WV Derby

Carolyn Sue Bruder and Delmar Daubs' BRIGHT ONE (Dance Brightly) outran his

relative inexperience to take Sunday's $750,000

West

Virginia Derby (G3) at Mountaineer Park by 5 3/4 easy lengths under Mark

Guidry. The chestnut colt grabbed the lead from his rail post and was never

headed through splits of :23 3/5, :47, 1:11 3/5 and 1:37 2/5. The Dale Romans

trainee raced in the middle of the track down the stretch to finish 1 1/8 miles

on the fast dirt in 1:50 as the even-money favorite.

Bright One paid out $4, $3.40 and $3.20 while keying the $63.60 perfecta and

the $455.60 trifecta (2-6-11). Cielo Gold (Conquistador Cielo) ran in last of

the 10-horse field through the first quarter before gradually making up ground

and putting in a game rally to take second by 3 1/4 lengths over More

Than Regal (More Than Ready). Sent off at 23-1, Cielo Gold gave back $13.20 and

$6 while show was worth $4.60 at 11-1.

It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Ah Day (Malibu Moon) in fourth, who was

followed by Luxembourg (Wild Rush), Wanna Runner (El Corredor), Circle the World

(Fusaichi Pegasus), Regent Spirit (Concerto), High Blues (High Yield) and

Crocodile Tears (Saint Ballado). Flashy Bull (Holy Bull) and High Finance (Talk

Is Money) were both scratched.

Bright One began his career in late May, running second in a Churchill Downs

maiden special weight by a half-length, then returning to take his first race in

a similar affair at Churchill by an easy 9 1/2 lengths. The key seemed to be

distance, as the sophomore stretched out to a mile from six furlongs, and he

stayed at that eight-furlong distance when taking the Forestry H. by 7 1/4

lengths prior to this one. With Saturday's winner's share, he increased his

earnings to $535,554 from a 4-3-1-0 line.

Bred in Kentucky by Mike Bruder, Bright One is the third registered foal out

of the winning Twinkle (Lively One), who has also produced an unraced juvenile

filly named Susies Gal (Alphabet Soup) and an unnamed 2006 colt by Gold Case.