A look at the 2023 Sunland Oaks and Sunland Derby fields
Sunday features the $300,000 Sunland Oaks and Grade III, $600,000 Sunland Derby at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino.
Both races feature some big names in the U.S. horse racing industry, including trainers Bob Baffert and Steve Asmussen.
The stakes races for 3-year-olds are key prep races for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, respectively. The two Kentucky races are traditionally held the first Friday and Saturday in May.
The Sunland Oaks features seven horses and the Sunland Derby is now a six-horse field after the connections for Fort Bragg decided to skip the Sunland Derby and run in the Florida Derby next week.
Here is a breakdown of the Sunland Oaks and Sunland Derby. First post is 12:25 p.m. The Sunland Oaks and Derby are races No. 8 and No. 10 and are expected to start at 3:41 p.m. and 4:45 p.m., respectively.
Sunland Oaks horses
Flying Connection
Post position: 1
Trainer: Todd Fincher
Jockey: Alfredo Juarez, Jr.
Owner: Brad King, G. Randy Andrews, Chris Coleman, Jim Cone, Suzanne Kriby, Lee Lewis
Of note: Has won three of six races, including a pair of stakes races.
Morning-line odds: 9-5
Cairo Moon
Post position: 2
Trainer: Nancy Summers
Jockey: Leandro D. Goncalves
Owner: Kamil Ozhan
Of note: Has finished in the top three in four of five starts.
Morning-line odds: 12-1
Foolish Delight
Post position: 3
Trainer: Greg Green
Jockey: Miguel Perez
Owner: Christa Utt, Greg Green, M.C.M. Stables, LLC and Corie O'Connor
Of note: Has never been worse than third in seven starts.
Morning-line odds: 6-1
Doinitthehardway
Post position: 4
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Owner: Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram, Paul Weitman
Of note: Won last race by nine lengths at Santa Anita Park in California.
Morning-line odds: 2-1
Una Palabra
Post position: 5
Trainer: Vann Belvoir
Jockey: Harry Hernandez
Owner: Coal Creek Farm
Of note: Has run first or second in four starts.
Morning-line odds: 5-1
Don't Get Pickled
Post position: 6
Trainer: Miguel Hernandez
Jockey: Glenn W. Corbett
Owner: Stable H.M.A (Mark Dyer et al.)
Of note: Trained by former jockey and former Sunland Park trainer.
Morning-line odds: 8-1
Love Tank
Post position: 7
Trainer: Nancy Summers
Jockey: Ken S. Tohill
Owner: Judge Lanier Racing (Tom McKenna et al) and James L. Drought
Of note: Has run better of late, run first and second in two of last three starts.
Morning-line odds: 8-1
Sunland Derby horses
How Did He Do That
Post position: 1
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Alfredo Juarez, Jr.
Owner: Judy and Kirk Robison of El Paso.
Of note: Ran second in the Riley Allison Derby at Sunland Park.
Morning-line odds: 9-2
Low Expectations
Post position: 2
Trainer: Antonio Garcia
Jockey: Mario Gutierrez
Owner: Reddam Racing LLC (John Reddam et al)
Of note: Has won two straight in California.
Morning-line odds: 6-1
Henry Q
Post position: 4
Trainer: Todd Fincher
Jockey: Edwin Maldonado
Owner: The Del Mar Group (Daniel O'Neill)
Of note: Won by nearly 15 lengths in Sunland debut last month ... Was trained in California by Doug O'Neill
Morning-line odds: 3-1
One In Vermillion
Post position: 5
Trainer: Esteban Martinez-Valdez
Jockey: Harry Hermandez
Owner: Jonathan Kalman
Of note: Won three of four starts, including the Riley Allison Derby at Sunland Park.
Morning-line odds: 6-1
Hard To Figure
Post position: 6
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Flavien Pratt
Owner: Karl Watson, Michael Pegram, Paul Weitman
Of note: Ran second in stakes races in last start.
Morning-line odds: 2-1
Wild On Ice
Post position: 7
Trainer: Joel Marr
Jockey: Ken Tohill
Owner: Frank Sumpter
Of note: Has won twice and finished third once in four starts.
Morning-line odds: 20-1
More: Sunland Derby draw Hard To Figure is 2-1 morning-line favorite for Sunday's Sunland Derby
Felix. F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: A look at the 2023 Sunland Derby and Sunland Oaks fields
