Fincher finalizing travel plans for Runaway Ghost

The Kentucky Derby shipping plans for Runaway Ghost, the winner of the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby, are coming together, trainer Todd Fincher said Tuesday. Owned by Joe Peacock, Runaway Ghost is based at Sunland Park in New Mexico.

“He’s tentatively scheduled to fly out April 17,” Fincher said. “He’ll fly into Lexington, and van to Louisville.”

Fincher said that Tracy Hebert, who was aboard for the Sunland Derby and the horse’s win in the Riley Allison in January at Sunland, has the mount in the Kentucky Derby. Hebert hit a milestone of 4,000 career Thoroughbred wins in North America in November.

Fincher said Runaway Ghost has come out of the Sunland Derby in good order, and is scheduled to work “an easy five-eighths” on Friday. Fincher said the horse would have a stronger work next week, and from there would have two works at Churchill.

Fincher has sent Kram, the runner-up in the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks, to Keeneland in the hopes of running her at the Lexington track, and also has a 2-year-old entered in Keeneland’s third race Friday. Myhotrodlincoln is a son of Verrazano from the immediate female family of champion Stardom Bound.

“He’s one we purchased at Keeneland at the September sale, and he’s just come along and is ready to run so we took him over there,” said Fincher.

Kram is the kind of horse that could develop into a candidate for the Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico, said Fincher.