8/5/06

FOR RELEASE: IMMEDIATE
CONTACT: TAMARA CRONIN
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
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CHESTER, WV — WIGGINS FEELS WEST VIRGINIA DERBY IS THE RIGHT SPOT by Bill Mooney

During a thoroughbred training career that has spanned three decades, trainer Hal Wiggins has won 17 stakes with purses of $100,000 or higher. But Wiggins will be shooting for his highest purse ever this coming Sunday, August 6, when he'll send Cielo Gold to the post in the 37th running of the Grade 3, $750,000 West Virginia Derby.

Wiggins is familiar with the biggest annual day of racing at The Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort. Five years ago, on the West Virginia Derby undercard, he sent out Jake the Flake to win the West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker's Cup Handicap.

But bringing a horse to run in the West Virginia Derby, itself, will be a new experience for the 63-year-old Wiggins. "I guess we're really taking a step upwards with Cielo, shipping in with him to this race," said Wiggins. "I believe, though, he'll make a good account of himself."

Cielo Gold has a career record of seven starts, three victories, one second-place finish, and earnings of $119,295. He has only one prior start in stakes company, finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Northern Dancer Stakes at Churchill Downs in mid-June of this year.

His margin of defeat in that race, however, was only three lengths. And sandwiched around that effort were a pair of allowance wins at Churchill by Cielo Gold at the 1 1/16-mile mile distance, the most recent of which occurred on July 4.

Additionally, Cielo Gold has the appearance of a runner who may do better as the distances of his races get longer. His sire, Conquistador Cielo, won the 1982 Belmont Stakes, which is a 1 ½-mile event. "And Cielo Gold's dam, Private Light, is by Private Account, who was a good distance runner in his own right," Wiggins said.

There's something else that's a plus, too - Wiggins' long-proven ability to place his horses in the right spots. From 1993-'95, he won three consecutive runnings of the Fair Grounds Budweiser Breeders' Cup in New Orleans with Yukon Robbery. From 1995-'97, Wiggins won seven stakes with a filly named Morris Code.

Four of those victories came at Turfway Park in northern Kentucky, and the other three were achieved at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Further, from 1997-2001, Wiggins saddled a horse named Chorwon to seven stakes triumphs, every one of them for a six-figure purse. Included were three consecutive runnings of the Louisville Handicap at Churchill, and the 1998-'99 renewals of the John B. Connally Breeders' Cup Turf Handicap at Sam Houston Race Park in Texas.

Wiggins is originally from Texas. "Born and raised in Port Arthur - the late pop singer, Janis Joplin, was in my 1960 high school graduating class," he said. Wiggins subsequently received a degree in accounting from Texas A & M University. He began his training career with Quarter Horses in Louisiana, switched full-time to thoroughbred in 1980 and is now based at Churchill.

Through July 30 of this year, Wiggins' thoroughbred charges had garnered him 802 career wins, and had achieved purse earnings slightly in excess of $17-million. They had also accumulated 45 stakes victories, although Chorwon is the only one to have triumphed in graded company, winning the '01 renewal of the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Turf Handicap at Kentucky Downs.

Years ago, Kentucky Downs was known as Dueling Grounds. It is right on the Tennessee border, and during the 19th century duelists would journey there from Nashville and other nearby cities and towns to settle arguments with pistol and ball.

In essence, Kentucky Downs has a racing surface that winds its way through pastureland. The track has no infield tote board, and its seats are bleachers, with no roof for protection.

Yet, the year Chorwon accounted for the 'Kentucky Cup, the race had a $300,000 purse, and it remains the biggest prize a Wiggins horse has ever captured. It's a simply stated philosophy - go wherever your horse has a solid chance and the money's good. And Higgins has never been a trainer disinclined to ship.

In his initial four career starts, Cielo Gold was ridden by Brian Hernandez, Jr. The colt has been guided by 31-year-old Corey Lanerie in his most recent three outings. But the 20-year-old Hernandez will be aboard Cielo Gold again on Sunday at Mountaineer.

Weight is the major factor for the shift back to Hernandez. "Corey can, at best, do 117 pounds, but for the West Virginia Derby we are being assigned 111 pounds, I think, which Brian can do," said Wiggins.

"I explained this to Corey, and he completely understands," Wiggins said. And it needs to be noted that Hernandez is not of unknown quality. In 2004, he was bestowed with one of horse racing's most prominent honors, the Eclipse Award, as North America's leading apprentice jockey.

Cielo Gold is owned by Hillcrest Farms LLC, which is based in Louisville and campaigns horses in partnerships. As is the case with Wiggins, and with Hernandez, too, Hill Crest has never before been represented in the West Virginia Derby.

But the team surrounding Cielo Gold promises to pack the winner's circle should he be victorious on Sunday - they will be at Mountaineer in force. Wiggins believes the West Virginia Derby is the right spot. And his is an opinion that should never be ignored.