West Virginia Governor’s Stakes Draws Competitive Group
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The $200,000 West Virginia Governor's Stakes on the West Virginia Derby undercard has drawn a competitive field of nine including Bracket Buster, who competed in Grade I stakes as a 3-year-old, and Neoequos, who competed in the 2025 Grade I Kentucky Derby.
The 1 1/16-mile Governor's Stakes is race seven on a nine-race program that begins at 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 9. The race was won the last two years by Hit Show, who won the Group I Dubai World Cup in between his two Mountaineer victories.
Bracket Buster, a 4-year-old Vekoma colt owned by BBN Racing and others, would make his first start of 2026 in the Governor's Stakes. Trained by Victoria Oliver, he won the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park and two starts later finished second in the Grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course last year.
Bracket Buster shows a series of consistent, steady workouts at Keeneland, and thus far in 11 starts, he has earned more than $792,000. John Velazquez who rode Bracket Buster in his maiden score at Keeneland in April 2024, is named to ride.
Neoequos, a 4-year-old Neolithic colt trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., finished third in the Grade I Florida Derby before his 13th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. Since then, he has competed in stakes going short or long, and his most recent victory was in the Sunshine Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park on grass in mid-January.
Micah Husbands is named to ride Neoquos, who is owned by C2 Racing Stable, Ian Parsard, Shining Stables, Stefania Farms, Ken Reimer, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch.
The consistent Warp Nine, a 5-year-old Hightail horse, ships in from Parx Racing in eastern Pennsylvania for trainer Harold Wyner. He hasn't finished worse than second in five 2026 starts, including two seconds in stakes at Laurel Park in Maryland.
Parx-based Frankie Pennington is scheduled to make the trip to ride Warp Nine, who has five wins, seven seconds and nine thirds in 28 starts for career earnings of $369,000.
Admission tickets for August 9 are required for attendance and are available online at the Mountaineer website, at the Mountaineer gift shop, or at the gate the day of the event. Doors open at 2 p.m., and there will be live entertainment from 2:30-4 p.m.