Getaway Car highlights field of nine for Sunland Park Derby

Getaway Car will invade from Southern California to lead a field of nine for the $400,000 Sunland Park Derby next Sunday in New Mexico. He will launch his 3-year-old season in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Derby points race off a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity.

The Sunland Park Derby anchors a 10-race card that includes the $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks. There are five stakes on the program. First post is 12:25 p.m. Mountain.

The Sunland Park Derby offers Kentucky Derby points to the first five finishers on a scale of 20-10-6-4-2, according to the website for the Kentucky Derby.

Getaway Car is the most accomplished member of the field as a Grade 3 winner, achieved in the Best Pal last August. He went on to run second in the Grade 1 American Pharoah and fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. In his last start, Getaway Car was second in the Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 14.

Getaway Car worked five furlongs at his Santa Anita base on Sunday, covering the distance in 59.40 seconds. Juan Hernandez has the mount from post 4 for trainer Bob Baffert.

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McKinzie Street also brings Southern California form into the Sunland Park Derby, among his efforts a third-place finish in the American Pharoah. He is moving back to two turns off a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 San Vicente. Ramon Vazquez has the mount from post 7 for trainer Justin Evans.

Touchy is moving to two turns off a runner-up finish in the Turfway Park Prevue. Joel Rosario has the mount from post 8 for trainer Wesley Ward.

The complete Sunland Derby field from the rail with riders is: Itsmybirthday, Harry Hernandez; Remember Big Jim, Elvin Gonzalez; Smash It, Florent Geroux; Getaway Car, Hernandez; Spenard, Luis Valenzuela; Take Charge Tom, Orlando Mojica; McKinzie Street, Vazquez; Touchy, Rosario; Caldera, Rafael Bejarano.

The Sunland Derby is slotted as the ninth race, with a scheduled post of 4:17 p.m.

The Sunland Oaks goes as the seventh race. It offers its first five finishers Kentucky Oaks points on a scale of 20-10-6-4-2, according to a website for the Kentucky Oaks.

Maysam will get good support in the seven-horse Sunland Park Oaks off a dominant debut win at Santa Anita. Baffert has given the mount to Juan Hernandez.

The complete field from the rail with riders is: Rogue Justice, Geroux; Runnin N Gunnin, Alfredo Juarez Jr.; Pink Pacific, Tracy Hebert; Maysam, Hernandez; Enchanting, Vazquez; Street Colors, Enrique Gomez; Stubby, Elvin Gonzalez.

The stakes action starts in the fifth race with the $100,000 Harry Hernandez, a one-mile race for fillies and mares that drew Corrina Corrina, the all-time richest New Mexico-bred Thoroughbred.

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