20th Sunland Derby Offers Kentucky Derby Qualifying Points
The sparkling jewel of the lucrative season at Sunland Park is the $400,000 Sunland Derby (G3) to be run on Sunday, February 16, 2025. The Kentucky Derby prep race offers 20 qualifying points to the winner for entry to the 2025 Run for the Roses. The remaining points will be given to the other four finishers on a scale of 10-6-4-2.
The 20th edition of the one and one-sixteenth mile classic anchors a huge day worth over $1 million in purse money. The Sunland Derby is best known for producing Mine That Bird, who finished fourth in the 2009 Sunland Derby before going on to upset the Kentucky Derby at 50-1 odds.
The $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks, as well as the $100,000 Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes, the $100,000 Harry W. Henson Handicap, the $100,000 Enchantress Stakes and the $100,000 Red Hedeman Mile are also part of Sunland Park’s biggest day.
Both the Sunland Derby (Gr. III) and Sunland Park Oaks will be Lasix-free events. Additionally, all Thoroughbred stakes races will be Lasix-free.
| Entry | Horse | ML Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Itsmybirthday | 20-1 | Harry Hernandez 123 Lbs |
Robertino Diodoro |
| 2 | Remember Big Jim | 12-1 | Elvin Gonzalez 123 Lbs |
Dick Cappellucci |
| 3 | Smash It | 12-1 | Florent Geroux 123 Lbs |
Todd Fincher |
| 4 | Getaway Car | 9-5 | Juan Hernandez 123 Lbs |
Bob Baffert |
| 5 | Spenard | 20-1 | Luis Valenzuela 123 Lbs |
Tena Birdwell |
| 6 | Take Charge Tom | 8-1 | Orlando Mojica 123 Lbs |
Robertino Diodoro |
| 7 | McKinzie Street | 4-1 | Ramon Vazquez 123 Lbs |
Justin Evans |
| 8 | Touchy | 7-2 | Joel Rosario 123 Lbs |
Wesley Ward |
| 9 | Caldera | 5-1 | Rafael Bejarano 123 Lbs |
D. Lukas |
2025 Sunland Derby Pre-Draw News
OffTrackBetting.com – US Legal Sunland Park horse betting is a great way to bet on the Sunland Derby. Available to customers across the United States, OTB features both Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing from major racing venues in the US as well as top international racing from Europe, Japan, Australia and Hong Kong.
Sunland Derby Race History
The Sunland Derby (G3) was inaugurated in 2003 and is best known for producing Mine That Bird, who parlayed a fourth-place finish at Sunland into a 50-1 upset in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Two other notable winners through the years have been Thor’s Efcho, who followed up his 2005 victory into a champion sprinter title the following year, and 2015 scorer Firing Line, who later finished second in the Kentucky Derby to eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.
Held for much of its history in late March over 1 1/8 miles, the Sunland Derby was rescheduled for mid-February and its distance reduced to 1 1/16 miles in 2024. Previously awarding 50 Derby qualifying points to the winner, its top five finishers now vie for a Derby points distribution of 20-10-6-4-2.
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