Los Alamitos Futurity runner-up Stronghold tops field of eight entered in Sunland Park Derby

Stronghold leads a field of eight in the Grade 3, $400,000 Sunland Park Derby, which will be run Sunday in New Mexico on a card that also features the $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks.

The races offer points for the respective Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. The points will be doled out to the first five finishers on a scale of 20-10-6-4-2.

The Sunland Derby card features six stakes. The 10-race program begins at 12:25 p.m. Mountain.

The Sunland Derby, which is being held about five weeks earlier than usual, will be run at 1 1/16 miles this year compared to the traditional 1 1/8 miles when carded in late March.

Stronghold enters off back-to-back graded stakes placings in Southern California, where he was second in the Grade 3 Bob Hope at Del Mar and second in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in his two-turn debut in December. Antonio Fresu has the mount from post 5 for trainer Phil D’Amato.

Lucky Jeremy, who won the Riley Allison Derby last month at Sunland, will start from post 4 under Christian Ramos. Informed Patriot, who was third in the Smarty Jones in January at Oaklawn, will break from post 8 under Joel Rosario.

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The complete Sunland Derby field from the rail with riders is: No Trouble, Ken Tohill; Surroundedbyangels, Alejandro Medellin; Curlin’s Kaos, Diego Herrera; Lucky Jeremy, Ramos; Stronghold, Fresu; Alotaluck, Oscar Ceballos; Da Ringo, Alfredo Juarez Jr.; and Informed Patriot, Rosario.

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

Candy Aisle, who has won three stakes in her last three starts, leads the field for the Sunland Oaks. The race has been shortened from 1 1/16 miles to a mile due to its earlier slot on the calendar. Candy Aisle will break from the rail under Felipe Valdez, who has the mount for trainer Todd Fincher.

The Sunland Oaks field from the rail with riders is: Candy Aisle, Valdez; Simply Enchanting, Fresu; Floating Beauty, Ramos; Raspberry Wine, Tohill; Recharge, Rosario; and Methods, Kelsi Purcell.

Flying Connection, who won last year’s Sunland Park Oaks, runs on the undercard Sunday in the $100,000 Harry Henson.

Sunland took entries for the card on Sunday and had a ceremonial draw Monday for the Sunland Derby and Sunland Oaks.

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