Getaway Car (breaking his maiden) won the Best Pal at Del Mar in August 2024. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
The Sunland Park Derby awards qualifying points to the Top 5 finishers toward the Kentucky Derby
Derby Dispatch/Edited
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – California-based Getaway Car will ship to New Mexico to take on eight rivals in Sunday’s $400,000 Sunland Park Derby, a Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series race.
The 1 1/16-mile Sunland Park Derby awards qualifying points to the Top 5 finishers on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale toward the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI). It is the featured ninth race on the card, with a post time of 6:17 p.m. ET.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Getaway Car won the Best Pal Stakes (GIII) at Del Mar in August, drawing clear by an impressive 5 ½ lengths. The son of Curlin has been winless in his next four starts since but finished second in the American Pharoah (GI) to stablemate and eventual champion Citizen Bull and runner-up in the Los Alamitos Futurity (GII) to Journalism. Juan Hernandez, aboard for all six of his starts, will ride from post No. 4.
The Sunland Park Derby field also includes Kentucky-based Touchy, runner-up in the Turfway Prevue; Oaklawn Park maiden winner Caldera; multiple graded stakes-placed McKinzie Street and Riley Allison Derby winner Take Charge Tom.
The field for the Sunland Park Derby
*McKinzie Street, Smash It and Spenard are not currently nominated to the Triple Crown but can become eligible with a $6,000 late payment due by Monday, April 7.
How To Watch The Sunland Park Derby
- FanDuel TV
- TwinSpires.com
Sunland Park Derby By The Numbers
- The Sunland Park Derby has produced 12 Kentucky Derby starters since 2003 including 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. Overall, the Derby starters who exited the race have a record of 12-1-1-0 on the first Saturday in May.
- Most wins by a trainer (3): Bob Baffert (2006, 2013, 2014); Doug O’Neill (2003, 2005, 2022)
- Most wins by a jockey (2): Victor Espinoza (2006, 2007); Martin Garcia (2013, 2014)
Down The Stretch … … ….. ……
The Road to the Longines Kentucky Oaks Championship Series kicks off Saturday at Fair Grounds with the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (GII) featuring Godolphin’s undefeated Golden Rod Stakes (GII) winner Good Cheer, who’s set to make her first start in 2025. Trained by Brad Cox, Good Cheer was tabbed as the heavy 6-5 morning line favorite in the field of seven 3-year-old fillies. The Rachel Alexandra goes as Race 13 at 7 p.m. …
Action continues on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks Sunday at Sunland Park for the $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks where Michael Lund Petersen’s standout maiden special weight winner Maysam leads the field of seven 3-year-old fillies in the one-mile contest. The Sunland Park Oaks goes as Race 7 at 5:13 p.m. …
Harrell Ventures and Starlight Racing’s impressive maiden special weight winner Colloquial was made a nominee for the Triple Crown by his connections paying a $6,000 late fee. Late nominations are due by Monday, April 7 and can be made online at www.thetriplecrown.com. …
Godolphin’s Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) winner First Resort continues to train at Turfway Park towards his first start of 2025. The Eoin Harty trainee cruised five furlongs in :59.40 Monday and is possible to run in the Feb. 22, $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial (Listed) at Turfway Park. …
Trainer Chad Summers reported Jerome Stakes winner Cyclone State arrived in Saudia Arabia on Wednesday for the Feb. 22 Saudi Derby. The Iowa-bred colt could then compete in the April 5 UAE Derby (GII) on the Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby, according to Summers. …
Get ready for Kentucky Derby 151 with Inside the Kentucky Derby, the ultimate one-stop shop for all things Derby. Hosted by Churchill Downs’ Darren Rogers and Kevin Kerstein, this weekly podcast delivers the latest Derby news, analysis and insider insights, featuring respected industry guests. Fans can subscribe and download the show on popular podcast platforms, including iTunes, Spotify and YouTube. …
Churchill Downs’ Spring Meet stall applications are due by Monday, March 3 with the stable area reopening Tuesday, March 18. Stall application: www.kentuckyderby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/Spring-Stall-app-2025.pdf…
Nominations to the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) close Friday. For more information, visit www.churchilldowns.com.
