Express Kid, Daneyko highlight field of eight in Sunland Park Derby

The regional stakes winners Express Kid and Daneyko will meet shippers from New York and Southern California next Sunday in the $500,000 Sunland Park Derby in New Mexico.

The 1 1/16-mile race will offer Kentucky Derby points to the first five finishers on a scale of 20-10-6-4-2.

The Sunland Derby drew a field of eight when entries were taken on Sunday. First post for the card that also features the $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks led by Bottle of Rouge is 12:25 p.m. Mountain.

Express Kid picked up 10 points for the Kentucky Derby in December, when he won the $300,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park. Daneyko won the local prep for the Sunland Derby when he captured the Riley Allison Derby.

Pavlovian will invade from Santa Anita off a third-place finish in the California Cup Derby. Edwin Maldonado has the mount for trainer Doug O’Neill. Sharons Beach also last raced in Southern California, finishing second in a Santa Anita maiden race for which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 89.

Buntus Foclora also exits a maiden race, finishing third in a Jan. 4 sprint at Aqueduct.

Bricklin, who was scratched from the Southwest Stakes last Friday at Oaklawn Park, enters off an allowance win in Arkansas.

The Sunland Derby field from the rail with riders is: Express Kid, Juan Hernandez; Sharons Beach, John Velazquez; Pavlovian, Maldonado; Forty Twenty, Orlando Mojica; Way Beyond, Keith Asmussen; Bricklin, Cristian Torres; Daneyko, Alfredo Juarez Jr.; and Buntus Foclora, Reylu Gutierrez.

The Sunland Derby is the ninth race on a 10-race card. There are six stakes on the program.

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