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Sunday, August 04, 2002

The $600,000 West Virginia Derby is shaping up as more than worthy of its newly enlarged purse and its elevation to Grade III status.

The draw for post positions is Thursday.

Among the 38 nominees to the 1 1/8-mile race at Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort today are the winners of the Arkansas, Iowa and Lone Star Derbies, as well as the champions of the Rebel and Dwyer stakes.

Arkansas Derby winner Private Emblem; Rebel Stakes winner Windward Passage and Iowa Derby winner Easyfromthegitgo all hail from the stable of trainer Steve Asmussen. That gives him a tough hand whether he enters one, two or all three. Easyfromthegitgo and Private Emblem both are owned by James Cassels and Robert Zollars, while Windward Passage runs in the colors of Team Valor.

Wiseman's Ferry, Lone Star Derby winner and runner-up in the Grade 2 Ohio Derby, is trained by Churchill Downs-based Niall O'Callaghan, who frequently ships horses to race at Mountaineer.

Nick Zito has nominated three horses, including Nothing Flat, who recently finished second in the Dwyer Stakes, a Grade 2 race at Belmont Park.

Nominated by trainer Patrick Byrne was Pass Rush, runner-up in both the Iowa Derby and the Round Table Stakes at Arlington Park.

Ross' driving triumph

Super car dealer Kenny Ross said watching his horse Chipmate go to the Hambletonian yesterday eclipsed what had been his greatest moment in harness racing to date: Driving Crane Hanover as an amateur to a second-place finish behind the great Lindys Pride in the 1969 Dexter Cup.

Lindys Pride was such a prohibitive favorite that he was removed from the betting pool. That meant that Crane Hanover showed up as the "win" horse on the toteboard.

"If I had had a little more experience, I might have won," Ross said. "That was my moment in the sun."

Tempestuous victor

Apparently the blood still runs hot in recently retired San Diego Chargers quarterback Ryan Leaf.

The Daily Racing Form reports Leaf argued with a teller at Del Mar in San Diego last Sunday. It occurred when he went to cash a trifecta ticket with a payoff that required him to produce identification for tax purposes. Leaf told the teller he didn't have an I.D. with him and an argument followed.

West Nile moves West

The deadly West Nile Virus, detected in birds in Eastern Pennsylvania last year and this year, now has been found in Central and Western Pennsylvania.

The virus was found in two American crows in State College, Centre County, and a blue jay in New Castle, Lawrence County.

It was the first time the virus was detected in either site.

Birds can carry the virus and transfer it to mosquitoes, who then can pass it on to humans or horses. The virus has the potential of causing fatal encephalitis, or swelling of the brain.

Quite a challenge

After two years away from racing due to injuries, General Challenge is about to go back into training for owner Betty Mabee. Bob Baffert will handle him, and his tentative target is the California Cup Classic Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.

General Challenge won the 1999 Pacific Classic as a 3-year-old and took the 2000 Santa Anita Handicap the following year.

Record crowds

Both Saratoga and Del Mar drew record opening-day crowds July 24.

Saratoga drew 32,913 fans, beating the mark of 31,254 set last year. Total betting handle for the day was $14.9 million, more than a half million dollars over last year's.

Del Mar had a crowd of 37,439, the second largest of all-time.. The largest was the 44,181 who saw Dare and Go snap Cigar's 16-race winning streak on Aug. 10, 1996.

Pohla Smith can be reached at psmith@post-gazette.com.