Ellis Park Derby Day and West Virginia Derby: Sunday Betting Guide
Sunday, August 9 stacks two of the summer's richest three year old dirt races on top of each other. Ellis Park runs its six stakes Derby Day card in Henderson, Kentucky, headlined by Bob Baffert's returning Robert B. Lewis winner Plutarch in the $400,000 Ellis Park Derby. A few hundred miles east, Mountaineer runs its own $400,000 West Virginia Derby along with the $200,000 West Virginia Governor's Stakes. Between the two cards we're looking at fourteen stakes races and well over a million and a half dollars in purses. Here's how we're betting all of it.
Plutarch Headlines A Loaded Ellis Park Derby Field
The $400,000 Ellis Park Derby presented by Hallway Feeds goes as Race 7 at 2:42 p.m. and it's the clear marquee event of the Ellis Park card. Plutarch makes his first start in six months for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, and he arrives on the back of a three quarter length win in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita in early February. Florent Geroux keeps the mount and breaks from post 5 as the 2/1 morning line favorite.
Plutarch isn't walking into a soft spot. Dallas Stewart's Corona de Oro enters off a sharp allowance win and sits second choice at 7/2 from post 1. Brendan Walsh's Stop the Car, third in the Pat Day Mile (G2), is close behind at 5/2. Rick Dutrow's Igniter, winner of the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes, rounds out the top of the market at 3/1. Randy Morse saddles two live longshots in Seventies Music at 15/1 and Spun D M C at 8/1, both multiple stakes placed.
The six horse field is tightly bunched on paper, and with Plutarch fresh off a layoff we like using him underneath rather than alone on top. Corona de Oro's recent form and rail draw make him the play to beat the favorite.
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corona de Oro | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Dallas Stewart | 7/2 |
| 2 | Seventies Music | Rafael Bejarano | Randy Morse | 15/1 |
| 3 | Stop the Car | Ben Curtis | Brendan Walsh | 5/2 |
| 4 | Igniter | Luis Saez | Rick Dutrow Jr. | 3/1 |
| 5 | Plutarch | Florent Geroux | Bob Baffert | 2/1 |
| 6 | Spun D M C | Francisco Arrieta | Randy Morse | 8/1 |
Cash Call Leads A Deep Groupie Doll Field
The one mile Groupie Doll (Listed) runs as Race 5 at 1:44 p.m. and drew seven fillies and mares. Bob Baffert's Cash Call, a Summer Oaks (G3) winner last year at Santa Anita who invaded Kentucky in May, sits as the 9/5 favorite with Geroux aboard from post 2. Rodolphe Brisset's Queen Azteca, runner up in the Iowa Distaff, is the second choice at 7/2.
John Servis sends out Five a Side, a three time winner cross entered off a runner up finish in her last start, at 3/1. Ron Moquett's In Just My Heels, a six time winner, rounds out the second tier at 5/1. Cash Call's class edge is real, but she's coming out of California into a new circuit, which is worth weighing against the price.
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queen Azteca | Cristian Torres | Rodolphe Brisset | 7/2 |
| 2 | Cash Call | Florent Geroux | Bob Baffert | 9/5 |
| 3 | In Just My Heels | Yedsit Hazlewood | Ron Moquett | 5/1 |
| 4 | Floating Beauty | Edgar Morales | Lonnie Briley | 8/1 |
| 5 | Five a Side | Jaime Torres | John Servis | 3/1 |
| 6 | Union Mist | Ben Curtis | Brendan Walsh | 10/1 |
| 7 | Chilled | Mario Gutierrez | Vicki Oliver | 20/1 |
Salahudin And Manuka Honey Test Stakes Company
Ellis Park Juvenile (Race 4, 1:16 p.m.)
Baffert's debut winner Salahudin, victorious at Ellis Park a month ago in his own trainer's first ever start at the track, is the 2/1 favorite in the seven furlong Ellis Park Juvenile presented by Claiborne Farm. Steve Asmussen's Grand Yaupon, a Saratoga maiden special weight winner, is next at 5/2. Carlos David's Never a Doubt is 4/1 off a debut win, and Eddie Kenneally's Sargent Bilko sits at 9/2.
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tigrado | Orlando Bocachica | Michel Douaihy | 20/1 |
| 2 | Sargent Bilko | Ben Curtis | Eddie Kenneally | 9/2 |
| 3 | Chasing the Son | Santo Sanjur | Rey Hernandez | 12/1 |
| 4 | Grand Yaupon | Keith Asmussen | Steve Asmussen | 5/2 |
| 5 | Beararmour | James Graham | Keith Desormeaux | 6/1 |
| 6 | Salahudin | Florent Geroux | Bob Baffert | 2/1 |
| 7 | Never a Doubt | Jaime Torres | Carlos David | 4/1 |
Ellis Park Debutante (Race 6, 2:12 p.m.)
