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.
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. The event was run as the West Virginia Governor's Cup Handicap over a five furlong distance.
The event was not held in 1996. In 1997 the event was run as the West Virginia Governor's Handicap over a distance of miles and was the main event of the day's racing card.
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.
In 2007 the event was won by the eight-year-old M B Sea for the second time. 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.
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.
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.
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.
In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Mountaineer Park canceled the event.
In 2025 the event was downgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to Listed status.
Records Speed record: 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 RefWest Virginia Governor's Stakes2025Hit Show 5Florent GerouxBrad H. CoxGary & Mary West miles1:43.63$200,000III2024Hit Show 4Florent GerouxBrad H. CoxGary & Mary West miles1:42.65$200,000III2023Duke of Love 4Luis ContrerasJosie CarrollMyRacehorse miles1:42.39$200,000III2022Fulsome4Paco LopezBrad H. CoxJuddmonte miles1:43.48$200,000III2021Sprawl 4Joseph TalamoThomas Drury Jr.Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider miles1:44.95$200,000III2020Race not held2019Silver Dust5Jack GilliganW. Bret CalhounTom R. Durant miles1:43.85$200,000III2018Leofric5Florent GerouxBrad H. CoxSteve Landers Racing miles1:42.72$200,000III2017Fear the Cowboy5Jesus M. RiosEfren Loza Jr.Kathleen Amaya & Raffaele Centofanti miles1:44.62$200,000 Listed 2016Hawaakom6Miguel MenaStephan H. SmootStephan H. Smoot & Wesley E. Hawley miles1:44.64$200,000Listed 2015Looks to Spare5Deshawn L. ParkerOtabek UmarovO'zbekiston Racing miles1:44.55$200,000 Listed 2014Carve4Jesus Lopez CastanonBrad H. CoxMike Langford miles1:44.44$200,000 Listed 2013Taptowne5Calvin H. BorelTim GlyshawClovertowne Farm miles1:44.90$200,000 Listed 2012Tapizar4Corey NakataniWinchell Thoroughbreds miles1:42.57$200,000 Listed 2011Modern Cowboy4Rafael BejaranoTodd A. PletcherGreen Hills Farm miles1:45.40$125,000Listed 2010Demarcation6Joel RosarioPaul J. McGeeAmerican Racing Stables miles1:44.37$125,000 Listed 2009Shadowbdancing4Randall A. MeierTerrel GoreRNB Racing miles1:44.10$125,000 Listed 2008Zanjero4Shaun BridgmohanSteven M. AsmussenWinchell Thoroughbreds miles1:44.65$125,000 Listed 2007M B Sea8Rex A. Stokes IIIDale L. RomansMichael J. Bruder miles1:46.96$125,000 Listed 2006Cherokee's Boy6Gary CapuanoZ W P Stable miles1:44.72$125,000 Listed 2005M B Sea6Mark GuidryDale L. RomansMichael J. Bruder miles1:43.82$125,000 Listed West Virginia Governor's Handicap2004Wiggins4Rafael BejaranoAnthony J. GranitzWilliam Pacella, Joseph Rizza & Ronald Schwed miles1:43.37$100,000 Listed 2003Be Like Mike4Jorge F. ChavezNiall M. O'CallaghanG-3 Racing miles1:41.15$102,825 Listed 2002Docent4Jeremy RoseTimothy F. RitcheyArlene Daney miles1:42.24$88,500 Listed 20015Damon LeedsJoe WoodardBilly Hays miles1:43.94$57,750 Listed 2000Shock Value5Rick WilsonDaniel J. LopezDaniel J. Lopez & Theodore Shapiro miles1:44.64$52,650 Listed 1999True Silver4Jeffrey Scott LloydDonald P. SavilleHeavenly Acres Farm miles1:44.64$37,450 Listed 1998Xclusive Imp4Mary Elizabeth DoserJohn R. SemerElaine M. Gross miles1:44.44$37,275 1997Regal Rahy4Michael F. RowlandCharles A. TatonettiPreferred Picks Racing Stable miles1:45.62$27,000 1996Race not heldWest Virginia Governor's Cup Handicap1995I'm No Square6John A. Perez Jr.Louis P. GalloLouis P. Gallo5 furlongs0:58.65$11,725
See also List of American and Canadian Graded races
References