WINNING RIDE — Chunk of Gold on the way to victory in the West Virginia Derby on Sunday. - Coady Media

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 on Sunday.

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.

“He’s a very honest horse that tries every time. I was planning to be close early in the race, but when East Avenue didn’t make the lead, we took his spot.”

Chunk of Gold nursed a one-length lead over McAfee and Just a Fair Shake for more than six furlongs, then opened his lead turning for home to win by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:50.97 on a fast track. McAfee captured second, while Brotha Keny rallied well for third. East Avenue was fifth. The winner paid $6.80.

“It was fantastic,” West said of the colt’s performance. “All the credit goes to Jareth. He rode a great race. We had hoped to be close early, so we added blinkers to get him to be more responsive. But after the start, Jareth basically walked the dog.”

“It’s exciting,” said Stephens, who had a large group on hand for the race. “He has run very well in graded stakes and it’s nice to see him win one. I’m happy for the horse, the trainer and all the connections. I’m very proud.”

Chunk of Gold has now earned in excess of $680,000.