Runaway Ghost in quick turnaround for Curribot Stakes

“Put me in, coach!”

That’s the message Runaway Ghost has been sending to trainer Todd Fincher in advance of the $75,000 Curribot on Sunday at Sunland Park.

Fincher had not been targeting the Curribot with Runaway Ghost because the race comes three weeks after the horse made a successful return from a 10-month layoff by winning the $75,000 Fort Bliss on Feb. 2 at Sunland. Runaway Ghost won that six-furlong sprint in 1:08.44 and popped a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 95.

“There’s the bounce factor, six furlongs to a mile and a sixteenth in such short time, and pressure of having a great horse like him and getting beat,” Fincher said. “But he’s doing everything to make me change my mind. He came out of the race so good, so happy, and is training lights out.”

As such, last year’s winner of the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby will return to two turns for the Curribot. He will be a strong favorite against six others, including stakes winners American Dubai and Raagheb.

The Curribot is one of three stakes on the card, with the $100,000 Mine That Bird a prep for the Sunland Derby and the $75,000 Island Fashion designed to produce starters for the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks.

Runaway Ghost will break from post 7 under Santiago Gonzalez. The homebred for Joe Peacock will be looking for the fifth stakes win of his young career, and his fourth win in five starts at Sunland.

“He’s acting like the last race didn’t take a lot out of him,” Fincher said. “I know I have a solid foundation in him.

“I just hope he’s not lying to me.”

Fincher, who on Friday was three wins from a milestone of 1,000 career Thoroughbred training victories, will be active in the Island Fashion with Jamaican Cents. She will be making her two-turn debut after winning the first race of her career in a maiden special weight sprint Feb. 3 at Sunland.

The Island Fashion is a mile race and drew eight.

Parade of Roses will start as one of the top choices after winning the $65,000 Borderplex Stakes on Jan. 27 at Sunland. The 6 1/2-furlong race was the first stakes in the local series for 3-year-old fillies. Jansen Melancon has the mount from post 2 for trainer Nate Williams.

Trainer Steve Asmussen will counter with Blessings First, a half-sister to Grade 1 Travers winner Golden Ticket who won her debut at a mile in December at Remington Park, and Backflash, who is coming off an allowance win at a mile on turf at Sam Houston.

Victim of Love also will get support off an 11-length maiden special weight win at a mile Jan. 22 at Sunland. Trained by Henry Dominguez, she earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 70; the number is the best career Beyer in the Island Fashion. Victim of Love is a full sister to Grade 2 winner Benner Island and a half-sister to Iowa Derby winner High North.