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Concord Point leads throughout in West Virginia Derby On the strength of his smashing performance in the June 26 Iowa Derby (G3) in his dirt debut, Kaleem Shah's CONCORD POINT (Tapit) was backed into 4-5 favoritism for Saturday's $750,000 West Virginia Derby (G2). Although the Bob Baffert trainee didn't have as easy a time of it at Mountaineer Park, the gray kept finding enough to fend off Exhi (Maria's Mon) en route to a wire-to-wire victory. Concord Point negotiated 1 1/8 miles on the fast track in 1:51 to remain perfect on dirt. Baffert, who was watching from Southern California, commented on his Facebook page that Concord Point "looked awesome" and is "really getting good." Lexington S. (G2) winner Exhi, who had won four straight stakes on the front end, broke from a couple of spots to the inside of Concord Point, and tried to use that position to challenge him for the early lead. Concord Point was too quick for that, however. After leading by a half-length through an opening quarter in :23 2/5, regular rider Martin Garcia helped his mount to establish himself as the controlling speed entering the backstretch. Exhi continued to stalk through splits of :47 3/5 and 1:12 1/5, and he took a run at the leader rounding the far turn. Concord Point had plenty in reserve, and pulled out a bit more to stay one length in front while reaching the mile mark in 1:37 4/5. Exhi wasn't finished yet, but renewed his challenge to threaten once again. Concord Point still had him covered through the final furlong, crossing the wire one length in front. The popular winner returned $3.60, $2.80 and $2.40 while keying the $21 perfecta, $61.20 trifecta and $156.80 superfecta (7-5-1-3). The top four betting interests finished according to their odds. Exhi, the 5-1 second choice, was all alone in second. A commanding 8 1/2 lengths clear of his nearest pursuer, Exhi yielded $4.40 and $3. Nacho Friend (Friends Lake), the third choice at 5-1, checked in third and paid $3.40. Skipshot (Skip Away) rallied for fourth as the 7-1 fourth choice, followed by Thiskyhasnolimit (Sky Mesa), Not Abroad (Not for Love), Toh's Grey Cat (D'wildcat), Shookstown Road (Bowman's Band) and Gunfighter (Iron Deputy). Concord Point was handing Baffert his second lucrative stakes victory in the three-year-old division in the past week. Last Sunday, Baffert sent out champion and Preakness S. (G1) winner Lookin at Lucky (Smart Strike) to a devastating score in the Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth, vaulting to the top of the divisional standings. With this second stakes victory to his credit, Concord Point nearly tripled his bankroll to $669,260 from a sterling 6-4-1-0 mark. His first three starts all came on the Pro-Ride at Santa Anita. After capturing his debut on opening day last December, he garnered a spot in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Those classic dreams evaporated when he wound up fourth as the 1-2 favorite in a February allowance. Concord Point reappeared in an allowance two months later and got back on track with a front-running, 1 1/4-length decision. That earned him a ticket into stakes company for the May 22 Laz Barrera Memorial S. (G3) at Hollywood Park, where he finished a close second to subsequent Bing Crosby S. (G1) winner Smiling Tiger (Hold That Tiger). Concord Point made his two-turn debut in the aforementioned Iowa Derby, and relished the added ground, and surface switch, to romp by 8 1/2 lengths. Moreover, he blazed 1 1/16 miles at Prairie Meadows in a track-record 1:40 1/5. Bred in Kentucky by Lee McMillin and Ed Rudley, Concord Point has passed through the sales ring three times. He brought $70,000 as a Keeneland November weanling, then returned a year later as a Keeneland September yearling to draw a $220,000 winning bid. Last year, the gray colt was a $285,000 RNA as a Barretts March two-year-old. Out of the winning Harve de Grace (Boston Harbor), Concord Point has a trio of younger half-brothers -- an unraced juvenile named Spin Zone (Candy Ride [Arg]), an unnamed Van Nistelrooy yearling and a 2010 Political Force colt. Harve de Grace is herself a half-sister to dual Grade 3 winner Tasha's Miracle (Harlan's Holiday), Grade 2-placed Deb's Charm (Silver Charm) and stakes-placed Early Vintage (Jump Start). Concord Point's third dam is A Penny is a Penny (Temperence Hill), queen of the 1990 Molly Pitcher H. (G2), Fleur de Lis S. (G3) and Oaklawn S. (G3).
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