000 top prize.
Baffert Seeks Third West Virginia Derby
If you look at the list of winner’s, it wasn’t until 2004 that a Kentucky Derby winning trainer, Nick Zito, sent out Sir Shackleton to win the West Virginia Derby and the grand prize of $363,000.
Since then Michael Matz, trainer of the 2006 Kentucky Derby winning Barbaro, sent Ready Set in ’08 to earn $450,000 in West Virginia.
But perhaps the biggest name on the list of trainers is Bob Baffert who has four wins in the Kentucky Derby and will be seeking his third win in the 2016 West Virginia Derby with Cupid.
If Cupid wins on Saturday, it won’t be a training record for Baffert. That title is currently held by Steve Asmussen with five.
But Asmussen doesn’t have a runner in the WV Derby. And with the defection of Mo Tom, the field, while competitive, will have to go through Cupid to win the $450,000 lion’s share.
Free West Virginia Derby Past Performances
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