Three California shippers in eight-horse Sunland Derby

The Kentucky Derby trail swings through New Mexico on Sunday, with Southern California shippers Slow Down Andy, Straight Up G, and Fowler Blue part of a field of eight points-seekers in the Grade 3, $500,000 Sunland Park Derby.

The 1 1/8-mile race will reward its first four finishers Kentucky Derby points on a scale of 50-20-10-5.

The Sunland Derby anchors a 12-race card that features seven stakes, including the $300,000 Sunland Park Oaks led by multiple stakes winner Optionality and Southern California shipper Queen of Thorns. The 1 1/16-mile race offers Kentucky Oaks points on a scale of 50-20-10-5.

The slate of Sunday stakes at Sunland are worth a cumulative $1.6 million. They make for the richest card of the meet. First post is 12:25 p.m. Mountain.

The Sunland Derby was drawn Sunday, with Fowler Blue in post 3, Slow Down Andy in gate 4, and Straight Up G in post 8.

Slow Down Andy is the probable favorite on the strength of his win in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December. Mario Gutierrez has the mount for breeder Reddam Racing and trainer Doug O’Neill. Slow Down Andy will add a set of blinkers. Slow Down Andy’s full brother, Team Merchants, runs earlier on the card in the $100,000 Bill Thomas Memorial.

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Straight Up G is returning to Sunland, where in February he captured the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby. The race is named for the horse who parlayed a fourth-place finish in the 2009 Sunland Derby to a 50-1 upset in the Kentucky Derby. Ricardo Gonzalez has the mount on Straight Up G for breeder Jungle Racing and trainer Richard Baltas.

Fowler Blue was an allowance winner in December at Santa Anita and most recently closed for fourth in the Mine That Bird Derby. Edwin Maldonado has the mount for breeders William Branch and Arnold Hill and trainer Luis Mendez.

The complete Sunland Derby field from the rail with riders is: Costa Terra, Luis Negron; Classic Moment, Joel Rosario; Fowler Blue, Maldonado; Slow Down Andy, Gutierrez; Bye Bye Bobby, Roimes Chirinos; Pepper Spray, Luis Valenzuela; Chrome King, Enrique Garcia; and Straight Up G, Gonzalez.

The forecast for Sunday calls for partly cloudy skies and a high of 85 degrees, according to AccuWeather.