Firing Line draws rail, will go favored in Sunland Derby

Firing Line landed the rail and was installed as the 8-5 favorite when a field of eight was entered Wednesday for Sunday's Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby at Sunland Park.

Gary Stevens rides Firing Line, who was a close second to Dortmund in the Robert Lewis and Los Alamitos Futurity in his last two starts. He is trained by Simon Callaghan.

From the rail out, the field for the 1 1/8-mile race is Firing Line, Lord Nelson, Where’s the Moon, Why Two, Malibu Mogul, Tiznow R J, Pain and Misery, and Dirt Monster. Lord Nelson is the second choice at 3-1.

The Sunland Derby offers 85 points overall, including 50 to the winner, toward the May 2 Kentucky Derby, essentially guaranteeing the winner a spot in the Derby starting gate.

The Sunland Derby goes as race 11 on a 12-race card that begins at 12:55 p.m. Mountain. The forecast is for ideal weather – a high of 73 degrees and no chance of rain.

The supporting feature is the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks for 3-year-olds fillies, featuring a pair from trainer Bob Baffert’s barn, the Grade 1 winner Callback, as well as Maybellene.

Callback drew post 2 in a field of eight for the 1 1/16-mile race. Maybellene has the outside post.

That field, from the rail out, is We Need Art, Callback, Fancy and Flashy, Scat Means Go, Suva Harbor, Babes Cylver Slew, Rousanne, and Maybellene.

The Sunland Park Oaks offers 85 points toward a berth in the May 1 Kentucky Oaks, including 50 to the winner. It goes as race 9.

There are five other stakes on the card.