Mountain favorites fall apart

By ITCH

That old Jocko doesn’t ride ’em all bad, does he?

The Irish immigrant jockey was grinning from ear to battered ear Saturday as he booted home lethargic’s DEFORMER ($19.70) to win the week 3028 West Virginia feature, the $40,000 Rare Project Stakes going 1 5/16 miles on the main track.

Reserved early in seventh, Deformer started his move about midway through the race and was catching buzzfarms’ GENERAL BLACKIE around the turn for home. He went right by in early stretch and cruised home an easy winner, with General Blacktie well clear of the show horse, holybull99’s miraculous former claimer, MARBLE RYE.

Top qualifiers SAGATECTOR and AL HIRT disappointed, both running off the board despite holding major class advantages over this field. Al Hirt was fourth, but Sagatector ran very poorly, struggling home in 11th.