Tipsheet: 2025 Sunland Park Derby

A solid group of nine three-year-old prospects will run 1 1/16 miles on the Sunland Park strip in Sunday’s $400,000 Sunland Park Derby. The 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series contest will reward the top five finishers of the heat with qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis. 

Sunland Park Derby Picks

• #4 Getaway Car
• #9 Caldera
• #8 Touchy 
• #6 Take Charge Tom

Sunland Park Derby Wagers

• $30 win #4 Getaway Car
• $3 exacta key box 4 with 6,8,9
• $1 trifecta key 4 with 6,8,9

Sunland Park Derby Contenders

#1 ITSMYBIRTHDAY (20-1): Robertino Diodoro trainee is unbeaten from a pair of sprint runs leading up to this and gets a class test while running long for the initial time. The gray son of Vekoma is quick and has the rail post, and the sophomore is bred to handle a distance of this nature, as well. Harry Hernandez inherits the mount. 

#2 REMEMBER BIG JIM (12-1): Medaglia d’Oro colt finished a good second in the Riley Allison S. on the course in advance of this tilt and has proven that he can handle a route of ground. The bay drilled a bullet five-eighths leading up to the race and will have Elvin Gonzalez take the reins. 

#3 SMASH IT (12-1): Stakes-winning son of Star Guitar has won or placed in seven of eight career outings and comes off a third-place result in the Riley Allison S. here for Todd Fincher. The chestnut gelding looks like more of a sprinter to me, and I don’t feel that the distance will be best for him with Florent Geroux taking the reins.

#4 GETAWAY CAR (9-5): Bob Baffert trainee was second to a nice one in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) last out and is the one to beat in the feature. This $700,000 son of Curlin has lost four races in succession following two wins to start his career, but he has faced the best in his division and will be dangerous with his top performance on Sunday. Regular pilot Juan Hernandez comes in for the ride. 

#5 SPENARD (20-1): Longshot broke his maiden at Turf Paradise in his last showing, but the son of Spun to Run will need major improvement to handle this group in his first outing with winners. 

#6 TAKE CHARGE TOM (8-1): Tom’s d’Etat colt is 3-for-3 led by a coup in the Riley Allison S. on the surface most recently. The Kentucky-bred faces better in this endeavor, but he is moving in the right direction and has a top-three chance beneath Orlando Mojica. 

#7 MCKINZIE STREET (4-1): Dual Grade-1 placed colt makes his first appearance since arriving in the Justin Evans barn and is a logical exotics contender on this occasion. This dark bay son of McKinzie was third at the top level in his lone prior run going two turns and wouldn’t be a total surprise in the field with Ramon Vazquez taking the reins. 

#8 TOUCHY (7-2): Win contender from the barn of Wesley Ward rallied for a stakes second at Turfway Park most recently and tries to go a route of ground for the first time on this occasion. This bay son of Nyquist has run well in three of four of his lifetime appearances to date and will be a major factor if the distance suits him with Joel Rosario in the stirrups. 

#9 CALDERA (5-1): D. Wayne Lukas trainee gets the outside draw in the field and comes off a solid maiden win with the addition of blinkers last time at Oaklawn Park. The $500,000 juvenile purchase has improved his Brisnet Speed figure with each career outing and I think he is a fine fit in the field in his local bow. The son of Liam’s Map will be stalking the contested pace early with Rafael Bejarano taking the reins.