By DRF.com
SUNLAND PARK, NM. (Mar. 21, 2022) — Stakes winners Slow Down Andy and Straight Up G and fellow California-bred Fowler Blue are entered in Saturday’s $500,000 Sunland Park Derby.
Trainer Doug O’Neill said Sunday that the $500,000 Sunland Park Derby was chosen over the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 9 to give Slow Down Andy, winner of the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity, a better chance for a first stakes win of 2022.
Slow Down Andy finished sixth of 10 in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 19 in his first start this year.
“We felt like it might come up best suited for a potential W for him,” O’Neill said of the Sunland Park Derby. “It might be a cut below the Blue Grass. It’s $500,000 and it’s not an easy race by any means.
“We feel it’s a good place to try to get him back on a positive note.”
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On Saturday at Santa Anita, Slow Down Andy worked six furlongs in 1:12.40 from the gate under jockey Mario Gutierrez, who has the mount at Sunland Park. The colt was fitted with blinkers in the workout and will wear the equipment in the Sunland Park Derby.
“I asked Mario to let him run a little bit,” O’Neill said. “I said, ‘Let’s not go to New Mexico and not be 100 percent ready.
“He put in a phenomenal breeze.”
Slow Down Andy is owned by Paul and Zillah Reddam, who bred the Nyquist colt at their farm in California. Slow Down Andy has won 2 of 4 starts and earned $253,850.
The Sunland Park Derby will include Cal-bred runner Straight Up G, who worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds on Sunday. Trained by Richard Baltas for Jim Rome’s Jungle Racing, Straight Up G won the Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park on Feb. 27.
Also entered is Fowler Blue, a gelded son of Curlin to Mischief bred by owners William Branch & Arnold Hill.
O’Neill has two candidates for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 9 in Happy Jack and Win the Day.
Happy Jack finished third by 10 1/2 lengths to Forbidden Kingdom in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on March 5. Win the Day won a maiden special weight race at a mile in his first start on dirt, and third career appearance, on March 6.
Forbidden Kingdom is a leading candidate for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles, but missed a workout over the weekend because of an elevated temperature. Trainer Richard Mandella said Sunday that Forbidden Kingdom could have a workout on Thursday or Friday to remain on schedule for the Santa Anita Derby.
Messier, the winner of the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes by 15 lengths on Feb. 6, worked a half-mile in 48.60 seconds on Sunday for an expected start in the Santa Anita Derby. Messier, trained by Bob Baffert, was second in the Los Alamitos Futurity.