Steal Sunshine surges along rail to take Ellis Park Derby

HENDERSON, Ky. – Carrie and Craig Brogden didn’t think their weekend could get any better – but it sure did, as Steal Sunshine stormed up the rail Sunday to win the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby.

“I hope I have a long life so I can enjoy every minute of this,” an overjoyed Carrie Brogden exclaimed after Steal Sunshine, a Constitution colt they bred and co-own with Little Red Feather Racing, overhauled a 57-1 front-runner named Rome to win the one-mile Ellis Derby, the showcase event of the 23-day Ellis Park meet. Leonel Reyes was aboard the winner.

The Brogdens, in the name of their Machmer Hall, bred Vegas Magic, winner of the Grade 2 Sorrento on Saturday, and also owned or bred two other notable recent winners. In for the day from their Paris, Ky., farm, they reveled in what was the second stakes victory in a row for Steal Sunshine, following the Carry Back last month at Gulfstream Park, the primary base of his trainer, Bobby DiBona.

“From Day One, I’ve thought this was a special horse,” said DiBona, who began training in 2001 in his native Massachusetts and now operates year-round at Gulfstream in South Florida. “I’ve mostly worked with claimers for most of my career, so this is just amazing.”

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Steal Sunshine returned $13.98 as fourth choice in a field of nine 3-year-olds after finishing in 1:38.19 over a fast track. He now has won four of nine overall, with Little Red Feather having bought into the partnership before the dark bay colt was sixth in his fifth start, the April 2 Florida Derby at Gulfstream.

Breaking out of the “elbow” chute on the clubhouse turn, Rome, ridden by Francisco Arrieta, led the field through fractions of 22.94, 46.01, and 1:11.27 as several challengers began to launch their bids leaving the turn for home. He resisted them all, or at least until Steal Sunshine – whom Reyes had deftly maneuvered off the rail to pass one tiring rival before veering back inward for the final furlong – came roaring past.

Reyes, the second-leading rider at the current spring-summer meet at Gulfstream, had never ridden before at Ellis. “Leonel did a fabulous job,” DiBona said.

Rome saved second, a neck before Strava, the 5-2 second choice who had a length on Chasing Time. Then came Trademark, Knocker Down, Friar Laurence, Top of the Charts, and We All See It. Top of the Charts, the 17-10 favorite, faded badly after chasing the pace for a half-mile.

The $2 exacta (8-4) paid $335.20, the $1 trifecta (8-4-2) returned $1,173.44, and the 10-cent superfecta (8-4-2-6) was worth $503.05.

The Ellis Derby was the nightcap of a nine-race card that ended with five straight stakes. An all-stakes pick five paid $5,633 on a 50-cent wager. One of the earlier winners, Last Leaf in the Audubon Oaks, also shipped up from Gulfstream for the day.

These were the last stakes races at an Ellis meet that runs through Aug. 28. Kentucky Downs runs its seven-day meet Sept. 1-14.