Moonin the Eagle, Seize the Win clash again in South Florida Quarter Horse Derby

Moonin the Eagle and Seize the Win will resume their rivalry in Sunday’s $100,000 South Florida Quarter Horse Derby, one of five stakes on Sunday’s next-to-last card of the season at Hialeah Park.

Moonin the Eagle, the slight program choice at 5-2, sustained the only loss of his three-race career when he finished a length behind 12-1 outsider Seize the Win in the richest race of Hialeah’s meet, the $417,575 Hialeah Derby, on Jan. 18.

A half-brother to 3-year-old Quarter Horse champion Moonist, Moonin the Eagle came back to beat Seize the Win by a half-length in the trials for the South Florida Quarter Horse Derby on Feb. 8. Both the trial and Sunday’s final are 440 yards.

Ramon Sanchez will be aboard Moonin the Eagle for the first time when they break from post 2.

Shanley Jackson, who has ridden Seize the Win to all three of his lifetime victories, including the $128,000 Governors at Indiana Grand last fall, retains the mount from post 8.

In the co-featured $100,000 Sam Abbey Invitational for older horses going 440 yards, the top contenders are Daytona B, who has three wins a loss by a neck in his last four starts, and Dashin Beduino, who makes his first start since December and owns three wins and two defeats by a neck in his last five outings. The field also includes Jessies First Down, who upset Daytona B at 15-1 in the $204,000 Matron earlier this meet.

The Star Alert, a seven-length winner going the same distance as Sunday’s 1,000 yard, $40,000 Sailfish, is the horse to fear in the last leg of Hialeah’s distance series.