Hard To Figure is 2-1 morning-line favorite for Sunday's Sunland Derby
Bob Baffert-trained Hard To figure was named the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Sunday's 1 1/18th miles Sunland Derby at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino.
Hard To Figure will face six rivals in the race worth $600,000 and which also has 85 qualifying points for this year's Kentucky Derby, 50 of which go to the winner. The Kentucky Derby is held the first Saturday in May.
Baffert's horse, though, cannot earn points qualifying for the Kentucky Derby since he's in the second year of a two-year suspension by Churchill Downs Inc., after a failed postrace drug test by now-deceased colt Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first in the 2021 Derby. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission ultimately disqualified the colt in February 2022. While Baffert is banned from the first of the Triple Crown races, he's eligible to run horses in Maryland at the Preakness and in New York at the Belmont Stakes. He has transferred other horses under his name to a different barn.
Hard To Figure has finished in the top five in four of five starts, including a win and a second.
Baffert has won the Sunland Derby three times and in 2016, he won the Sunland Park Festival of Racing Stakes when the Sunland Derby was canceled due to the EHV-1 virus outbreak.
Hard To Figure will start in the No. 6 post and will be ridden by Flavien Prat.
The second favorite is Henry Q who is trained by Sunland Park's top trainer, Todd Fincher and will be ridden by Edwin Maldonado. Henry Q won the Mine That Bird Derby by nearly 15 lengths last month at Sunland Park in his first start in New Mexico. Henry Q has won two straight races, is 3-1 in the morning-line and will start from the No. 4 post.
"Henry Q worked great (Sunday)," Fincher said. "He's a good, strong horse and we're excited for the race."
El Paso owners Judy and Kirk Robison look to earn a bit to the Kentucky Derby with their horse How Did He Do That, who is 9-2 in the morning-line. How Did He Do That ran second in the Riley Allison Derby on Jan. 29. Steve Asmussen trains the horse and will be ridden by Alfredo Juarez. How Did He Do That is listed at 9-2 morning-line and will start out of the No. 1 post.
"Steve knows how to pick the right spots," Kirk Robison said. "Our horse ran a good second in the Riley Allison and has been resting up. He gets a little more distance in this race and that helps."
The rest of the field includes Low Expectations (No. 2 post), Fort Bragg (No. 3 post, scratched from the race), One In Vermillion (No. 5 post) and Wild On Ice (No. 7 post).
One In Vermillion won the Riley Allison Derby and Wild On Ice is trained by Sunland Park trainer Joel Marr.
The Sunland Derby will be race No. 10 on Sunday and the scheduled post time is 4:50 p.m. There will be a total of 11 races with the first post at 12:25 p.m.
The $300,000 Sunland Oaks will also take place, will be race No. 8 and is a prep race for the Kentucky Oaks. The seven-horse field includes the Fincher-trained Flying Connection, who won the Island Fashion Stakes at Sunland Park last month and the Baffert-trained Doinitthehardway. The race will be contested at 1 1/16th miles.
The last three races of the card, including the Sunland Derby and Sunland Oaks will be covered nationally on television by FS1, which has a weekly program dedicated to horse racing. Advance wagering at the racetrack will be begin on Saturday.
More: Senor Buscador prevails Senor Buscador wins Curribot Handicap at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Hard To Figure is 2-1 morning-line favorite for Sunland Derby
