A long campaign that included competing in two-thirds of the Triple Crown did little to stop the momentum of Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking. Instead of being worn down from his rigorous race schedule, the hardy son of Exaggerator has continued to thrive.
A throwback type of horse that has now made 12 starts through the summer of his 3-year-old year, Skippylongstocking notched the first graded stakes win in the $500,000 West Virginia Derby (G3) Aug. 6 at Mountaineer Racetrack & Casino.
#7 Skippylongstocking wins the G3 West Virginia Derby!! @SaffieJosephJr
— FanDuel Racing (Formerly TVG) (@FanDuel_Racing) August 6, 2022
Off at 7/2 odds from a 5-1 morning line
Another @keenelandsales grad!! pic.twitter.com/tvHBNNirjt
Skippylongstocking was entering the 1 1/8-mile West Virginia Derby off arguably a career-best performance, coming in defeat, when outdueling We the People for the show spot in the June 11 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1). Those two colts would face off again, conducting a similar battle at the end of Saturday's race.
Favored We the People orchestrated the pace from the getgo under Ricardo Santana Jr., skipping through opening splits of :24.03 and :47.80 over a sloppy, sealed track. Jockey Edwin Gonzalez aboard Skippinglongstocking wasn't about to let the Constitution colt sidle away to another romp in the slop as he had done in the Peter Pan Stakes (G2) back in May, and the rider kept Skippylongstocking in close pursuit of the leader down the backstretch.
Holding onto his diminishing lead around the turn past six furlongs in 1:11.50, We the People was soon thwarted by Skippylongstocking with a quarter-mile to run. With Simplification , who had raced in third position for much of the race, unable to mount a meaningful bid, the West Virginia Derby proved a two-horse skirmish to the wire.
Skippylongstocking wore down a game We the People, driving clear by 1 1/2 lengths to stop the timer in 1:48.11.
We the People was another 4 3/4 lengths ahead of Simplification, who was making his first start since a sixth in the May 21 Preakness Stakes (G1).
Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Skippylongstocking ($9.80 ) celebrated a third win, improving his lifetime earnings to $672,600.
"This is huge," said Alonso, who was part of a large group in the winner's circle. "It's our first graded-stakes win, and we're looking forward, and we'll see what happens. Maybe we'll take a shot at the big boys."
Bred by Brushy Hill in Kentucky, Skippylongstocking was picked up for $37,000 by Alonso out of the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds-in-Training from the Top Line Sales consignment. A half brother to 2021 Lambholm Tampa Bay Derby (G3) show finisher Moonlite Strike, he is the second foal out of the War Chant mare Twinkling. His unraced 2-year-old sister, Olivia Twist, sold for $230,000 to G. Chris Coleman at this past spring's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company June 2-Year-Olds & Horses of Racing Age Sale.
Video: West Virginia Derby (G3)
Fulsome Becomes Millionaire in taking West Virginia Governor's Stakes
One race earlier on the card, Juddmonte's homebred Fulsome joined the millionaire's club with his gritty victory in the $200,000 West Virginia Governor's Stakes (G3).
It took only 1:43.48 to see why the 4-year-old son of Into Mischief was slammed down to 3-5 at the betting windows. Tucked in between horses behind fractions of :24.05, :47.62, and 1:11.49, jockey Paco Lopez pivoted Fulsome into the clear turning for home, and he swept by the leaders by midstretch. Under steady encouragement, Fulsome barrelled to the finish by 1 1/4 lengths over a stubborn Derby House.
"Paco rode a good race," said Cox assistant Ricky Giannini, who usually handles the duties on West Virginia Derby day. "He didn't have him too far back even though the horse likes to drop back early. Sometimes when he gets clear he loses focus, but Paco said he didn't. He's just a notch below the grade 1-type of horses, but he's very honest and consistent."
Silver Prospector, who had appeared to pose a challenge to Fulsome around the final turn, flattened out to be third.
Fulsome, twice a graded stakes winner last year as a sophomore in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) and Smarty Jones Stakes (G3), is 3-for-4 for the year, his only blemish coming in an off-the-board finish in the Alysheba Stakes presented by Sentient Jet (G2).
Hailing from the family of Juddmonte stars Sightseek, Tates Creek, Expert Eye, and Special Duty, Fulsome is produced from the winning Distorted Humor mare Flourish. The dam of five winners from eight foals to race, Flourish has also produced the graded stakes-placed Mr. Darcy and stakes-placed Citrus Burst.
Video: West Virginia Governor's S. (G3)
