MORGANTOWN, W.Va (WDTV) – In front of a crowd of educators and state officials, Governor Jim Justice and First Lady Cathy Justice expressed their support for the ‘Communities in Schools West Virginia’ program (CIS WV). The program provides schools with the tools to supply food, therapy and further educational or personal resources to students at risk of dropping out. Since CIS made its way to the mountain state in 2017, the effort has impacted more than 114,000 students and is only getting stronger. The First Lady’s initiative ‘Friends with Paws’ has provided nearly 30 therapy dogs to schools around the state, adding to efforts in the program’s mission. She and her husband touched on how important Communities in Schools is to West Virginia.

“There’s so many children who feel like they’ll never get to do what they want in life,” said First Lady Justice. “They don’t have the ambition, courage or support to go and do what they want. We are here to make that happen.”

“Never has Jim Justice seen a program that works like this,” said Governor Justice. “The only way it works is you (educators). Not only do you change that life and make things so much better, but you’re doing something that affects all the other kids in the class, the school, the community and so on. You should be really proud.”

Bill Milliken founded CIS over 45 years ago for schools in New York City. Since then, more than 25 states have jumped on board, but Milliken admits that connecting with rural states had been a struggle…until the Justices came along.

“You can’t do that without the backing of the Governor and First Lady, Milliken said. “They’ve transformed our national movement.”

Earlier this year, CIS WV achieved First Lady Justice’s goal of providing the program statewide, becoming the first CIS program in the nation to do so.

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Trainer Danny Gargan, enjoying a career-best year with two grade 1 wins from Dornoch  and stable earnings of more than $3.2 million, can pad that tally when Society Man  races Aug. 4 in the $500,000 West Virginia Derby (G3) at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort.

The Matt Winn Stakes (G3) winner and Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) runner-up battles Indiana Derby (G3) victor Dragoon Guard , Iowa Derby winner Henro , and six other 3-year-olds in the 1 1/8-mile dirt race. 

Besides being trained by Gargan, Society Man shares other similarities with Dornoch. Both are sons of Good Magic  , though Dornoch is a colt and Society Man a gelding. West Paces Racing is a co-owner in both horses.

Society Man races for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, West Paces Racing, GMP Stables, and Carl and Yurie Pascarella. West Paces Racing is also an owner in Dornoch, along with R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Two Eight Racing, and Pine Racing Stables.

Gargan nominated Society Man to the July 27 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course but passed on the race, which reigning 2-year-old male champion Fierceness  won over Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Sierra Leone . He told New York Racing Association publicity that he thinks Society Man “fits better in the West Virginia Derby.”

“I like how the timing sets up. If he could win the West Virginia Derby, we could see him back at Parx,” he said of the Sept. 21 Pennsylvania Derby (G1). “I have him on that route.

“Look, he is a gelding, and he is going to be around for a long time. We are just trying to map out the best route for him to keep him doing well.”

Society Man is 2-1-1 in seven starts with earnings of $437,230. Corey Lanerie, aboard in the Matt Winn, travels to Mountaineer for the return mount Sunday.

Juddmonte’s Dragoon Guard, a winner of three straight after a debut second last September at Churchill Downs, appears a formidable foe following front-running 2 1/2-length victory in the July 6 Indiana Derby (G3) at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Florent Geroux comes in for the ride on the Brad Cox-trained Dragoon Guard, a homebred son of Arrogate. Along with Society Man, Dragoon Guard is co-high weight in the field at 120 lbs.

JD Thoroughbreds and Joey Keith Davis’ Henro upset Dragoon Guard’s Cox-trained stablemate Just a Touch  in capturing the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows the same day as the Indiana Derby. Routing for the first time, Henro, a Collected   gelding, sat closer than usual to the early pace and came on late to score after tracking the leaders.

Rafael Bejarano returns in the irons for trainer Chris Hartman aboard the diminutive chestnut, who is 3-1-0 in seven starts.

All nine entrants in the West Virginia Derby race with the diuretic Lasix, which is not permitted in graded stakes races across the United States but can be used in West Virginia, which is not operating under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. The state won a preliminary injunction two years ago in one of the numerous lawsuits that are contesting HISA’s constitutionality.

Sunday’s card is a twilight racing program with first post at 5 p.m. ET. The West Virginia Derby is scheduled for 8:15 p.m.