From Mountaineer Park

Cupid
Gray/Roan colt 122
3-1 Morning Line
Career record: 7-3-1-0, $880,553
Kentucky-bred: Tapit – Pretty ‘n Smart (Beau Genius)
Foaled: May 19, 2013
Jockey: Rafael Bejarano
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Co-owners: Michael B. Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, and Derrick Smith

Comments: Multiple Grade 2 winner, via the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park and the Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand Race Course . . . has highest career purse earnings among horses in this year’s West Virginia Derby field . . . sire has led North American Thoroughbred stallion list (in progeny earnings) the past three years – his sons Concord Point and Tapiture won the 2010 and 2014 West Virginia Derby renewals . . . Hall of Fame trainer swept the 2015 Triple Crown with American Pharoah, and won the
West Virginia Derby in 2010-11, the latter year with Prayer for Relief . . . jockey was aboard Prayer for Relief, and also booted Sir Shackleton to a West Virginia Derby win in 2004.

No Distortion
Chestnut colt 118
8-1 Morning Line
Career record: 11-3-2-2, $142,480
Kentucky-bred: Distorted Humor – Pacific Spell (Langfuhr)
Foaled: May 4, 2013
Jockey: Gabriel Saez
Trainer: J. Larry Jones
Owner: Brereton C. Jones

Comments: Broke maiden in seventh career try . . . has since won a Delaware Park allowance by 11 ½lengths, and was a 3 ¼-length winner of the 1 1/16-mile Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park . . .
trainer’s 2016 victories include the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap with I’m a Chatterbox – also conditionedNorth America’s 2011 Horse of the Year, Havre de Grace . . . owner (also the breeder) is former Kentuckygovernor . . . jockey is from Panama, was leading apprentice in his home country – won the 2008 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs and Alabama Stakes at Saratoga (both are Grade 1 events) with Proud Spell . . . trainer/owner/jockey team was sixth in 2008 West Virginia Derby with Proud Kentuckian.

Mo Tom
Dark Bay/Brown colt 120
5-1 Morning Line
Career record: 9-4-0-3, $591,526
Kentucky-bred: Uncle Mo – Caroni (Rubiano)
Foaled: May 6, 2013
Jockey: Joe Bravo
Trainer: Thomas M. Amoss
Owner: G M B Racing (Gayle Benson)

Comments: Broke maiden in first career outing, was a stakes winner at Churchill Downs at age two, won this year’s Grade 3 LeComte Stakes at Fair Grounds . . . has also placed in Grade 2 company . . . most recent effort was a three-length win in the $500,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown . . . sire’s three-year-old crop also includes Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist . . . trainer has 3,280 career wins, and a career win ratio of 25.6% — sent the 39-1 shot Real Appeal to a third-place finish in the 2008 West Virginia Derby . ..owner’s business holdings also include the NFL’s New Orleans Saints . . . jockey won 2015 West Virginia Derby aboard Madefromlucky – has 5,115 career wins (ranking 28th among all-time riders).

Pinson
Chestnut colt 118
20-1 Morning Line
Career record: 9-1-2-1, $51,871
Florida-bred: Majestic Warrior – Celtic Song (Giant’s Causeway)
Foaled: February 7, 2013
Jockey: Corey J. Lanerie
Trainer: Michael J. Maker
Co-owners: Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey

Comments: Broke maiden at fifth career asking . . . has not won another race, but is thrice-placed in via Keeneland and Churchill Downs allowance company . . . trainer sent out North America’s 2011 champion male juvenile Hansen to finish fourth as the 3-5 favorite in the 2012 West Virginia Derby – won the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile with Furthest Land, and led 2013 Keeneland spring meet conditioner standings with a record 25 victories . . . Ramseys have trio of Eclipse Awards as North America’s outstanding Thoroughbred owners, along with two as outstanding breeders . . . jockey registered 4,000th career win on July 31 this year – was third in 2004 West Virginia Derby aboard 8-1 shot Britt’s Jules.

