SUN Derby – Grade III [KYD]
SUN   Race #10   1 1/8m   Dirt   Graded Stake
Purse $800.000  For Three Year Olds.

1 By Design, trained by Mb Stables
A son of Commanding he has been a little disappointing since a close up fifth in the DMR Futurity and a one length third in the Grey Stakes as a juvenile. He ran from this gate to win a little race at SUN last time, running on the pace for an easy two length win and has since worked a 1.36 and 3 to throw him into the mix here. On his breeding and his trainer you would have to give him a chance but i am just not sure he is up to this grade.

2 Handsome, trained by D J C Racing Stables
A son of Niagra he won two from four sprinting but looked to be a horse who could stay all day when he ground out a win in the Battaglia Memorial Stakes. A sub 1.37 work last seen on the track puts him right in the mix but he will have to improve again to beat the best of these.

3 Di Pantera, trained by Gdp Inc
Only managed the one win as a two year old but that was an easy win in a route maiden and he has run well enough since to be considered a chance in this. In his last start on this track he stayed on well to be a somewhat distant fourth in the Mine That Bird Derby but the wide draw saw him get too far back that day and he did go into a few notebooks with the way that he ran on. The stable is in good form and he has a punchers chance of an upset with this one.

4 Drift, trained by D J C Racing Stables
One of the more accomplished in the field he put up two good efforts as a two year old finishing sixth in the Pilgrim and then sixth in the BC Juvenile Turf but with the TC being run on dirt it was inevitable that he would be tried on this surface. That try came in the Risen Star when he was eye catching late when finishing fourth beaten just a length. Not so flashy on the gallops he has a touch of class about him though and there was a lot to like about his seasonal reappearance.

5 Indistinguishable, trained by Mb Stables
A winner of 4 from 8 he too was a pretty good two year old running a neck second in the DMR futurity before winning the DED Jackpot at the end of the season. He got a horrible draw in the Risen Star and was taken way back before staying on into fifth a length behind Drift a much better run than it looks on paper. His works arent as flashy as his stable mate but a decent draw will see him right in at the finish today.

6 Dont Look Good, trained by Estero Farms
Consistent as a two year old he won his maiden and was competitive at overnight level but didnt start to look up to this sort of race until he reappeared as a three year old. He came out in the Sham Stakes and made some good progress to be seventh and then ran on pace when third beaten a length in the CA Cup Derby. Both of those runs were only fair but the stable has hit a rich vein of form and a sub 1.37 work shows he is improving as quickly as the trainer.

7 Grande Bnegn, trained by Drabfantasy
This trainer is well known for winning big races with very lightly raced runners and even maidens. This one falls right into their mould having broke his maiden last time out in a statebred stakes race, The Eddy County Stakes. Its true he only had 3 rivals that day but its clear that with the ease of his win and the trainers confidence in placement that he has plenty more to give. His recent work suggests improvement and he may be an under rated entry.

8 Along For The Ride, trained by John Henry
His form in the lead up to last years BC Juvenile was very strong beaten less than a half length in the DMR Futurity and The Front Runner. He got back in the BC and although he closed he couldnt finish better than 12th which was a big disappointment after his lead up form. His form since has followed that backward trend and he looks like an early maturing type who may not have trained on. A recent change of ownership may ignite his enthusiasm but it will take a big shift to see him with a winning chance.

9 Caydens Camel, trained by D J C Racing Stables
A consistent type in statebred stakes last year he picked up a couple along the way and looked an honest sort with a good future. Bought for an expensive looking $250 he finished a disappointing ninth in his first start this year after that purchase but whilst that wasnt an encouraging run it was a lot better than it looks. Trailing by a fair way he made up ground pretty well at the end and if he can take up a handier position today i expect a much better effort.

10 Great Creep, trained by Drabfantasy
You can pretty much just put the word ditto after his stable mate for he too broke his maiden in a  statebred stakes race and worked a sub 1.37 in the lead up to today. He has the disadvantage of the wide draw to cope with but natural improvement will see him running some sort of race.

11 Dastardly Havoc, trained by Mb Stables
The third stable entry he finished fourth in the grade one Front Runner as a maiden suggesting that his trainer thought plenty of him from an early stage. He has had two goes already this year in qualifying races finishing fourth in both the Smarty Jones and the Southwest pretty solid form but in both races he didnt look too enthusiastic under the whip. There is no doubt he has the ability to be a player here but he will have to cope with the wide draw first.

12 Blurred Return, trained by Spankys Barn
Lightly raced with just three starts he ran well enough in the TUP Derby when a neck second to earn him a crack at a race like this. I am not sure he is good enough for the win today but he will give the trainer an exciting run.

13 Walking Broomstick, trained by Smokey Stover
If you look at his recent work times of 1.36 and 1 and 1.36 and 2 you would probably expect a better race record than the one he has. Weakening off the pace he finished eighth in the Lewis Stakes and then again disappointed in the Fountain Of Youth Stakes when a slightly better seventh. If he ran up to those work times he would be a very strong hope in this but he is running out of chances to prove himself.

14 Motorboat, trained by Aer Stables
Fair enough form and a sub 1.37 work means he takes his chance here but being handed the car park for a draw will hurt his chances. He made all to win his maiden last August and was on pace when he won the Sapling Stakes so his best hope may come from some wide gate push and then a slower early pace.

SUMMARY
A pretty thin field compared to many of the KYD qualifiers so far and whoever wins this would have to win easily to be given a real chance in the big one. Drift and Indistinguishable may be the best chances but Dont Look Good and Di Pantera are from in form stables and must be considered.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES