Augustin Stable homebred ZIHNAL earned his first stakes victory with a 6 1/4-length win in the $400,000 West Virginnia Derby at Mountaineer on Aug. 9.  The 3-year-old gelding by Quality Road had broken his maiden and finished fourth in the Indiana Derby in his two starts prior to his  break out stakes win.  Ridden by John Velazquez, ZIHNAL broke from the middle of the starting gate and stalked the front runners through the early fractions.  At the far turn in the 1 1/8-mile race, he went to the front, then extended his lead in the stretch for the win.

Foaled and raised at Stone Farm, ZIHNAL was bred by George Strawbridge Jr. He is out of the Ghostzapper mare Theodora B., a graded stakes winner who was also bred and raced by Strawbridge.  Trainer Jonathon Thomas was impressed enough with ZIHNAL’s stakes-winning performance that  he said he consider running him in the Sept. 19 Pennsylvania Derby-G1.

Here’s a link to the Tom LaMara’s write up in The Paulick Report:

https://paulickreport.com/news/thoroughbred-racing/very-good-ride-a-johnny-v-ride-zihnal-storms-home-in-west-virginia-derby