Whateverybodywants
Bay colt 118
30-1 Morning Line
Career record: 4-2-0-1, $89,970
Illinois-bred: Giant Oak – Bella Cardella (Hard Spun)
Foaled: March 18, 2013
Jockey: Robby Albarado
Trainer: Kellyn Gorder
Owner: The Farm on 4 LLC (Tom Rinaudo)

Comments: Maiden win came at second asking in state-bred company at Arlington Park on May 15 of this year . . . followed that effort with a three-quarter-length score in the Prairie Mile at Iowa’s Prairie Meadows racetrack . . . trainer sent out 5-1 shot Bourbon Courage to finish second, missing victory by just a half-length, in 2012 West Virginia Derby – colt subsequently won the Grade 2 Super Derby at
Louisiana Downs . . . owner resides in Chicago, co-campaigned Mighty Brown, who won the 2014 edition of the $100,000 Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs . . . jockey booted Departing to victory in the 2013 West Virginia Derby, and has finished second twice, in 1998 with One Bold Stroke and in 2010 with Exhi.

Name Changer
Dark Bay/Brown colt 118
15-1 Morning Line
Career record: 5-2-1-1, $82,000
Kentucky-bred: Uncle Mo – Cash’s Girl (Northern Afleet)
Foaled: May 4, 2013
Jockey: Jevian Toledo
Trainer: Alan E. Goldberg
Owner: Colts Neck Stables LLC (Richard Santulli)

Comments: Broke maiden at first asking at Parx Racing (formerly Philadelphia Park) . . . was an 11-length winner in a one-mile and seventy-yard allowance at Parx in most recent outing . . . one of five May foals in this year’s West Virginia Derby . . . comes from the same foal crop as West Virginia Derby contender Mo Tom and 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist . . . trainer conditioned filly Safely Kept, who was North America’s sprint champ in 1989 and is in National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame . . . owner founded the aviation leasing company NetJets and bred the 2013 Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow . . . jockey has 501 career wins – has one Grade 3 score, in the 2014 Charles Town Oaks with Miss Behavior.

Van Damme

Dark Bay/Brown colt 118
50-1 Morning Line
Career record: 13-2-3-1, $91,041
Kentucky-bred: Langfuhr – Pacific Jewel (Seeking the Gold)
Foaled: April 9, 2013
Jockey: T. D. Houghton
Trainer: Robert M. Gorham
Owner: Mast Thoroughbreds LLC (Henry Mast)

Comments: Has the most career starts of this year’s West Virginia Derby contenders . . . finished second in the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity at age two . . . efforts this year include 4 ½-length score in allowance company at Thistledown on May 18 . . . sire won the Vosburgh Stakes at age four and the Metropolitan Handicap at age five, both of which are Grade 1 events at Belmont Park . . . trainer has 72 career stakes scores, all but three of which have occurred at Michigan, Indiana, or Ohio tracks . . . owner lives in Caledonia, Michigan – family is best known for its greenhouse business . . . jockey has 5,553 career wins (ranking 21st among all-time riders) – this is his first West Virginia Derby mount.

Adventist
Bay colt 118
8-1 Morning Line
Career record: 6-1-1-3, $301,000
Kentucky-bred: Any Given Saturday – Sharp Minister (Deputy Minister)
Foaled: March 10, 2013
Jockey: Aaron T. Gryder
Trainer: Leah Gyarmati
Owner: Treadway Racing (Jeff Treadway)

Comments: Broke maiden at first asking at Aqueduct last December by 11 ½ lengths . . . finished third in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes, third in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, and third (on a muddy track) in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial – all three also at Aqueduct . . . second in the $500,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown in most recent effort . . . New York-based conditioner is a former exercise rider for Hall of
Famer H. Allen Jerkens, has recorded 251 career wins, including 14 black-type – won the 2013 Spinaway at Saratoga and 2014 Acorn at Belmont and Test at Saratoga (all three are Grade 1) with Sweet Reason . . . jockey has 3,714 career wins, 289 in stakes (85 graded), no prior West Virginia Derby mounts.

