Getaway Car, Runnin N Gunnin shine in Sunland Park Derby, Oaks

On Sunday at Sunland Park, Getaway Car displayed unwavering tenacity to win a thrilling edition of the $400,000 Sunland Park Derby.

Coming off top-four finishes in the American Pharoah (G1), Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), and Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, Getaway Car found the ungraded stakes level easier to handle. Bettors backed the Bob Baffert trainee to 6-5 favoritism, and by the narrowest of margins he delivered.

With jockey Juan Hernandez in the saddle, Getaway Car dashed to the lead and set fractions of :23.31, :46.93, and 1:10.99. Rounding the far turn, Oaklawn maiden winner Caldera launched a stiff outside challenge, and the two colts engaged in a head-to-head battle turning for home. Caldera appeared to have the upper hand, but Getaway Car battled back to prevail by a nose, completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.64.

Caldera pulled nine lengths clear of third-place finisher Touchy, followed by Take Charge Tom, Itsmybirthday, Spenard, Remember Big Jim, and Smash It.

The top five finishers earned Road to the Kentucky Derby qualification points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis. The winner’s share boosted Getaway Car’s total to 36, ranking him third on the leaderboard behind stablemate Citizen Bull (60 points) and Saturday’s Risen Star (G2) winner Magnitude (55 points).

A son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin out of the Morning Line mare Surrender Now, Getaway Car races for the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.

Earlier in the afternoon, the one-mile $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks awarded 20-10-6-4-2 Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualification points. The lion’s share went to Runnin N Gunnin, a Steve Asmussen trainee shipping in off an allowance win at Sam Houston.

Bettors expected Baffert’s Santa Anita maiden winner Maysam to take home top honors, pounding her to 1-10 favoritism, but after launching a rally from fifth place she tired to finish sixth.

In contrast, Runnin N Gunnin trailed the field early under jockey Alfredo Juarez Jr. before closing ground relentlessly against splits of :24.19, :47.78, and 1:12.82 to win going away by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:40.09. She debuts in seventh place on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard.

Enchanting took second place by four lengths over Stubby, followed by Pink Pacific, Rogue Justice, Maysam, and Street Colors.

Runnin N Gunnin is a daughter of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner out of the Empire Maker mare Charity Belle. She races in the colors of Douglas Scharbauer.