A little info for ya Coach B :
WEST VIRGINIA DERBY (G3), 8TH-MNR, $600,000, 3YO, 1 1/8M, 5:25 P.M. EDT, 8-7
PP HORSE TRAINER JOCKEY WT
1 ROCKEM SOCKEM GORHAM ROBERT M HOUGHTON T D 113
2 AVID SKIER BENNETT GERALD S LESTER R N 111
3 POLLARD'S VISION PLETCHER TODD A COA E M 119
4 LINE OF SCRIMMAGE AMBROSIA JOSEPH PEREIRA O M 111
5 MISTER FOTIS WOLFSON MARTIN D CASTRO E 111
6 BRITT'S JULES GUILLOT ERIC LANERIE C J 113
7 SIR SHACKLETON ZITO NICHOLAS P BEJARANO R 117
8 ECCLESIASTIC MCLAUGHLIN KIARAN P CASTILLO H JR 111
9 FANTASTICAT BARNETT BOBBY C BOREL C H 111
The Todd Pletcher-trained POLLARD'S VISION (Carson City) is listed as the 9-5 favorite for Saturday's $600,000 West Virginia Derby (G3) at Mountaineer Park, but is also cross-entered for the $1 million Haskell Invitational S. (G1) at Monmouth Park on Sunday. If he runs on Saturday, the dark bay colt won't offer much value, so we're going to try to beat him with BRITT'S JULES (Jules).
The gray three-year-old will be starting for only the third time for trainer Eric Guillot in the West Virginia Derby. He made his graded debut in the Leonard Richards S. (G3) last out against Pollard's Vision, finishing second after leading from the start. The multiple stakes winning-colt earned a nice 102 BRIS Speed rating for that effort and worked a bullet five furlongs at Saratoga on July 29 in 1:00 4/5 to prepare for this one. Britt's Jules could surprise with a career-best run under Corey Lanerie.
Pollard's Vision and SIR SHACKLETON (Miswaki) are the only two runners in this nine-horse field with graded wins to their credit. Besides the Leonard Richards, the former also boasts a victory in the Illinois Derby (G2) while going Saturday's nine-furlong distance. The only time Pollard's Vision posted anything less than a triple digit Speed rating against graded company came in the Kentucky Derby (G1), but he quickly rebounded from that one to finish a good second in the Ohio Derby (G2). He'll be tough to deny if he runs here with Eibar Coa aboard.
Sir Shackleton earned a nice 1 3/4-length victory in the Derby Trial S. (G3) in late April, then skipped the Kentucky Derby to run in the Preakness S. (G1), where he finished sixth. He showed he was coming to hand for trainer Nick Zito with a nice third in the Dwyer S. (G2) most recently, garnering a 106 Speed rating as well as a 108 BRIS E2 Pace figure. Rafael Bejarano has the return call and the pair could stalk the pace before unleashing a winning run down the stretch.
FANTASTICAT (Storm Cat) doesn't own quite the same numbers as our top picks, but the Bobby Barnett-trained bay is a game runner who likes to finish in the money. He held a short lead in his stakes debut, the Round Table S. at Arlington Park, last out but had to settle for second at the wire. The sophomore could show up in the bottom of the gimmicks. ECCLESIASTIC (Pulpit) came in third in the Northern Dancer S. (G3) before running fourth in the Leonard Richards most recently. This will be his fourth start for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, and the bay colt will be getting blinkers added to help his chances. Consider for the exotics at a good price.
MISTER FOTIS (Diligence) captured the Unbridled S. in his stakes debut last out, but hasn't raced since that start in mid-June. This will also mark his first start outside of Florida, so we'll just watch the Marty Wolfson charge for now. ROCKEM SOCKEM (Ulises) won a stakes last out against state-breds by 11 3/4 lengths, but he might not be fast enough to challenge in this spot. AVID SKIER (Appealing Skier) might prefer shorter distances. LINE OF SCRIMMAGE (Line in the Sand) looks out of his class against these.
SELECTIONS:
1st-BRITT'S JULES
2nd-POLLARD'S VISION
3rd-SIR SHACKLETON
G.L.
