Getaway Car led for most of the race but went back and forth
with Caldera in the homestretch before getting the bob at the finish Sunday
to win the listed, $400,000 Sunland Derby, a 1 1/16-mile points prep for
Kentucky Derby 2025.
Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Juan Hernández, the
$700,000 Curlin colt owned by the SF Racing partnership set the pace through
early fractions of 23.31 and 46.93 seconds. Getaway Car (6-5), the post-time
favorite in the field of eight, was met in the second turn by Caldera (4-1), a
D. Wayne Lukas-trained colt ridden by Rafael Bejarano.
Click here for Sunland Park entries and results.
After the clicked through three-quarters of a mile in
1:10.99, Caldera took the lead moving just outside Getaway Car. But neither
horse relented as they got a mile in 1:36.23. Getaway Car dug in, and after the
two colts took turns getting their heads in front of one another, he prevailed by a nose in
the win photo with a time of 1:42.64 on the fast main track.
WOW(!), how great was this? It was an epic battle with Kentucky Derby points on the line as the @BobBaffert trained #4 GETAWAY CAR ($4.40) under @JJHernandezS19 just noses out the D. Wayne Lukas trained #9 Caldera in the $400,000 Sunland Park Derby at Sunland Park. pic.twitter.com/fjOws8GohB
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 16, 2025
Touchy (2-1) finished third, Take Charge Tom (10-1) fourth and
Itsmybirthday (24-1) fifth. The top five finishers earned 20-10-6-4-2 points
toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs.
Getaway Car returned $4.40, $3.00 and $2.20; Caldera $4.00
and $2.60; and Touchy $2.40.
The win was the first for Getaway Car since he began his
career during the Del Mar summer with victories on debut and in the six-furlong
Best Pal (G3). He then finished fourth in the Del Mar Futurity (G1), second in
the American Pharoah (G1), fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and second in
the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) to finish his 2-year-old campaign.
Photo: Jason Moran / Eclipse Sportswire Jockey Mychel Sanchez will serve a seven-day suspension and pay an additional $1,750 in fines
Photo: Gulfstream Park / Lauren King Sovereignty, dramatic late-running winner of the Fountain of Youth (G2) March 1, is being pointed
Photo: Santa Anita / Benoit Photo Cavalieri and Alpha Bella, who finished one-two in the Grade 3 La Cañada in January at Santa Anita,
Photo: Gonzalo Anteliz Jr. / Eclipse Sportswire The stars will shine Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs, and not just in the Grade 3 Tampa Ba