Baffert looks to nail down ninth Sunland Oaks with Maysam

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will attempt to win the Sunland Park Oaks for the ninth time in his career Sunday when he sends out probable favorite Maysam in the $250,000 qualifier for the Kentucky Oaks.

The first five finishers in the one-mile race will earn points for the May classic on a scale of 20-10-6-4-2.

The Sunland Oaks is one of five stakes on a 10-race card anchored by the $400,000 Sunland Derby. A sixth stakes, the $100,000 Bill Thomas Memorial, did not fill.

Maysam was a six-length debut winner in a maiden special weight Jan. 24 at Santa Anita. She raced through quick fractions, then separated herself from her rivals in the 6 1/2-furlong race for which she earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 73.

“She won easy,” Baffert said. “She has speed and she’s steady, and she’s got a lot of class. I like that filly a lot. I think she can run some. She’s nice.”

Baffert said he believes Maysam will like the move to two turns. She is a daughter of Game Winner and the American Pharoah mare Sefani. Juan Hernandez has the mount from post 4 for Michael Lund Petersen.

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Trainer Gary Cross, who upset the 2022 Sunland Oaks with 79-1 longshot Cleopatras Charge, will saddle Pink Pacific in this year’s renewal. She’s one of two runners in the field who have won two races, with the other being Runnin N Gunnin.

Pink Pacific is coming off a win in a Sunland Park allowance sprint Jan. 30.

“I don’t know about [two turns], but we’ve got to try sometime,” Cross said.

“A lot of them that’s in there with her, they hadn’t run a mile, either.”

Pink Pacific is a daughter of Improbable and the mare Pacific Pink, who won eight stakes and earned more than $700,000.

“She’s a nice filly, herself,” Cross said of Pink Pacific. “I’ve got high hopes for her.”

Tracy Hebert has the mount from post 3 for the Estate of S.F. Henderson, which raced Cleopatras Charge.

Runnin N Gunnin was a four-length winner of a Sam Houston allowance at one mile in her last start Jan. 19. Earlier in her career, she won a maiden special weight going one mile at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Runnin N Gunnin is a daughter of Gun Runner and a half-sister to Alms, a multiple Grade 3 winner of more than $600,000. Alfredo Juarez Jr. has the mount from post 2 for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Asmussen has a second Gun Runner filly in the field in Enchanting, who is coming off a maiden special weight sprint win at Sam Houston.

The Sunland Oaks field also includes Rogue Justice, who was the runner-up in last month’s Borderplex Stakes at Sunland. The winner of the race, Innocence, was to have run back Saturday at Oaklawn Park in the Dixie Belle Stakes.

Harry Henson

Corrina Corrina moves back to two turns for the $100,000 Harry Henson, a one-mile race for fillies and mares that also drew Zia Park Oaks winner Valence and the Southern California-based Don’t Bring Crazy.

Corrina Corrina was up for a neck win last out in the La Coneja when facing New Mexico-breds over six furlongs Jan. 21 at Sunland. She covered the distance in a sharp 1:09.50 and padded her status as the all-time richest New Mexico-bred Thoroughbred.

“She likes every distance, but I kind of think she might be better [at two turns],” said Cross, adding that he has limited route opportunities for Corrina Corrina.

Corrina Corrina will start from post 3 in the field of six. Hebert once again has the mount for Derrick Jenkins.

“She’ll be coming from off of it,” Cross said. “She’s got a good turn of foot from the middle of the turn home.”

Cross, 83, has been training horses since he was a teenager. He’s had some good ones, but none have topped the $1.2 million in earnings complied by Corrina Corrina.

“She’s the top as far as making money, she’s way the top,” he said. “And she can run any distance. The other ones, it’s either short or long.”

Corrina Corrina is looking for the 14th stakes win of her career.

Valence is back on dirt after racing on turf. The last time she ran on the main track she won the Zia Park Oaks.

Don’t Bring Crazy is moving back to a mile off a start going six furlongs. The last time she raced at this distance, she won an overnight stakes at Turf Paradise.

Love Tank, the runner-up in last year’s Harry Henson, returns to Sunland in this spot.

◗ The multiple stakes winner Holy Hank leads the field for the $90,000 Red Hedeman Mile, a race restricted to 3-year-olds bred in New Mexico.

Its counterpart for 3-year-old fillies, the $90,000 Peppers Pride, drew American Cherub, who is stretching out to two turns off a sprint stakes win at Sunland.

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