Sunland Derby 2022: Contenders & Odds

Sunland Derby Winner Gets 50 Kentucky Derby Qualifying Points

The 17th running of the Grade 3, $500,000 Sunland Derby will run for the first time since 2019 on Sunday, March 27 at Sunland Park.

Set as the 11th race in a stellar 12-race card loaded with six figure stakes, the Sunland Derby will offer the winner a virtual ticket into the 2022 Kentucky Derby.

The Grade 3 dirt race provides the winner with 50 qualifying points to the "Run for The Roses." Second place receives 20 points. Third place earns 10 points and fourth gets 5 points.

Slow Down Andy, the winner of the Los Alamitos Futurity last winter, is the 2-1 morning line favorite in the 8-horse field of the Sunland Derby (Gr. III) going one and one-eighth miles.

Trained by Doug O'Neill, Slow Down Andy, defeated eventual Mine That Bird Derby winner and Sunland Derby (Gr. III) finalist Straight Up G back on October 9, 2021 in a maiden race at Santa Anita Park. The Nyquist colt was stakes placed at Del Mar last fall before winning the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on December 11 over the highly touted Messier.

Slow Down Andy rebounded nicely off a sixth place finish in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds last month to record a sizzling 6 furlong workout at Santa Anita Park on March 19 in 1:12.40 handily from the gate.

The three-year-old used blinkers on in that workout and will wear them again in the Sunland Derby (Gr. III). The impressive work spurred O'Neill to chose the Sunland Derby over the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. Slow Down Andy is owned by Reddam Racing, LLC.

O'Neill won the 2016 Kentucky Derby with Nyquist and has installed his top rider Mario Guiterrez to pilot Slow Down Andy. O'Neill has won two Sunland Derbies with Excessivepleasure in 2003 and Thor's Echo in 2005. Slow Down Andy will break from post position #4.

Owned by nationally acclaimed radio and television sports commentator Jim Rome, Straight Up G. returns for the Sunland Derby (Gr. III) and is listed as the second choice at 5-2 in the morning line. The California-bred son of Straight Fire owns the home field advantage having won the $100,000 Mine That Derby; over this surface last month.

The Richard Baltas trainee defeated a hard charging Bye Bye Bobby to win the Mine That Bird Derby by three parts of a length. The quick three-year-old packs a high cruising speed and has earned over $203,000 for Jim Rome's Jungle Racing LLC. The pace enforcer will break from the outside #8 post position with Ricardo Gonzalez in the saddle.

Rome owned two-time Breeders' Cup winner Mizdirection and Santa Anita Handicap winner Shared Belief.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will saddle two horses in the Sunland Derby (Gr. III) with Classic Moment and Costa Terra.

Classic Moment was a game third in the Mine That Bird Derby.

Sunland Park's leading trainer Todd Fincher counters with Bye Bye Bobby. Fincher won the 2018 Sunland Derby (Gr, III) with Runaway Ghost.

Bye Bye Bobby won the Zia Juvenile in his career debut last fall and has raced determinedly in two stakes outings at Sunland Park this meet.

The gray son of Quality Road and former $870,000 Keeneland Sales Purchase finished fast closing seconds in both the Riley Allison Derby on January 30 and the Mine That Bird Derby on February 27. The dangerous 9-2 morning line choice will be ridden by Roimes Chirinos

Riley Allison Derby winner Pepper Spray, Turf Paradise Derby winner Chrome King and Fowler Blue round out the Sunland Derby (Gr. III) field.

Post time for the Sunland Derby (Gr. III) is 5:15 p.m. El Paso time.

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