Picture: Climber / Abby Brown / Cody Media
A lump of gold I by no means confronted a problem from Grade 3 East Avenue on a Sunday evening $400,000 West Virginia Derby.
When the odds-on favorite shuffled from the gate and headed inwards to the climbers, it left solely a lump of gold on a easy lead that introduced a 4-1/4-long victory in a two-turn, 1-1/8-mile race.
Click on right here for mountaineers’ entries and outcomes.
With the addition of the blinker by coach Ethan West, the gold chunks (2-1) targeted on jockey Jareth Loveberry. After a pointy begin from the submit 4 on the eight-year-old subject, the conservative colt reached a victory time of 1:50.97 on the quick foremost observe by clicking on the fractions of 24.17, 48.23, 1:11.97, and 1:37.32.
?? #4 Chunk of Gold ($6.80) is wire-to-wire within the $400,000 West Virginia Derby (G3) @mtrgaming. The three-year-old Colt honors his late Sire Preservationist and picks up his first grade victory for his coach @ewest592 and @jareth16 With irons. pic.twitter.com/jtyervegvo
– Fanduel Racing (@fanduel_racing) August 4, 2025
McAfee (3-1) stalked second earlier than giving method to a good shake shifting on to the ultimate flip. Nonetheless, McAfee met in a deep stretch and completed second within the end. Brotha Keny (11-1) went from sixth to third place. Simply as Fairshake (27-1) missed the board along with his nostril and settled in fourth.
East Avenue (4-5) was no higher than the fourth at any level within the race. Gone Boy (70-1) got here in sixth place, and handover (71-1) got here in seventh place.
Breton’s Baytown (126-1) spans the entire, and in line with Equibaze Chart, “he was significantly injured previous the eighth pole, absorbing equestrianship (by Yocky Marshall Mendes) and left within the horse’s ambulance.”
“He was transferred to the meals stall and was comfortably resting on his medication,” veterinarian Dr. Lori Bohenko stated in a textual content message. She didn’t present particulars of the damage and launched additional inquiries to coach and lead proprietor Paul Mante, who was unable to achieve Sunday evening.
The gold chunks paid $6.80, $3.80 and $4.00. McAfee $4.80 and $4.40. Brotha Keny $7.40.
Chunk of Gold, owned by Terry Stephens, carried out second within the Ohio Derby (G3) on June twenty first at Thistledown. He additionally completed second in three stakes races earlier than ending ninth within the Kentucky Derby. This was his first dust victory. He defeated Maiden in his composite truck debut at Turfway Park in December.
Chunk of Gold was $2,500 on the Fasig-Tipton Yearling sale in October 2023, not the Gold from the Chiro Prince Prince Philly Play.
