Two California-breds are Kentucky Derby-dreaming following last Sunday’s $500,000 Sunland Park Derby. Pavlovian and Express Kid, who finished a nose apart in the race, have both emerged from the Sunland Derby in good order and are bound for another Kentucky Derby points race, their respective trainers, Doug O’Neill and Justin Evans, said Monday. Pavlovian picked up 20 points for his win at Sunland and sits ninth on the Kentucky Derby standings list administered by Churchill Downs. He was to arrive back at his Santa Anita base Wednesday, according to O’Neill. Pavlovian on Sunday tracked pacesetter Express Kid and rallied through the stretch to cover the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in a quick 1:42.22. A California-bred by Pavel who races for his breeders, Paul and Zillah Reddam, Pavlovian earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 87. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2026: Top contenders, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more “We’re still on cloud nine,” O’Neill said. “That was just a phenomenal stretch run. Either horse could have won. We’re just so lucky we got the little inch bob there at the wire. Super grateful. “Paul and Zillah raced both the sire and the dam. That’s pretty special. He’s a really nice 3-year-old prospect and the future’s bright.” The Reddams and O’Neill, who have won the Kentucky Derby twice – with I’ll Have Another in 2012 and Nyquist in 2016 – will discuss prep options. “The plan is to get him back home, get him settled in, go over him good, and if he’s doing well and looks well just try to map out a little plan,” said O’Neill. “I think the Santa Anita Derby in our backyard would be an option, and there are other ones around the country. The Arkansas Derby would definitely be in play, so I think everything is on the table. “The fact that he showed he can travel is huge, because that’s something that’s such a big hurdle, so we’ve got that going for us.” The Grade 1, $500,000 Santa Anita Derby is April 4. The Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby is March 28. I’ll Have Another won the Santa Anita Derby ahead of the Kentucky Derby, while Nyquist captured the Florida Derby. O’Neill has now won four runnings of the Sunland Park Derby, with his other winners being Slow Down Andy in 2022, Thor’s Echo in 2012, and Excessivepleasure in 2009. O’Neill put blinkers back on Pavlovian for the Sunland Derby after the horse’s third-place finish in the California Cup Derby at Santa Anita. Edwin Maldonado was aboard Pavlovian on Sunday. He’s a horse who should appreciate more distance, said O’Neill. “He’s got a tremendous amount of stamina, and Edwin said he was just still trying to figure out how the ol’ passing horses is supposed to work out” he said. “I think that [Bricklin] coming up on the outside of him around the bend really helped kind of give a little forward momentum for him, and then [Express Kid] kind of kicked on and it took us a while to get back going. “So, he ran a tremendous race, but according to Edwin, and with my own eyes as well, there’s definitely another gear left in him, and if we can get that and keep him injury-free, there’s no telling.” :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. O’Neill trained Pavel, who earned more than $2 million and won the Grade 1 Stephen Foster. “There’s a lot of similarities to his papa,” O’Neill said. “He’s just strong-minded. It took his dad a little bit of time to kind of figure it out.” Pavlovian vanned in for the Sunland Derby due to a lack of flight options, which was also the case for the 2024 winner, Stronghold, who went on to win the Santa Anita Derby. “Sunland has been really good to us,” O’Neill said. “We’ve been very blessed and very fortunate there. It was a good test for hopefully what we’re going to be asking from him moving forward. He passed a big test there.” Express Kid eyes Arkansas Derby Express Kid was the favorite in the Sunland Derby off his win in the Springboard Mile on Dec. 20 at Remington Park. Between races, the California-bred by Bodexpress was an $800,000 purchase through a digital auction Jan. 26, and the Sunland Derby was his first start for Brad and Sharon Kleven and Evans. Express Kid set fractions of 23.07 seconds for the opening quarter, 46.40 for the half-mile, and 1:10.07 for six furlongs before just being edged on the wire. He is based at Sunland. “Man, that was a heartbreaker,” Evans said. “That was a tough one. There’s nothing you can do about it. We missed eight days of training. I know those guys at Oaklawn were up against the same type of deal. “The locals, we missed eight days of training right in the middle of when we should have had preparations because of the [weather]. Eight straight days we were in the barn and didn’t get to do anything, and I honestly think that’s the difference in a nose. A five-eighths work sure would have helped me.” :: Get the Inside Track with the FREE DRF Morning Line Email Newsletter. Subscribe now.  Evans said Express Kid has emerged from the race well and remains at Sunland after being based at Turf Paradise with trainer Wade Rarick. “I was proud of him, because I thought he overcame a lot,” Evans said. “Honestly, when those horses are in a sale, they lose a lot. Wade took that horse home and I’m sure kept him in bubble wrap, kind of planning on what to do. We buy him, the transition over and getting used to it, and the 60 days in between races, with a lot of missed training. And, first time going that distance and he didn’t have it his own way. He was hounded the whole way. “It was a gusty race because he dug in and really tried to fend [Pavlovian] off. I think he’ll definitely move forward being able to be in a pretty consistent pattern and being able to do the kind of schedule we want, hopefully, with no hiccups in weather or anything like that.” Evans said plans going forward will be discussed with the Klevens. “We might try to think about the Arkansas Derby,” Evans said. “If I can put a little group together and head down there for a couple weeks or 30 days or something like that, that would fit our plans great. I think we could put a good group together.” Express Kid earned 10 points Sunday and now has 20 overall to rank 10th in the Kentucky Derby qualifying standings. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? 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