Hustle Up wins Mine That Bird Derby as Fincher reaches milestone

Hustle Up gave Todd Fincher a milestone of 1,000 career Thoroughbred training victories Sunday when he wired his rivals in the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park.

The race served as the local prep for the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby on March 24.

Hustle Up ($7) improved his career record to 8 for 10 in the Mine That Bird Derby. The start was the New Mexico-bred's first against open company, and he led throughout, setting fractions of 23.64 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.34 for the half-mile, and 1:11.09 for six furlongs before covering the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.31.

Shane Laviolette was aboard Hustle Up, who won by a length over charging 4-5 favorite Wicked Indeed. It was another three lengths back to Walker Stalker in third.

Fincher is 47-year-old native of Denver. He is a former jockey who won his first race as a trainer on June 20, 1998. Fincher has had 4,227 starts with Thoroughbreds, and those horses have earned a collective $25 million. His most prestigious Thoroughbred win came last year when Runaway Ghost captured the Sunland Derby.

Runaway Ghost was one of three winners on Sunday’s card for Fincher, who needed the three victories to hit the milestone. Fincher has another 213 training wins with Quarter Horses, among those victories the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity.

For the Mine That Bird Derby, Fincher added a set of screens to Hustle Up’s equipment. Screens fit like blinkers – a hood but no cups – and the mesh over the eye area can help relax a horse.

Hustle Up races for Dale F. Taylor Racing, Bobby McQueen, and Suzanne Kirby. The son of Abstraction has now won five stakes races and boasts career earnings of $363,143.