The West Virginia Derby is taking place Saturday at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort, and it is sure to be a success.
The biggest and richest horse race in the state has always been a big draw, and continues to attract visitors and attention to our area each year as its popularity and the stakes have increased.
The 42nd running of the Grade II race, with a purse of $750,000, will be the highlight of the nine-race card which begins at 2 p.m. This puts the West Virginia Derby among the elite horse races in the nation. Combine that with the purses from the other eight races on the card and the day will see a total of $1.4 million awarded.
It's an event many of us can enjoy, whether we go to try to win some money or just watch the horses with the tens of thousands who regularly arrive for the annual race.
To make the event even better for visitors and residents alike, Mountaineer has continued with its expanded weekend of events. This year, the festivities will be capped off by a Sunday afternoon concert featuring music legend Lee Greenwood.
We are sure this will bring even more people to Mountaineer for the weekend, and we hope while they are here these visitors will take the time to have a look around and see what else makes our area great.
