WV Derby

The $750,000 West Virginia Derby (G3) highlights an all-stakes card at

Mountaineer Park on Sunday, and the nine-furlong race for three-year-olds is

extremely competitive.

Trainer Dale Romans has compared BRIGHT ONE (Dance Brightly) to 2005 Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1)

winner Roses in May, and the chestnut colt has displayed similar early form.

Bright One stalked the early pace before finishing a close second in his debut,

then returned to destroy a field of maidens by 9 1/2 lengths, running one mile

in an eye-popping 1:33 4/5 at Churchill Downs. He earned a BRIS Late Pace rating

of 100 and a Speed rating of 103 for that effort. In his most recent start,

Bright One dueled for the early lead while in hand before drawing off to a 7

1/4-length victory in the Forestry H. That day, he completed a mile

under the Twin Spires in 1:35 2/5, good for a 98 Speed figure. Bright

One has excellent early speed and is well drawn on the rail for a

ground-saving trip around the first turn. If the hype is correct, he should be the one to beat.

LUXEMBOURG (Wild Rush) won his first two starts of the season before setting

the early pace and finishing third as the odds-on favorite to subsequent

Preakness S. (G1) winner Bernardini (A.P. Indy) in the Withers S. (G3). The

Richard Dutrow trainee comes off a good second-place effort to Fabulous Strike

(Smart Strike) in the six-furlong Ziggy's Boy S. at Belmont Park and will likely

be forwardly placed here. He is an attractive sleeper at 8-1 on the morning line

under new rider Robby Albarado.

CIELO GOLD (Conquistador Cielo) has been finishing well going two turns at

Churchill Downs and rates our longshot special. The Hal Wiggins trainee closed

ground in the paceless Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup S. (G3) to be fifth and then rallied from well

back to defeat second-level allowance foes going 1 1/16 miles last out. This

race will likely have a strong early pace and he could come running late for a

share at large odds.

MORE THAN REGAL (More Than Ready) stalked from the inside, angled out, then

drove to a half-length victory in the Iowa Derby in his last start

after finishing on the fringes in a trio of black-type events on both turf and

dirt. The improving dark bay will have to work out a trip from the far outside

post position, but this race could set up for his off-the-place running style and

he is a threat to light the board at square odds. CIRCLE THE WORLD (Fusaichi Pegasus),

a half-brother to undefeated Bashford Manor S. (G3) winner Circular Quay

(Thunder Gulch), has excellent early speed and is well drawn near the inside.

After winning his first two starts in near front-running fashion, the Todd

Pletcher trainee finished an even fourth as the favorite to the one above in the

Iowa Derby. Our concern is that he could be overbet in this spot.

FLASHY BULL (Holy Bull), who finished a close third in the Ohio Derby (G2) last

out, is also entered in Sunday's $1 million Haskell

Invitational H. (G1) at Monmouth Park. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has been going

back and forth between the two races, but seemed to be leaning toward running

Flashy Bull here. If so, the gray could continue his trend of earning part of

the purse. HIGH FINANCE (Talk Is Money), who, like Flashy Bull, is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds

and will run coupled with that one, dueled for the early lead before fading to

10th in the Belmont S. (G1). Before that, the speedy chestnut won two straight

after placing behind Showing Up (Strategic Mission) and Bernardini at Gulfstream

Park. High Finance should be in the early mix and can't be completely dismissed.

The Bob Baffert-trained WANNA RUNNER (El Corredor), the 3-1 morning-line

favorite, won the WinStar Derby and Lone Star Derby (G3) by daylight margins,

then was in the early running before stopping badly as the favorite in the

Queen's Plate. He has worked well since but has the look of a vulnerable

underlay. Three-time stakes winner AH DAY (Malibu Moon) is a consistent,

seasoned stalker who could rally for a minor award. The King Leatherbury charge

exits a decent runner-up effort in the Leonard Richards S. (G3) and is worth a

second look at a price.

The well-bred REGENT SPIRIT (Concerto) finished a distant, non-threatening

fourth in the Dwyer S. (G2) and would need significant

improvement to factor here. On the other hand, he is trained by Nick Zito, so a surprise

is possible. HIGH BLUES (High Yield) ran a decent third in the Round Table S. at

Arlington Park but would appear to be in tough with these.

CROCODILE TEARS (Saint Ballado), a winner of his last three starts who was

haltered for $30,000 at Churchill Downs, likely is the only horse in the field

that can be ruled out based on traditional handicapping methods.