Sunland Park: How to bet the 2023 Mine That Bird Derby
A total of nine sophomores will go 1 1/16 miles on the Sunland Park dirt in the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby, now rescheduled for Tuesday. The event is the major local prep for the Sunland Derby on the surface on Mar. 26, and it attracted a solid cast including three from the barn of Todd Fincher.
#8 Malmo (10-1) has yet to run fast enough to topple a field of this kind, but the colt will run long for the first time and I expect him to take a big step forward in this endeavor. By Nyquist, he has been first or second in all but one of his four career tries to date, including a nice runner-up allowance result while sprinting in his local bow most recently.
The dark bay boasts the pedigree to thrive going around two turns and seems poised to give a nice showing of himself at a nice number in his second run off the short layoff. Luis Fuentes picks up the mount and will have the upset contender forwardly placed from the opening bell.
#4 Henry Q (5-2) graduated at Santa Anita last time out and will have his first race since arriving in the Fincher shedrow. The $125,000 son of Blame improved his Brisnet Speed figure with each career outing leading up to Tuesday and wouldn’t surprise despite taking the ambitious maiden-to-stakes class jump. He could be moving best of all inside the final furlong for jockey Edwin Maldonado.
Steve Asmussen’s #7 How Did He Do That (2-1) displayed a solid turn of foot in his first race with blinkers on when finishing a closing second in his local debut in preparation for Tuesday. The Good Magic colt shows a pair of useful morning drills in the interim, and the chestnut will benefit from having a start on this track. Alfredo Juarez will be in the silks atop the obvious win contender.
Mine That Bird Wagers
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