Local favorite Runaway Ghost dominates in Sunland Derby win

It’s been nearly 10 years since Sunland Park's local horsemen pinned their Kentucky Derby hopes on a horse named Mine That Bird. Could Runaway Ghost succeed him?

The locally based colt made a sweeping, four-wide move through the turn Sunday and galloped to an easy win in the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby.

With Derby qualifying points distributed on a 50-20-10-5 basis to the Top 4 finishers, the victory all but locks up a spot at Churchill Downs for the son of Ghostzapper, who was announced just last week as a late Triple Crown nominee.

"We know he's legit," said trainer Todd Fincher. "The problem with him is he's a little headstrong early in the race. We knew with an outside draw that we could get the horse to relax better. It worked out exactly like we thought."

Second last out in the Mine That Bird Derby, the local Sunland Derby prep, Runaway Ghost finished 1 1/8 miles this time under Tracy Hebert in 1:49.20. The 2 3/4-length winner was the only contender in the full field of 12 based at the New Mexico track.

"I'd have to say he's No. 1 of the Thoroughbreds I've ever had," said veteran owner and breeder Joe Peacock.

"I'd go as fast as I could," he added of a trip to Churchill.

Runaway Ghost scored at odds of 7-2 -- by the way, he loaded in the gate at 7-1 -- with longshot Dream Baby Dream second. Peace got up in a photo for third ahead of Seven Trumpets.

All Out Blitz set the early pace, getting the opening half mile in 45.80 seconds as Runaway Ghost sat near the back of a tightly bunched pack up the back stretch.

"We had a long run to the first turn," Fincher said, "and I figured we might be a little wide, but that would be better than a horse laying on us, forcing us to the front or forcing our hand. We wanted to let the horse run his own race, and it worked out perfectly."

Runaway Ghost improved his record to 4-2-0 in seven starts, now with a trio of stakes victories.