It’s West Virginia Derby Sunday at Mountaineer and Xpressbet and 1/ST BET are back with the popular Money-Back Special promotion. Bet your horse to win in either of the stakes races of the card and get your cash back, up to $10, if your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd.

The action at Mountaineer gets underway at 5:00PM ET and the stakes races go as the 7th and 8th on the card, starting at 7:40PM ET.

Let’s take a look:


Race 7 (7:40PM ET) // Grade 3 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes

Hard to argue with anyone who would consider this a two-horse race, with #1 EXTRA ANEJO (5/2) and #8 HIT SHOW (2/1) expected to take the majority of money from bettors. #4 KOMOREBINO OMOIDE (3/1) and #2 HEROIC MOVE (7/2) are short prices on the morning line for Robertino Diodoro, but how will the public perceive them alongside prestige horses from two of America’s premier barns? My expectation is that HIT SHOW will go favored, and probably or good reason. He was 4th in last year’s Belmont, 5th in the KY Derby and, perhaps most importantly, he’s a perfect 2-for-2 using Lasix, and he gets the bleeding medication today. He figures to get a great setup and is the one to beat. From a Money-Back Special perspective, let’s take a shot with one of the Diodoro horses. I’ll give a slight nod to HEROIC MOVE, who has hit the board in 4-fo-6 tries at this distance.

Likeliest Winner: #8 HIT SHOW (2/1)
Money-Back Special Horse: #2 HEROIC MOVE (7/2)


Race 8 (8:15PM ET) // Grade 3 West Virginia Derby

I wouldn’t be shocked by a Brad Cox ‘sweep’ of the Governor’s and Derby, as he sends out the likely favorite in both races. His #3 DRAGOON GUARD (9/5) is a perfect 3-for-3 this year, and ran away from a solid field in the G3 Indiana Derby last out. He projects a favorable trip and will be difficult to beat over a track that traditionally favors speed horses. If he is to falter, #8 SOCIETY MAN (9/2) and #9 HENRO (3/1) project as the likeliest upsetters. HENRO successfully stretched his speed around two turns in the Iowa Derby where he knocked off another regarded Brad Cox horse, JUST A TOUCH. They’ll have to use his speed early from the outside draw. SOCIETY MAN is a deep closer who won the Grade 3 Matt Winn at Churchill, was runner-up in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial (at 106/1 odds) and put in an OK effort in the Kentucky Derby from an impossible draw. He will get this distance and should be moving well down the lane.

Likeliest Winner: #3 DRAGOON GUARD (9/5)
Money-Back Special Horse: #8 SOCIETY MAN (9/2)

For another take on the West Virginia Derby, check out Jeremy Plonk’s ‘Race of the Week’ $100 Wagering Strategy, where he has identified a potential longshot from a barn that has won this race a record six times already.

Good luck!