By Alan Carasso
Juddmonte Farms' progressive Dragoon Guard (Arrogate), a neck away from being unbeaten in his young career, carries a three-race winning streak and should jump a slight favorite in Sunday's $500,000 GIII West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park.
The homebred son of the talented turf mare Filimbi (Mizzen Mast) was beaten a neck by future stakes winner Otto the Conqueror (Street Sense) on his seven-furlong debut at Churchill last September, but is perfect since, including an all-the-way victory over GI Santa Anita Derby hero Stronghold (Ghostzapper) in the GIII Indiana Derby July 6.
Henro (Collected) was runner-up to the aforementioned Otto the Conqueror in a June 5 sprint allowance in Louisville, but made the most of his first two-turn assignment last time with a head defeat of Just a Touch (Justify) in the July 6 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows. A repeat of the 96 Beyer Speed Figure earned on that occasion makes him a very tough customer right back.
Two other graded winners are among Sunday's field of eight. Society Man (Good Magic) is the lesser-known stablemate of MGISW Dornoch (Good Magic) who earned his own berth in the GI Kentucky Derby with a runner-up effort–at 106-1–in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes in April. Down the field at Churchill, he rebounded with a 6-1 upset of the GIII Matt Winn Stakes June 9. 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road) earned his graded success on the turf in last year's GII Pilgrim Stakes, but was also runner-up in this year's GIII Sam F. Davis Stakes on the dirt. He exits an even fifth in the grassy American Derby June 29.
No Longshot Price This Time For The Queens M G
Having returned a fat $91 to her backers when skipping home a 2 3/4-length winner of the opening-day Schuylerville Stakes July 11, The Queens M G (Thousand Words) will start at a fraction of that price when she leaves from the outside gate in a field of nine juvenile fillies in Sunday's GIII Adirondack Stakes at the Spa.
Having lit the Keeneland tote to the tune of 45-1 on debut Apr. 7, the dark bay filly was the 21-10 choice for the June 6 Astoria Stakes at this venue, but she backed out of it abruptly to finish a distant last of seven. Then she blew up the board in the Schuylerville.
“Going into that race, I didn't know what to expect,” said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. “I was just hoping to run a decent race and have something to build on, but she exceeded expectations. That was a big improvement. The race before was disappointing because she had trained decent into the race, and we thought she was a good filly.”
The Queens M G should get the right race flow, as the field includes several fillies that want to be part of the action. Whatintheliteral (Lord Nelson) belied 13-1 odds in the Astoria after setting a pressured pace throughout, but tossed Javier Castellano at the start of the Schuylerville. Dare to Breeze (Daredevil) earned a good figure when taking out a local auction maiden by better than six lengths July 13, while Italian Soiree (Uncle Mo), a $600,000 OBS March breezer, exits a 5 1/4-length graduation from just off the pace downstate July 4 and will hope the speed comes back to the field as well.
Sunday's other graded action features the GIII Pucker Up Stakes at Ellis Park, where GIII Regret Stakes winner Pin Up Betty (Constitution) looks to bounce back from a fourth in the GI Belmont Oaks against the likes of Mo Fox Givin (Mo Town), while in the GIII West Virginia Governor's Cup, Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) squares off with 'TDN Rising Star' Extra Anejo (Into Mischief).
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