Tee Chic favored in Hialeah Derby

Tee Chic hasn’t won a race in eight months, posted only the fourth-fastest qualifying time when second as the 8-5 favorite in his trial, and comes from the barn of a trainer who is winless this meet. Nevertheless, Tee Chic is the 3-1 morning-line choice for the richest race of the Quarter Horse season at Hialeah Park, the $390,395 Hialeah Derby on Sunday.

The 400-yard derby, which goes as race 8 at 4:05 p.m. Eastern, is among five stakes on a nine-race card that also includes the $204,310 Hialeah Maturity for 4-year-olds.

Tee Chic was beaten a neck by Ec Jet One during qualifying heats for the Hialeah Derby on Dec. 27. His trainer, R.L. Robinson, has gone 0 for 6 at the meet, including three horses who went off at 8-5 odds or lower.

But Tee Chic ran in some high-class stakes as a 2-year-old, winning the $430,000 Oklahoma Derby and finishing fourth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths, in the Grade 1, $1.2 million Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park.

Trainer Rolando Almanza will send out fastest qualifier Shez a Hot Valentine and Timepaintyourwagondw, who missed by a nose in his career debut during the trials. Almanza won the 2013 Hialeah Derby with Dash Master Jess and was second in last year’s race with 9-5 choice Moonin the Eagle.

Shez a Hot Valentine, a filly, has won three in a row, highlighted by a score in the $148,000 Gillespie County Futurity in Texas last August. Timepaintyourwagondw is a son of Pyc Paint Your Wagon, the leading Quarter Horse sire in 2015.

Ec Jet One, 3 for 5, is seeking his first stakes win. He was third in the Grade 2, $621,000 Sam Houston Futurity and sixth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths, in the $1.1 million Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park in November.

The $100,000 Maturity (race 7) at 440 yards features a showdown between Premier Ethics and Moonin the Eagale, who are a combined 9 for 10 at Hialeah.

Last season, Premier Ethics won the Grade 2 Junos Report at Remington and was fourth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths, in the $2.3 million All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs.

Moonin the Eagle won the South Florida Quarter Horse Derby at Hialeah and was second, beaten a half-length, to close out his 3-year-old campaign in the Grade 1 Refrigerator against older horses at Lone Star.