The Sunland Park Derby will no longer hold graded status from 2026 onwards, yet it continues to provide a prize fund of half a million dollars and, notably, 42 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve qualifying points for its leading five contenders. This season’s iteration has attracted a strong roster of 3-year-old thoroughbreds arriving in New Mexico from diverse regions across the United States. The event is scheduled for live broadcast this Sunday on FanDuel TV.
1. Express Kid (3-1 morning-line odds): This colt, bred in California, was acquired last month for $800,000 during a Fasig-Tipton online flash auction and subsequently moved to a different trainer. These events occurred after a dominant victory in the Remington Springboard Mile Stakes during December, where he triumphed by 6 ¼ lengths and recorded an impressive speed rating. His prior performances were unremarkable, but his training sessions at Sunland Park over recent weeks suggest he possesses genuine potential.
JOCKEY: Juan Hernandez; TRAINER: Justin Evans
2. Sharons Beach (10-1): Following unconvincing performances in two races in Virginia last summer, this gelding demonstrated significantly improved form in his initial 3-year-old outing on January 23 at Santa Anita Park, where he was narrowly defeated by a neck in a 6 ½-furlong sprint by a rival who subsequently secured victory in their next race. He possesses the lineage suitable for longer distances, and renowned jockey John Velazquez will be traveling to ride him. He represents a potential longshot winner.
JOCKEY: John Velazquez; TRAINER: Jonathan Thomas
3. Pavlovian (8-1): This contender has participated in eight races in California under the guidance of trainer Doug O’Neill, a three-time victor of this particular event. With one exception, his races were contested against California-bred horses, and in his inaugural 3-year-old start, he secured third place in the California Chrome Cal Cup Derby, run over 1 1/16 miles. His last three starts have been characterized by sluggish beginnings, a pattern he cannot repeat in this contest. The addition of blinkers is anticipated to provide an advantage.
JOCKEY: Edwin Maldonado; TRAINER: Doug O’Neill
4. Forty Twenty (6-1): Arriving from Turf Paradise in Arizona, this horse decisively defeated nine rivals in a maiden race on January 15, triumphing by 12 lengths as a 1-10 favorite. He encounters a significant increase in competition level here and is likely to attempt a wire-to-wire victory in this event.
JOCKEY: Orlando Mojica; TRAINER: Robertino Diodoro
5. Way Beyond (4-1): Enters this race after a narrow nose defeat in the Riley Allison Derby, contested over one mile on this very course, where he held the lead in the final stretch but was unable to fend off Daneyko. He will once again face that competitor, in addition to several strong contenders arriving from other states. The horse’s affiliations warrant consideration.
JOCKEY: Keith Asmussen; TRAINER: Steve Asmussen
6. Bricklin (7-2): This entry was pulled from the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park last week in favor of competing in this event. He is fresh off a commanding, pace-setting victory by 3 ¼ lengths in a one-mile allowance-optional claiming race at Oaklawn, marking his first start as a 3-year-old and a significant improvement compared to his three races in 2025. In-form jockey Cristian Torres piloted him to that Oaklawn success and will be traveling to ride on Sunday.
JOCKEY: Cristian Torres; TRAINER: Rodolphe Brisset
7. Daneyko (9-2): Secured victory in the Riley Allison Derby last month on this course, prevailing by a nose against Way Beyond, displaying a strong finish with Sunland’s top jockey Alfredo Juarez Jr. in the irons. Prior to this, he mostly competed at Turf Paradise with some favorable results. This determined runner faces an elevated level of competition against several of these entrants arriving from outside the state. He is capable of placing among the top finishers if he performs at his best.
JOCKEY: Alfredo Juarez Jr.; TRAINER: Edward Kereluk
8. Buntus Foclora (12-1): This colt, whose name is inspired by a children’s illustrated dictionary for Irish words (and a clever play on his sire’s name, Thousand Words), arrives from New York having failed to win in five career appearances. He has experience competing over a mile but, in reality, has not displayed a significant closing burst. While he might overtake some fading contenders in the late stages, achieving a win – or bua – would be quite unexpected.
JOCKEY: Reylu Gutierrez; TRAINER: Amelia Green
THE PICK: Express Kid
LIVE LONGSHOT: Sharons Beach
SUPERFECTA: 1-6-2-7
