Restoring Hope joins prospective field for Sunland Derby

Restoring Hope is being pointed for the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby on Sunday, said trainer Bob Baffert. The 1 1/8-mile race awards 85 points for the Kentucky Derby on a scale of 50-20-10-5.

Baffert said Flavien Prat has the mount on Restoring Hope, who earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 89 for a maiden special weight route win last month at Santa Anita.

“I was going to run him in the San Felipe,” Baffert said of the Kentucky Derby prep March 10 at Santa Anita. “He was working well . . . then he went off his feed a couple of days, so I just backed off him a little bit. He’s good now, so I thought I’d send him to Sunland.”

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Baffert has won a record four runnings of the Sunland Derby since 2006. There will be a total of seven stakes on the card Sunday. Baffert said over the weekend that Faypien, a Grade 2 winner, is on deck for the for the $100,000 Harry Henson, while a decision was being made on a starter for the $100,000 Bill Thomas Memorial.

Restoring Hope is promising son of Giant’s Causeway who races for his breeders, Gary and Mary West.

A flight from California carrying horses for the Sunday stakes is due to arrive Thursday, according to Robbie Junk, the racing secretary at Sunland. The horses will fly into El Paso, Texas. Sunland is right across the state line, in Sunland Park, N.M. A flight from Florida is scheduled to arrive Wednesday.

Junk on Tuesday morning had a working list of 19 horses that could enter the Sunland Derby. The field will be capped at 12. Entries will be taken on Wednesday. The first preference for the Sunland Derby is earnings in graded stakes, and the second is highest lifetime earnings.

Trainer Steve Asmussen, who won last year’s Sunland Derby with Hence, said both New York Central and Dream Baby Dream are pointing for the race. The horses worked Monday at Oaklawn.

New York Central breezed a half-mile by himself in 50.80 seconds on a muddy, sealed track. Dream Baby Dream went the same distance in 51 seconds. New York Central is coming off an allowance route win at Oaklawn, while Dream Baby Dream has been third in three consecutive allowances at Oaklawn.

Kentucky Club, who had been pointed for the Sunland Derby, will not go, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Monday.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday that Prince Lucky, the winner of the Pennsylvania Nursery, is on deck for the Sunland Derby. Pletcher also had been planning to start Hyndford, but he has been entered in the Louisiana Derby for Saturday because he is not certain to get into the Sunland Derby.

“We’re on the outside looking in at Sunland,” Pletcher said Sunday. “We’re waiting for clarification.”

The clarification will come Wednesday morning. Junk said other potential entrants for the Sunland Derby are All Out Blitz, Choo Choo, Dark Vader, Fortified Effort, Hollywood Star, Peace, Restoring Hope, Runaway Ghost, Seven Trumpets, Shane Zain, Fire When Ready, Trigger Warning, Trooper, Sphene, and Bocefus.

There were a total of 385 horses nominated to the Sunland Derby.

The card Sunday also will include the $200,000 Sunland Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. Junk said the field could include Bella Be Ready, Blamed, Charge Back, Karmic Affinity, and Kram.

The first four finishers in the Sunland Oaks also will earn points on a scale of 50-20-10-5.