Grade II Winners to Battle in WV Derby

Grade II winners Candy Boy, Tapiture  , and Vicar's in Trouble, all of which competed in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), are among nine 3-year-olds entered in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (gr. II) at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort Aug. 2.

The West Virginia Derby is race eight on a nine-race Saturday card of all stakes, all but two of which could have fields of 11 or 12. The other nine-horse field is in the $200,000 West Virginia Governor's Stakes, in which Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) winner Moonshine Mullin and Cornhusker Handicap (gr. III) winner Carve are entered.

The West Virginia Derby, with post time set for 5:45 p.m. EDT on a program that begins at 2 p.m., will be televised live on FOX Sports Network as will the Governor's Cup, which has a post time of 5:12 p.m.

The 122-pound topweights in the 1 1/8-mile West Virginia Derby are C R K Stable's Candy Boy, winner of the grade II Robert B. Lewis Stakes in February and third in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) in April, and Vicar's in Trouble, winner of the Louisiana Derby (gr. II) in March and Lecomte Stakes (gr. III) in January. Three-time graded stakes winner Tapiture, owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, gets in at 120 pounds.

Candy Boy, 13th in the Kentucky Derby after a poor trip, returned to finish a good second to 2-year-old champion male Shared Belief in the Los Alamitos Derby (gr. II) in his most recent start July 5. Trainer John Sadler has named Corey Nakatani to ride the Candy Ride   colt from the outside post 9.

Vicar's in Trouble, 19th in the Kentucky Derby, resurfaced June 28 to finish third as the favorite in the Iowa Derby (gr. III) on a sloppy track. The Into Mischief   colt drew post 4 for trainer Mike Maker and jockey Alan Garcia.

Tapiture, 15th in the Kentucky Derby, rebounded in his next start June 14 with a win in the Matt Winn Stakes (gr. III) under Rosie Napravnik, who has the call from post 5 for trainer Steve Asmussen. The Tapit   colt's connections have been pointing him for the West Virginia Derby to start the second half of the season.

Asmussen has won the West Virginia four times with Real Dandy (2005), Zanjero (2007), Soul Warrior (2009), and Macho Macho (2012). Winchell Thoroughbreds owned Zanjero.