***MMM***
WEST VIRGINIA DERBY (G3), 8TH-MNR, $600,000, 3YO, 1 1/8M, 5:25 P.M. EDT, 8-7
PP HORSE TRAINER JOCKEY WT
1 ROCKEM SOCKEM GORHAM ROBERT M HOUGHTON T D 113
2 AVID SKIER BENNETT GERALD S LESTER R N 111
3 POLLARD'S VISION PLETCHER TODD A COA E M 119
4 LINE OF SCRIMMAGE AMBROSIA JOSEPH PEREIRA O M 111
5 MISTER FOTIS WOLFSON MARTIN D CASTRO E 111
6 BRITT'S JULES GUILLOT ERIC LANERIE C J 113
7 SIR SHACKLETON ZITO NICHOLAS P BEJARANO R 117
8 ECCLESIASTIC MCLAUGHLIN KIARAN P CASTILLO H JR 111
9 FANTASTICAT BARNETT BOBBY C BOREL C H 111
The Todd Pletcher-trained POLLARD'S VISION (Carson City) is listed as the 9-5 favorite for Saturday's $600,000 West Virginia Derby (G3) at Mountaineer Park, but is also cross-entered for the $1 million Haskell Invitational S. (G1) at Monmouth Park on Sunday. If he runs on Saturday, the dark bay colt won't offer much value, so we're going to try to beat him with BRITT'S JULES (Jules).
The gray three-year-old will be starting for only the third time for trainer Eric Guillot in the West Virginia Derby. He made his graded debut in the Leonard Richards S. (G3) last out against Pollard's Vision, finishing second after leading from the start. The multiple stakes winning-colt earned a nice 102 BRIS Speed rating for that effort and worked a bullet five furlongs at Saratoga on July 29 in 1:00 4/5 to prepare for this one. Britt's Jules could surprise with a career-best run under Corey Lanerie.
Pollard's Vision and SIR SHACKLETON (Miswaki) are the only two runners in this nine-horse field with graded wins to their credit. Besides the Leonard Richards, the former also boasts a victory in the Illinois Derby (G2) while going Saturday's nine-furlong distance. The only time Pollard's Vision posted anything less than a triple digit Speed rating against graded company came in the Kentucky Derby (G1), but he quickly rebounded from that one to finish a good second in the Ohio Derby (G2). He'll be tough to deny if he runs here with Eibar Coa aboard.
Sir Shackleton earned a nice 1 3/4-length victory in the Derby Trial S. (G3) in late April, then skipped the Kentucky Derby to run in the Preakness S. (G1), where he finished sixth. He showed he was coming to hand for trainer Nick Zito with a nice third in the Dwyer S. (G2) most recently, garnering a 106 Speed rating as well as a 108 BRIS E2 Pace figure. Rafael Bejarano has the return call and the pair could stalk the pace before unleashing a winning run down the stretch.
FANTASTICAT (Storm Cat) doesn't own quite the same numbers as our top picks, but the Bobby Barnett-trained bay is a game runner who likes to finish in the money. He held a short lead in his stakes debut, the Round Table S. at Arlington Park, last out but had to settle for second at the wire. The sophomore could show up in the bottom of the gimmicks. ECCLESIASTIC (Pulpit) came in third in the Northern Dancer S. (G3) before running fourth in the Leonard Richards most recently. This will be his fourth start for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, and the bay colt will be getting blinkers added to help his chances. Consider for the exotics at a good price.
MISTER FOTIS (Diligence) captured the Unbridled S. in his stakes debut last out, but hasn't raced since that start in mid-June. This will also mark his first start outside of Florida, so we'll just watch the Marty Wolfson charge for now. ROCKEM SOCKEM (Ulises) won a stakes last out against state-breds by 11 3/4 lengths, but he might not be fast enough to challenge in this spot. AVID SKIER (Appealing Skier) might prefer shorter distances. LINE OF SCRIMMAGE (Line in the Sand) looks out of his class against these.
SELECTIONS:
1st-BRITT'S JULES
2nd-POLLARD'S VISION
3rd-SIR SHACKLETON
G.L.
***MMM***
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