Sunland Derby, Oaks Highlight Stakes-Filled Sunday at Sunland Park

Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino will host one of its most significant race days of the season on Sunday, Feb. 15, as the $500,000 Sunland Derby and the $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks headline a six-stakes program offering more than $1.1 million in total purses. The 10-race card brings together a mix of established stakes performers and developing 3-year-olds, with the Sunland Derby serving as a qualifying race on the road to the Kentucky Derby.

The 21st running of the Sunland Derby, contested at 1 1/16 miles, awards qualifying points toward entry into the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, scheduled for May 2 at Churchill Downs. Points are awarded to the top five finishers, with the winner receiving the largest share. A field of eight is set to compete in the race, which will be run as the ninth event on the card.

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Express Kid, a California-bred son of Bodexpress trained by Justin Evans, leads the field following a victory in the Springboard Mile at Remington Park. Owned by Paradise Equine Farm LLC and Bradley and Sharon Kleven, Express Kid has won three of five career starts and will be ridden by Juan Hernandez, who captured last year’s Sunland Derby. The colt will break from the rail.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen sends out Way Beyond, a Kentucky-bred son of Twirling Candy who finished second, beaten a nose, in the Riley Allison Derby over the Sunland Park surface. Asmussen has previously won the Sunland Derby in 2012 and 2017.

Daneyko, winner of the Riley Allison Derby, returns for trainer Ed Kereluk. The Kentucky-bred son of Vekoma has two wins from five starts and enters off the strongest performance of his career. Bricklin, trained by Rodolphe Brisset, also lines up after an allowance win at Oaklawn Park. The Kentucky-bred son of Nyquist has two victories from four starts.

The field is rounded out by Sharons Beach, Pavlovian, Forty Twenty, and Buntus Foclora, completing a competitive group of eight 3-year-olds.

The Sunland Park Oaks, run earlier on the card as the seventh race, features a field of eight 3-year-old fillies going one mile. Coffee Connection, trained by Todd Fincher, brings an unbeaten record into the Oaks after winning the Borderplex Stakes. The daughter of Nyquist has two wins from two starts and will break from the outside post under jockey Olaf Hernandez.

She will be joined by Bottle of Rouge, trained by Bob Baffert, a past winner of the Del Mar Debutante. Baffert has won the Sunland Park Oaks a record eight times. Cashed, trained by Doug O’Neill, ships in from California after runner-up finishes in both the California Cup Oaks and the Golden State Juvenile Fillies.

Four additional stakes races—the Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes, Peppers Pride Stakes, Red Hedeman Mile, and Harry Henson Stakes—are scheduled for Sunday’s program, which has a first post time of 12:25 p.m.

In addition to the racing, a free handicapping seminar hosted by Julie Farr and Tom Dawson will be held Sunday morning at 11 a.m. in the Signature Showroom.