Brian Lynch's Manuka Honey, a dominant seven and a quarter length debut winner at Churchill Downs, is the 9/5 favorite in the $250,000 Ellis Park Debutante presented by Hausmann Outdoor Solutions. John Ennis's undefeated Glory Run, unbeaten through two starts including a Horseshoe Indianapolis maiden win, is next at 3/1. Steve Asmussen's Cardio Cat rounds out the top tier at 7/2.
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardio Cat | Erik Asmussen | Steve Asmussen | 7/2 |
| 2 | Velvet Beretta | Francisco Arrieta | Michel Douaihy | 12/1 |
| 3 | For the Win | Axel Concepcion | George Weaver | 10/1 |
| 4 | Sweet Mary | Jaime Torres | Carlos Santamaria | 15/1 |
| 5 | Greatest Joy | Adam Beschizza | Kevin Rice | 15/1 |
| 6 | Manuka Honey | Luis Saez | Brian Lynch | 9/5 |
| 7 | Caffeine Fix | Cristian Torres | Rodolphe Brisset | 6/1 |
| 8 | Glory Run | Alex Achard | John Ennis | 3/1 |
Owen Almighty Returns For Cowboy Jones, A Fine Chardonnay Leads Audubon Oaks
Ellis Park Audubon Oaks (Race 8, 3:12 p.m.)
The $200,000 R.A. Cowboy Jones Stakes runs as Race 9 at 3:42 p.m. over a mile. Brian Lynch's Owen Almighty, the 2024 Ellis Park Juvenile winner coming off a near miss in the Hanshin Stakes (G3), is the 3/1 second choice with Luis Saez back aboard from post 2. Robertino Diodoro's Heroic Move tops the morning line at 9/2, while local hope Coal Battle, fourth in the Hanshin for trainer Lonnie Briley, sits at 7/2 from the outside post.
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heroic Move | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Robertino Diodoro | 9/2 |
| 2 | Owen Almighty | Luis Saez | Brian Lynch | 3/1 |
| 3 | Money Supply | Ben Curtis | Joe Sharp | 20/1 |
| 4 | Extra Anejo | Florent Geroux | Steve Asmussen | 4/1 |
| 5 | Tennessee Lamb | Jaime Torres | Rusty Arnold II | 20/1 |
| 6 | This Is Uscar | Edgar Morales | Jordan Blair | 5/1 |
| 7 | Bracket Buster | Axel Concepcion | Vicki Oliver | 6/1 |
| 8 | Coal Battle | Cristian Torres | Lonnie Briley | 7/2 |
R.A. "Cowboy" Jones Stakes (Race 9, 3:42 p.m.)
Over in the $200,000 Audubon Oaks, Race 8 at 3:12 p.m., Ian Wilkes trains graded stakes winner A Fine Chardonnay, who took the Beaumont (G2) at Keeneland before a pair of minor placings. She's 4/1 from post 8. Whit Beckman's Percy's Bar, a G1 winner cross entered in Saturday's Test Stakes at Saratoga, tops the morning line at 5/2, and Brian Lynch's graded placed Betty's Pearl is 7/2.
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Altadena | William Antongeorgi III | Doug O'Neill | 30/1 |
| 2 | Betty's Pearl | Mario Gutierrez | Brian Lynch | 7/2 |
| 3 | Conceit | Florent Geroux | Brad Cox | 6/1 |
| 4 | Bet the Gray | Francisco Arrieta | Matt Williams | 30/1 |
| 5 | Percy's Bar | Luan Machado | Ben Colebrook | 5/2 |
| 6 | Carmel Coast | Luis Saez | Whit Beckman | 6/1 |
| 7 | Kingsolver | Cristian Torres | Rodolphe Brisset | 20/1 |
| 8 | A Fine Chardonnay | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Ian Wilkes | 4/1 |
| 9 | Twirling Aces | Ben Curtis | Brendan Walsh | 9/2 |
J J Grey Tops West Virginia Derby Card At Mountaineer
West Virginia Derby (Race 8, 7:55 p.m.)
Mountaineer's $400,000 West Virginia Derby runs over a mile and an eighth, and it drew an evenly matched field of eight. Kenny McPeek's J J Grey is the 2/1 favorite with Emmanuel Esquivel aboard from post 4. Ben Colebrook's Trendsetter, with Kazushi Kimura riding, is close behind at 5/2.