Economic Model
Bay colt 118
4-1 Morning Line
Career record: 6-3-2-0, $324,400
Kentucky-bred: Flatter – Queen of America (Quiet American)
Foaled: March 14, 2013
Jockey: Kendrick Carmouche
Trainer: Chad C. Brown
Co-owners: Klaravich Stables (Seth Klarman) and William Lawrence

Comments: Graduated first asking in 2015 at Saratoga in only two-year-old start . . . second in Grade 2 Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park in January . . . won the 1 1/16-mile Easy Goer Stakes at Belmont Park in June . . . second in the Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont in most recent effort in July . . . trainer a former assistant to Hall of Famers Claude R. ‘Shug” McGaughey III and the late Bobby Frankel, ranked second in North American purse earnings in 2015 with $20.26 million, and is second this year with $9.88 million . .jockey has 2,814 career wins, 104 in stakes (14 graded) – won Mountaineer’s 2009 Decoration Day and Memorial Day Handicaps with Lindelaan and Blues street, but is 0-for-3 in West Virginia Derby tries.

Anaximandros
Bay colt 118
50-1 Morning Line
Career record: 4-2-1-0, $51,720
Kentucky-bred: Hard Spun – Dragon Fly (Sadler’s Wells)
Foaled: March 30, 2013
Jockey: Leonel Reyes
Trainer: Mikhail Yanakov
Owner: Olympia Star (Mikhail Yanakov)

Comments: All four prior career starts have occurred at Gulfstream Park in South Florida . . . broke maiden at third asking this past May . . . won a one-mile allowance in June . . . has the lowest purse earnings of this year’s West Virginia Derby contenders . . . sire finished second in the 2007 Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness Stakes . . . dam bred in France . . . trainer/owner has started horses at three tracks, Gulfstream, Gulfstream Park West (formerly Calder), and Belmont Park – Mountaineer will be the fourth – has 157 career starts, 13 wins, won this year’s Gleaming Stakes at Gulfstream with Applicator . . . jockey began race riding this year, has 37 wins – sole stakes score was aboard Applicator.

Forevamo
Bay colt 118
8-1 Morning Line
Career record: 9-2-4-0, $322,270
Florida-bred: Uncle Mo – Candlelightdinner (Slew Gin Fizz)
Foaled: March 11, 2013
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Trainer: Albert M. Stall, Jr.
Owner: Brittlyn Stables (Evelyn Benoit)

Comments: Graduated from maiden ranks (at third asking) in the $200,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes at Louisiana’s Delta Downs last October . . . finished second in both the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at FairGrounds and the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs . . . won a 1 1/16-mile Churchill allowance in most recent start in June . . . one of three contenders in this year’s West Virginia Derby sired by Uncle Mo, whose crop includes Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist . . . trainer won the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic with Blame (defeating Zenyatta) and the 2013 West Virginia Derby with Departing . . . French-born jockey has 919 career wins, 89 in stakes (45 graded) – quartet of Grade 1 scores during past two months.

Suddenbreakingnews
Bay ridgling 120
9-2 Morning Line
Career record: 10-3-4-0, $730,032
Kentucky-bred: Mineshaft – Uchitel (Afleet Alex)
Foaled: May 2, 2013
Jockey: Luis S. Quinonez
Trainer: Donnie K. Von Hemel
Owner: Samuel F. Henderson

Comments: Broke maiden in second try last September at Remington Park in Oklahoma City . . . won Remington’s $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes in November . . . won the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park in February, was second in Oaklawn’s Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in April . . . sire was North America’s Horse of the Year in 2003 . . . trainer’s father conditioned third-place finisher Sherriff Cogburn in 2011 West Virginia Derby . . . trainer has 307 stakes wins (39 graded) – won the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile with Caleb’s Posse . . . owner is based in Odessa, Texas – also has ranch/oil holdings . . . Mexican-born jockey has 3,589 career wins – won Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap in 2012 with Alternation.