CHESTER — Chunk of Gold, wearing blinkers for the first time, capitalized on a poor start by heavily favored East Avenue and led from start to finish in the $400,000 Grade III West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Casino, Resort & races Aug. 3.

Trained by Ethan West for owner Terry Stephens, Chunk of Gold won for the second time in his seven-race career after collecting three second-place finishes in graded stakes. He was the second choice at 2-1 in a field of eight in the 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds.

“Winning this race means a lot,” said Jareth Loveberry, who has ridden the Preservationist colt in his last five starts. “I rode at Mountaineer from 2009-2014. I met Ethan (West) here and we’ve known each other for 12 years. It’s also my birthday today, which makes it extra meaningful.

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