Sunland Derby

COUNTDOWN REWIND: SUNLAND DERBY

By Jeremy Plonk

Date: Sunday, March 24, 2013
Track: Sunland Park
Kentucky Derby Points Awarded: 50-20-10-5
Distance: 1 1/8 miles (2 turns) on dirt

HANDICAPPERS’ RECAP: As inseparable as Bob Baffert’s duo of SHAKIN IT UP and GOVENOR CHARLIE appeared to me pre-race, the public was all over the end result. Whatever unforeseen method applied, GOVENOR CHARLIE left no doubt why it was he whom the public made the 6/5 favorite while stablemate and graded stakes winner SHAKIN IT UP was let go at 3/1 odds. Both sons of Midnight Lute and maternal grandsons of Silverbulletday, this pair had been working in near tandem for weeks leading up to the race as well. But GOVENOR CHARLIE just galloped in victory, putting more than eight lengths from first to third, and became the seventh Sunland Derby winner in the race’s 11-year history to ship in from a Southern California base. The field’s only graded stakes winner, much less graded-placed, SHAKIN IT UP was sluggish early in his two-turn debut and wound up fourth.

ON THE CLOCK: Three Sunland Park track records were set in stakes races on this card (6 1/2 furlongs, 1 1/16 miles and 1 1/8 miles), including this one, which took down a record that had stood for half a century. But the ridiculously fast clockings all day must be adjusted in evaluation. Maidens went 1:08 flat in the opener and you knew the deal then. The Sunland Derby splits set by stretch-out maiden winner SAINT PRADO kicked off with 22.74, 23.48, 23.74 and 25.00, before a final furlong in 12.58 and that track-record for 1 1/8 miles in a zippy 1:47.54. The race decelerated each fraction as many dirt races with some pace will do. The one match-up time of the day I find interesting is that the upstart sophomore filly Midnight Lucky, a favorite for the Kentucky Oaks, ran her fourth-quarter of the Sunland Oaks about two lengths faster than the Derby horses, despite nearly identical times through the opening six furlongs.

THE EYE TEST: GOVENOR CHARLIE pressed three-wide around the clubhouse turn outside of well-backed shippers SAINT PRADO for Jeff Bonde and the Todd Pletcher-trained ABRAHAM. The field bunched big-time down the backstretch and everyone was within about 4-5 lengths into the far turn. The race lacked any legitimate closers on paper, and this kind of pace scenario was plausible from the outset. GOVENOR CHARLIE assumed the lead at the quarter-pole when the top two showed down, and while he widened through the lane and spurted clear of runner-up SHOW SOME MAGIC, he did so with his head high and was ridden out hard by Martin Garcia. His gallop-out was modest, while the others just walked to and past the wire. This was a gassed cast behind him. SHAKIN IT UP “closed” from last of nine to be fourth, but gave ground to the front-runners at every call. That’s a classic “past tired ones” comment. There were no viable excuses in this race for major players, and the total non-effort from DRY SUMMER after two sharp local bids perplexes. You can’t say it had to do with the quality of the opposition when a horse he handled with relative confidence twice this meet, SHOW SOME MAGIC, clearly ran second-best here in the Sunland Derby.

PROJECTING THE SUNLAND DERBY FORWARD: GOVENOR CHARLIE earned his way into the Kentucky Derby field on points, and really has no need to run again before heading to Louisville. He will be a lightly raced longshot with only three starts under his belt and a lone Grade 3 stakes try before the roses. SHOW SOME MAGIC could be Arkansas Derby bound for owners who have the itch to run a horse in the Derby if they can. None of the others in the Sunland Derby should continue on the trail, though ABRAHAM could be a horse that can handle 1 1/16 miles on Polytrack in the Lexington next month after holding on here for third money. Horses like SHAKIN IT UP, SAINT PRADO and MUDFLATS appear to be better one-turn horses at this stage.