West Virginia Governor's Stakes
Horse race
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The West Virginia Governor's Stakes is a Listed American thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and older over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt held annually in August at Mountaineer Race Track in Chester, West Virginia. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.
Chester, West Virginia, United States
| Class | Listed |
|---|---|
| Location | Mountaineer Racetrack Chester, West Virginia, United States |
| Inaugurated | 1995 (as West Virginia Governor's Cup Handicap) |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | Mountaineer Park |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1+1⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs) |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-years-old and older |
| Weight | Base weights with allowances: 4-year-olds and up: 124 lbs. 3-year-olds: 122 lbs. |
| Purse | $200,000 |
History
The inaugural running of the event was on 8 September 1995 as the first race on a nine race program on the West Virginia Breeders Classic Stakes Day.[1] The event was run as the West Virginia Governor's Cup Handicap over a five furlong distance.[2]
The event was not held in 1996.[3] In 1997 the event was run as the West Virginia Governor's Handicap over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles and was the main event of the day's racing card.[4]
In 2005 the conditions of the event were changed from handicap to stakes allowance and the name of the event was modified to the West Virginia Governor's Stakes.[5]
In 2007 the event was won by the eight-year-old M B Sea for the second time.[3] Both of the victories by M B Sea were by seven lengths which stood as the margin record until Shadowbdancing won by eight lengths in 2009.[6]
Joan & Ron Winchell, who race as Winchell Thoroughbreds, won this race in 2012 with Tapizar and went on to win the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in the fall.[7]
In 2015, the race saw a major upset when longshot Looks To Spare won under jockey Deshawn Parker. A perennial Mountaineer Racetrack champion and its all-time winningest jockey, when Parker rides it is near automatic that the fans will heavily back him. However, Looks To Spare was considered such an unlikely winner that he was allowed to go off at odds of 74–1. He paid $150.60 to win on a $2 ticket.[8]
The race has grown in stature over the years and in 2018 the race was upgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to Grade 3 status.[9]
In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Mountaineer Park canceled the event.[10]
In 2025 the event was downgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to Listed status.[11]
Records
Speed record:
- 1+1⁄16 miles - 1:41.15 Be Like Mike (2003)
Margins:
- 8 lengths - Shadowbdancing (2009)
Most wins:
- 2 - M B Sea (2005, 2007)
Most wins by a jockey:
- 3 - Florent Geroux (2018, 2024, 2025)
Most wins by a trainer:
- 5 - Brad H. Cox (2014, 2018, 2022, 2024, 2025)
Most wins by an owner:
- 2 - Michael J. Bruder (2005, 2007)
- 2 - Winchell Thoroughbreds (2008, 2012)
- 2 - Gary & Mary West (2024, 2025)
Winners
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia Governor's Stakes | ||||||||||
| 2025 | Hit Show | 5 | Florent Geroux | Brad H. Cox | Gary & Mary West | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.63 | $200,000 | III | [12] |
| 2024 | Hit Show | 4 | Florent Geroux | Brad H. Cox | Gary & Mary West | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.65 | $200,000 | III | [13] |
| 2023 | Duke of Love | 4 | Luis Contreras | Josie Carroll | MyRacehorse | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.39 | $200,000 | III | [14] |
| 2022 | Fulsome | 4 | Paco Lopez | Brad H. Cox | Juddmonte | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.48 | $200,000 | III | [15] |
| 2021 | Sprawl | 4 | Joseph Talamo | Thomas Drury Jr. | Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.95 | $200,000 | III | [16] |
| 2020 | Race not held | |||||||||
| 2019 | Silver Dust | 5 | Jack Gilligan | W. Bret Calhoun | Tom R. Durant | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.85 | $200,000 | III | [17] |
| 2018 | Leofric | 5 | Florent Geroux | Brad H. Cox | Steve Landers Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.72 | $200,000 | III | [18] |
| 2017 | Fear the Cowboy | 5 | Jesus M. Rios | Efren Loza Jr. | Kathleen Amaya & Raffaele Centofanti | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.62 | $200,000 | Listed | [19] |
| 2016 | Hawaakom | 6 | Miguel Mena | Stephan H. Smoot | Stephan H. Smoot & Wesley E. Hawley | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.64 | $200,000 | Listed | [20] |
| 2015 | Looks to Spare | 5 | Deshawn L. Parker | Otabek Umarov | O'zbekiston Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.55 | $200,000 | Listed | [21] |
| 2014 | Carve | 4 | Jesus Lopez Castanon | Brad H. Cox | Mike Langford | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.44 | $200,000 | Listed | [22] |
| 2013 | Taptowne | 5 | Calvin H. Borel | Tim Glyshaw | Clovertowne Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.90 | $200,000 | Listed | [23] |
| 2012 | Tapizar | 4 | Corey Nakatani | Steven M. Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.57 | $200,000 | Listed | [24] |
| 2011 | Modern Cowboy | 4 | Rafael Bejarano | Todd A. Pletcher | Green Hills Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.40 | $125,000 | Listed | [25] |
| 2010 | Demarcation | 6 | Joel Rosario | Paul J. McGee | American Racing Stables | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.37 | $125,000 | Listed | [26] |
| 2009 | Shadowbdancing | 4 | Randall A. Meier | Terrel Gore | RNB Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.10 | $125,000 | Listed | [6] |
| 2008 | Zanjero | 4 | Shaun Bridgmohan | Steven M. Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.65 | $125,000 | Listed | [27] |
| 2007 | M B Sea | 8 | Rex A. Stokes III | Dale L. Romans | Michael J. Bruder | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.96 | $125,000 | Listed | [28] |
| 2006 | Cherokee's Boy | 6 | Travis L. Dunkelberger | Gary Capuano | Z W P Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.72 | $125,000 | Listed | [29] |
| 2005 | M B Sea | 6 | Mark Guidry | Dale L. Romans | Michael J. Bruder | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.82 | $125,000 | Listed | [30] |
| West Virginia Governor's Handicap | ||||||||||
| 2004 | Wiggins | 4 | Rafael Bejarano | Anthony J. Granitz | William Pacella, Joseph Rizza & Ronald Schwed | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.37 | $100,000 | Listed | [31] |
| 2003 | Be Like Mike | 4 | Jorge F. Chavez | Niall M. O'Callaghan | G-3 Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.15 | $102,825 | Listed | [32] |
| 2002 | Docent | 4 | Jeremy Rose | Timothy F. Ritchey | Arlene Daney | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.24 | $88,500 | Listed | [33] |
| 2001 | Winning Connection | 5 | Damon Leeds | Joe Woodard | Billy Hays | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.94 | $57,750 | Listed | [34] |
| 2000 | Shock Value | 5 | Rick Wilson | Daniel J. Lopez | Daniel J. Lopez & Theodore Shapiro | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.64 | $52,650 | Listed | [35] |
| 1999 | True Silver | 4 | Jeffrey Scott Lloyd | Donald P. Saville | Heavenly Acres Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.64 | $37,450 | Listed | [36] |
| 1998 | Xclusive Imp | 4 | Mary Elizabeth Doser | John R. Semer | Elaine M. Gross | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.44 | $37,275 | [37] | |
| 1997 | Regal Rahy | 4 | Michael F. Rowland | Charles A. Tatonetti | Preferred Picks Racing Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.62 | $27,000 | [38] | |
| 1996 | Race not held | |||||||||
| West Virginia Governor's Cup Handicap | ||||||||||
| 1995 | I'm No Square | 6 | John A. Perez Jr. | Louis P. Gallo | Louis P. Gallo | 5 furlongs | 0:58.65 | $11,725 | [2] | |