Steve Asmussen, who holds the West Virginia Derby record with six career wins in the race, saddles Maximum Effort at 9/2. The Maxfield colt is still a maiden but comes in off back to back third place finishes in the Iowa Derby and Texas Derby, and Ramon Vazquez takes the return mount. Saffie Joseph's Bull by the Horns is 7/1, and Amador Sanchez's Wayne's Law rounds out the second tier at 8/1.
Asmussen's West Virginia Derby record is hard to ignore even with a maiden in the field. We like Maximum Effort to improve third time in stakes company, with J J Grey and Trendsetter the ones to beat up top.
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nehalem | Kevin Gonzalez | Terry Vaughn | 50/1 |
| 2 | Baytown Dreamer | Deshawn L. Parker | Paul McEntee | 15/1 |
| 3 | Trendsetter | Kazushi Kimura | Ben Colebrook | 5/2 |
| 4 | J J Grey | Emmanuel Esquivel | Kenneth McPeek | 2/1 |
| 5 | Zihnal | John Velazquez | Jonathan Thomas | 6/1 |
| 6 | Maximum Effort | Ramon Vazquez | Steve Asmussen | 9/2 |
| 7 | Wayne's Law | Diego Herrera | Amador Sanchez | 8/1 |
| 8 | Bull by the Horns | Micah Husbands | Saffie Joseph Jr. | 7/1 |
West Virginia Governor's Stakes (Race 7, 7:30 p.m.)
The $200,000 West Virginia Governor's Stakes precedes the Derby over a mile and a sixteenth. Saffie Joseph's Neoequos is the 3/1 favorite, with Victoria Oliver's Bracket Buster, ridden by John Velazquez, close behind at 5/2. Steve Asmussen's Hall of Fame is 5/1.
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neoequos | Micah Husbands | Saffie Joseph Jr. | 3/1 |
| 2 | Bracket Buster | John Velazquez | Victoria Oliver | 5/2 |
| 3 | Play It Loud | Sunday Diaz Jr. | Cynthia McKee | 10/1 |
| 4 | Mogul (CHI) | Diego Herrera | Amador Sanchez | 15/1 |
| 5 | Capo Luca | Luis Antonio Gonzalez | Kim Puhl | 20/1 |
| 6 | Hall of Fame | Emmanuel Esquivel | Steve Asmussen | 5/1 |
| 7 | Warp Nine | Frankie Pennington | Harold Wyner | 8/1 |
| 8 | Itsmybirthday | Ramon Vazquez | Robertino Diodoro | 6/1 |
| 9 | Chiron | Jose Bracho | Richard Estvanko | 12/1 |
How We're Betting Sunday's Cards
With the Ellis Park Derby Day Pick 5 running through Races 4 to 8, the smart approach is spreading in the two year old stakes early and narrowing down by the Derby itself. Salahudin and Manuka Honey both look like the safer single digit prices to build around in the Juvenile and Debutante, which frees up bankroll to use Corona de Oro and Stop the Car underneath Plutarch in the finale.
At Mountaineer, the Governor's Stakes into the Derby as a double gives a clean way to combine Neoequos or Bracket Buster with J J Grey, Trendsetter, and Maximum Effort. Given the West Virginia Derby field is eight deep and fairly bunched at the top of the market, we'd rather build a modest exacta box around the top four than lean on a single win bet.
Ready To Bet Sunday's Racing?
Fourteen stakes races, two states, and a returning Baffert star headline the middle Sunday of August. Whether you're building around Plutarch's class or backing Asmussen's record in the West Virginia Derby, there's plenty to work with on both cards.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
Frequently Asked Questions
The $400,000 Ellis Park Derby runs as Race 7 on Sunday, August 9, with a scheduled post time of 2:42 p.m. ET. It's the seventh race on a ten race Ellis Park card that includes six stakes total.
Bob Baffert's Plutarch is the 2/1 morning line favorite. He returns from a six month layoff off a three quarter length win in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita, with Florent Geroux back in the saddle from post 5.
The $400,000 West Virginia Derby runs as Race 8 at Mountaineer on Sunday, August 9, with a scheduled post time of 7:55 p.m. ET, right after the West Virginia Governor's Stakes.
Kenny McPeek's J J Grey is the 2/1 morning line favorite with Emmanuel Esquivel riding from post 4. Ben Colebrook's Trendsetter is next at 5/2, and Steve Asmussen's still maiden Maximum Effort is 9/2 off back to back third place finishes in the Iowa Derby and Texas Derby.
Ellis Park also runs the Groupie Doll, Ellis Park Juvenile, Ellis Park Debutante, Audubon Oaks, and R.A. Cowboy Jones Stakes. Mountaineer pairs the West Virginia Derby with the West Virginia Governor's Stakes, giving bettors fourteen stakes races combined across the two tracks.
