It’s the biggest day of racing at Sunland Park in New Mexico and Kentucky Derby qualifying points are on the line Sunday. Six stakes races stuff the 10-race card, including the Sunland Park Oaks on the undercard.
Let’s meet the contenders for the Grade 3 $400,000 Sunland Park Derby (Race 9):
#1-NO TROUBLE: Trainer Joel Marr looks for back-to-back Sunland Park Derby wins with this follow-up to 2023’s Wild On Ice. This gelding scored his maiden victory in his second start and now takes the leap in class and distance to 1-1/16 miles after a pair of sprints. Sire World of Trouble was a millionaire sprinter on dirt and turf, but did finish third in the Tampa Bay Derby of 2018.
#2-SURROUNDEDBYANGELS: Front-running debut sprint winner failed to hold his speed in his Riley Allison Derby bid on the stretchout. Wound up third, beaten more than 13 lengths, by a pair of re-matched runners on Sunday. Sire Smiling Tiger was a top-class sprinter.
#3-CURLIN’S KAOS: Santa Anita-based runner earned his first victory in four California-bred maiden races in his most recent start. Showed a late-running style in that turf mile and should save ground with early speed to his inside Sunday. Sired by Clubhouse Ride, a two-time winner of the 9-furlong Grade 2 Californian in his heyday. Antonio Garcia trains and SA-based Diego Herrera rides.
#4-LUCKY JEREMY: Exits a 2-length victory in the local prep, the $100,000 Riley Allison Derby, pressing the pace in that two-turn mile. He’s won two straight, including a Churchill Downs maiden sprint in October, for Turfway Park-based trainer Bill Morey. Sired by 2010 Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky, he’s named for his sire and his owner, Jeremy Ramsland.
#5-STRONGHOLD: Expected to vie for favoritism following runner-up efforts in Del Mar’s Grade 3 Bob Hope and the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity. Chased Bob Baffert-trained Nysos and Wynstock in those and now the Phil D’Amato trainee hits the road. Son of 2004 Horse of the Year and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Ghostzapper has never been out of the exacta in four starts and ran well in Kentucky twice to open his career.
#6-ALOTALUCK: Pace presence throughout the Riley Allison Derby when he wound up a clear second-best in that one to Lucky Jeremy. He was more than 11 lengths clear of the rest in that mile race, his first around two turns. Locally based trainer Ty Garrett hit at 33% wins in 2023 with limited attempts, including this Sir Prancelot gelding’s debut sprint win in December.
#7-DA RINGO: Field’s longest shot was defeated more than 22 lengths in the Riley Allison Derby and has a lone maiden claiming victory on his ledger after seven starts. Well-bred son of Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags partners with jockey Alfredo Juarez Jr., who won this race in 2017 aboard Hence.
#8-INFORMED PATRIOT (pictured above): Trainer Steve Asmussen aims for a record-tying third Sunland Park Derby victory. He previously won with Daddy Nose Best (2012) and Hence (2017). Son of 2007 Kentucky Derby runner-up Hard Spun has superfecta finishes in all five starts, including venues like Saratoga, Churchill and Oaklawn. Third-place finish in the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn most recently was flattered when that race’s runner-up Just Steel came back to run another solid second in the Southwest Stakes. Smarty Jones winner Catching Freedom reappears Saturday in the Risen Star at Fair Grounds and will give further measuring stick to Informed Patriot’s form. Jockey Joel Rosario seeks his first Sunland Park Derby win, and his national reputation could tilt favoritism in the betting to this colt.
003.jpg)
.svg){kind=logo}
