Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino
Monday, February 9, 2026
Express Kid heads field of eight in $500,000 Sunland Derby
A field of eight will reach the starting gate Sunday for the 21st running of the $500,000 Sunland Derby, the main event of an extraordinary program featuring six stakes races.
The Sunland Derby, at a distance of 1 1/16 miles, offers the winning connections a chance to run in the Kentucky Derby. The top finishers of the race earn qualifying points towards entry to the Run for the Roses on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs. Worth 20 points to the winner, the Sunland Derby offers 10 points to the runner-up with points to each of the top five finishers.
Trainer Justin Evans will be in search of his first Sunland Derby win when he sends 3-to-1 morning line favorite Express Kid to the starting gate under jockey Juan Hernandez.
Owned by Paradise Equine Farm LLC and Bradley and Sharon Kleven, Express Kid will be making his first start since posting a massive upset score in the $330,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park in Oklahoma City. The California-bred son of Bodexpress has won three of five career starts with earnings of more than $236,000. Hernandez, who won last year’s Sunland Derby aboard Getaway Car, will be in search of his second win in the race.
Express Kid will break from the inside post in the 8-horse field for the Sunland Derby, which will be run as the ninth race of a 10-race card.
Trainer Rodolphe Brisset will be in search of his first Sunland Derby title when he sends Bricklin to the starting gate under jockey Christian Torres.
A Kentucky-bred son of Nyquist, Bricklin has earned two wins from four career starts with earnings of more than $91,000. He most recently won an allowance race last month at Oaklawn Park. He was off the board in the Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes last October at Churchill Downs.
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, in search of his third Sunland Derby, will send 4-to-1 third choice Way Beyond and jockey Keith Asmussen into the five post.
Owned by Ed and Susie Orr, Way Beyond owns a maiden win from seven starts with earnings of more than $97,000. In his most recent start, the Kentucky-bred son of Twirling Candy finished second, beaten just a nose in the Riley Allison Derby over this course.
Asmussen won the Sunland Derby in 2012 with Daddy Nose Best and again in 2017 with Hence.
Daneyko, the winner of the Riley Allison Derby, is the 9-to-2 fourth choice on the morning line for the Sunland Derby for trainer Ed Kereluk and jockey Alfredo Juarez, Jr. The Kentucky-bred son of Vekoma is a two-time winner from five starts and has earnings of more than $76,000. Prior to winning the Riley Allison Derby, Daneyko was second in the Lost in the Fog Juvenile Stakes at Turf Paradise. Juarez will be in search of his second Sunland Derby, having won the race aboard Hence in 2017.
The field, with morning line odds and riders, for the $500,000 Sunland Derby:
- Express Kid (3-1) Juan Hernandez
- Sharons Beach (10-1) John Velazquez
- Pavlovian (8-1) Edwin Maldonado
- Forty Twenty (6-1) Orlando Mojica
- Way Beyond (4-1) Keith Asmussen
- Bricklin (7-2) Christian Torres
- Daneyko (9-2) Alfredo Juarez, Jr.
- Buntus Foclora (12-1) Reylu Gutierrez
In addition to the $500,000 Sunland Derby, a field of eight 3-year-old fillies will head into the gate for the 23rd running of the $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks, which will be run as the seventh race on the program.
Unbeaten Coffee Connection and Bottle of Rouge lead field of eight in $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks
Trainer Todd Fincher will send out unbeaten Coffee Connection, recent winner of the Borderplex Stakes, in the one-mile race. The daughter of Nyquist is a perfect 2-for-2 in her career with earnings surpassing $40,000 for owners Brad King, Jim Cone, R. Lee Lewis and Randy G. Andrews. Coffee Connection will break from the outside post and will be ridden by Olaf Hernandez.
Del Mar Debutante winner Bottle of Rouge will take plenty of action in the Sunland Park Oaks. The classy filly is trained by Bob Baffert. The legendary trainer has won the Sunland Oaks a record 8 times.
Trainer Doug O’Neill ships in California-bred Cashed to the Sunland Park Oaks. The daughter of I’ll Have Another was second in both the California Cup Oaks at Santa Anita last month and the Golden State Juvenile Fillies last October at Del Mar. She has one win from seven starts and has earned more than $170,000 for owners Reddam Racing LLC.
Cashed will be ridden by Maldonado and will break from post two in the Sunland Park Oaks.
Quartet of supporting stakes races fill 10-race card with stakes purses totaling more than $1.1 million
Four other stakes races, including the $100,000 Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes, the $100,000 Peppers Pride Stakes, the $100,000 Red Hedeman Mile and the $100,000 Harry Henson Stakes are also on tap for the Sunday program, which has a first post time of 12:25 p.m.
Julie Farr and Tom Dawson co-host free Handicapping Seminar on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Juie Farr and Tom Dawson will chair a free Handicapping Seminar on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. in the Signature Showroom.
