Sunland’s Mine That Bird Handicap draws good field
Doug O’Neill, who guided Nyquist to the 2016 Kentucky Derby winner’s circle, will be represented at Sunday’s $100,000 Mine That Bird Handicap at Sunland Park.
O’Neill trains Irap, who is 5-2 on the morning line for the 1 1/16-miles race for 3-year-olds.
Irap ran second to the speedy Royal Mo in the Grade III Robert B. Lewis Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita. Last year the bay colt was a distant second behind Mastery, ranked fourth in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association 3-year-old poll.
Mario Gutierrez, Nyquist’s jockey in the Derby, will ride Irap, a son of Tiznow out of a Storm Cat mare.
The 2-1 favorite is the gray colt Totality. He is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen and broke his maiden at Churchill Downs in October. He ran second in the Remington Springboard Mile in December.
Conquest Mo Money (4-1) won the $100,000 Riley Allison Derby at Sunland in January. The New York-bred son of Uncle Mo covered the mile in 1:36.42 while winning by 11 lengths at 14-1 odds.
Wine N Divine (6-1) ran second in the Riley Allison Derby and was second in the Lost in the Fog Juvenile at Turf Paradise in December.
Underwood (8-1) won the Governor’s Cup at Zia Park last year and was third in the Riley Allison.
Rounding out the field is Oh So Regal (15-1), Conquest Crown Me (20-1), Carlson (20-1) and General Council (20-1).
The race serves as the local prep for the March 26 Sunland Derby. That race rewards 50 points to the winner toward Kentucky Derby qualification.
O’Neill is a two-time winner of the Sunland Derby, but hasn’t won it since saddling Thor’s Echo in 2005.
Irap won’t be O’Neill’s only concern at Sunland on Sunday. He has also entered Mopotism in the $75,000 Island Fashion and Semper Fortis in the $75,000 Curribot Handicap.
Mopotism showed early speed and was second to Unique Bella in last month’s Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita. She is 3-1 on the early line for the mile race for 3-year-old fillies.
The Island Fashion favorite is Golden Mischief (5-2), winner of the Letellier Stakes at the Fair Grounds in December. She is another entry from Asmussen’s barn.
New Mexico-bred Sippin (5-1) is unbeaten in seven races for trainer Todd Fincher and owner R.D. Hubbard. She has won stakes races at Sunland, Ruidoso Downs and Zia Park.
Also entered in the Island Fashion is Kell Paso (6-1) , winner of the El Paso Times Stakes last month.
Semper Fortis (2-1) is the early choice for the 1 1/16 miles Curribot Handicap. The 4-year-old colt ran eighth in the Pegasus World Cup (won by Arrogate) last month at Gulfstream Park.
Forest Mouse (5-2), a 9-yearold horse, won the Winsham Lad Handicap at Sunland last month, while Ol Winedrinker Who (7-2) is the defending Curribot champ.
The Curribot Handicap is scheduled to go off at 4 p.m, the Island Fashion at about 4:30 p.m. and the Mine That Bird at 4:55 p.m.