Chunk of Gold wires West Virginia Derby; Hit Show repeats in Governor’s

When odds-on favorite East Avenue stumbled out of the gate in Sunday’s $400,000 West Virginia Derby (G3), Chunk of Gold seized the initiative to go wire-to-wire at Mountaineer. One race earlier, Dubai World Cup (G1) star Hit Show outdueled Not This Boy to repeat in the $200,000 West Virginia Governor’s S. 

West Virginia Derby (G3)

Trainer Ethan West’s decision to put blinkers on Chunk of Gold paid dividends in ways that may not have been anticipated. A bridesmaid on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, Terry Stephens’ colt played second fiddle in the Leonatus S. at Turfway Park and in the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds. Chunk of Gold was out of the exacta for the only time in his life when ninth in the Kentucky Derby (G1), and his seconditis resumed in the Ohio Derby (G3).

If the headgear promised to help Chunk of Gold focus in the West Virginia Derby, it sharpened him up to the point that he found himself playing an unfamiliar role – pacesetter. But the son of the recently deceased Preservationist took to it like an old pro with regular rider Jareth Loveberry. 

East Avenue was supposed to stride forward, but once the 4-5 shot dove down and broke crab-like to his left, the complexion of the entire race changed. His Godolphin connections and fans must have had nightmare flashbacks to the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), when he stumbled at the start and never recovered in ninth as the favorite. 

On Sunday, East Avenue reiterated that he’s a need-the-lead type, and his race was effectively over as soon as he was behind horses. Jockey Luis Saez tried to stoke him up, in vain, and he eventually floundered home in fifth.

Chunk of Gold did more than merely capitalize on a gift scenario. One length ahead while carving out splits of :24.17, :48.23, and 1:11.97, he imposed his will and opened up down the lane. The 2.40-1 second choice broke through with his first stakes victory by an emphatic 4 1/4 lengths.

“It was fantastic,” West said. “All the credit goes to Jareth. He rode a great race. We had hoped to be close early, so we added blinkers to get him to be more responsive. But after the start, Jareth basically walked the dog.”

“Winning this race means a lot,” Loveberry said. “I rode at Mountaineer from 2009 to 2014. I met Ethan (West) here, and we’ve known each other for 12 years. It’s also my birthday today, which makes it extra meaningful.

“He’s a very honest horse that tries every time. I was planning to be close early in the race, but when East Avenue didn’t make the lead, we took his spot.”

McAfee, who stalked in second early, was briefly outmoved by Just a Fair Shake, but he churned on again to reclaim the runner-up spot. Brotha Keny closed to snatch third from the tiring Just a Fair Shake. East Avenue faded to fifth, followed by Extradition and the tailed-off Gone Boy. Brereton’s Baytown, the 126-1 longest shot on the board, sustained a “severe injury,” according to the chart, and had to be vanned off in the ambulance. 

Chunk of Gold, who clocked 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.97, paid $6.80. His scorecard now stands at 7-2-4-0, $695,218.

The bargain-basement $2,500 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling was bred by the late Brereton C. Jones. Chunk of Gold’s full sister, Band of Gold, won last year’s Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn Park. Both were produced by the Cairo Prince mare Play for Gold, herself a half to multiple Grade 3 victor My Boy Jack.

Chunk of Gold’s pedigree thus bears the imprint of sires from Jones’s Airdrie Stud. Preservationist stood at the historic Bluegrass nursery until his export late last year to Korea, where he sadly succumbed to colic only a couple of weeks ago. 

West Virginia Governor’s S.

Wathnan Racing celebrated a transatlantic stakes double on Sunday, with an unlikely coupling of Deauville and Mountaineer. But the common theme across both venues was an all-out war to the wire. At Deauville, the Qatari outfit’s multiple Group 1-winning filly Fallen Angel bravely repelled January in the Prix Rothschild (G1). Hit Show displayed similar tenacity to wear down Not This Boy in the West Virginia Governor’s.

Trained by Brad Cox and piloted by Florent Geroux, Hit Show had raced only once since springing a surprise in the $12 million Dubai World Cup on April 5. The son of Candy Ride returned with an even fifth in the June 28 Stephen Foster (G1) behind Mindframe and Sierra Leone, who came back to win Saturday’s Whitney (G1). 

The combination of class relief and the second-off-the-layoff angle figured to put Hit Show back in the winner’s circle. Moreover, there was a historical precedent. Last summer, he used this race as a rebound spot, and the Governor’s proved congenial again here.

Yet Hit Show wasn’t favored. Bettors sided with Not This Boy, presumably as the controlling speed on the rail, and the 7-10 favorite almost made the gambit work. 

After setting fractions of :23.96 and :47.97, Not This Boy was confronted by Hit Show at the six-furlong mark in 1:12.32. Hit Show, the 7-5 second choice, began to assert, only to have Not This Boy gamely fight back. As the two grappled to the wire, Hit Show kept his head in front.

“He’s a tricky horse to ride, which makes it harder,” Geroux said. “He’s doesn’t draw away from horses, but I still thought I had (Not This Boy) measured.”

There was a 7 1/2-length gap back to Jokestar in third. Next came Heroic Move (last year’s runner-up), Cornishman, Ode to Balius, and Tatanka. The Wine Steward was scratched after just missing in Thursday’s John Morrissey S. at Saratoga.

Hit Show covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.63 to advance his record to 20-10-1-1, $8,559,858. On the 2023 Triple Crown trail, the gray captured the Withers (G3) while placing second in the Wood Memorial (G2), fifth in the Kentucky Derby, and a dead-heat fourth in the Belmont (G1). His victory in the 2024 Governor’s, then a Grade 3, propelled him to wins in the Lukas Classic (G2) and Fayette (G2). This term, he landed the Louisiana (G3) and finished third in the Santa Anita H. (G1) before stunning the world at Meydan.

Bred and originally raced by Gary and Mary West Stables, Hit Show is out of the Grade 2-winning Actress, a daughter of Tapit and Canadian champion Milwaukee Appeal.