Horse Racing Capsules: Concord Point early favorite at W.Va. Derby
CHESTER, W.Va. (AP) — Concord Point is the morning-line favorite for Saturday's $750,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort.
Race officials said Tuesday nine horses are entered for the Grade 2 Derby, led by the Bob Baffert-trained Concord Point at 8-5 odds.
Martin Garcia, who rode Lookin at Lucky to wins in the Preakness and Haskell Invitational, will be aboard Concord Point.
Next is Exhi at 7-2 odds. Exhi won races at Turfway Park in March and the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland in April.
Other horses in the 1 1/8-mile race are Thiskyhasnolimit, Skipshot, Nacho Friend, Not Abroad, Gunfighter, Shookstown and Toh's Grey Cat.
Eskendereya to stand at Taylor Made in Ky.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Retired 3-year-old star racehorse Eskendereya will stand next year at Taylor Made Stallions in Nicholasville.
Farm owner Duncan Taylor says he is the most talented racehorse to go to stud in years.
The son of Giant's Causeway won the Wood Memorial Stakes by 9 3/4 lengths and the Fountain of Youth Stakes by 8 1/2. He was one of the presumed favorites for the Kentucky Derby but was pulled six days before the Run for the Roses due to swelling in the injured leg. That injury ultimately forced him to retire from racing.
Ahmed Zayat sold his share of the horse to winemaker Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stables for an undisclosed price. They made the announcement about his stallion career Monday in a joint news release.
