Sun Thunder Boasts Churchill-Experienced Team in Derby

Moments after Kentucky Derby (G1) entrant Sun Thunder  finished his workout May 2 at Churchill Downs, his trainer and jockey—both Churchill mainstays—discussed their hopes for their 50-1 morning-line shot to provide both their first wins in the Run for the Roses.

"I was second in the Derby in '95," with Tejano Run, trainer Kenny McPeek said. "And if you'd (said), 28 years later, I hadn't won it yet, I'd say, 'Nah.' ... It just takes a certain amount of things lining up, and you've got to have the right horse and the right luck. A lot of things have got to come together."

This will be McPeek's seventh Derby and ninth starter. After Tejano Run, his next-best finish was in 2010 when Noble's Promise was fifth.

This will be the fourth Derby for jockey Brian J. Hernandez Jr., whose best finish was eighth aboard McCraken in 2017. He was aboard Sun Thunder for Tuesday's four-furlong work that was timed in :47 4/5, third-fastest of 20 at the distance over the fast track.

"He's the type of horse that you're excited for Saturday for sure because he's such a big, long, lanky horse," Hernandez said, "that ... he's just now starting to kind of get his legs under him and getting stronger."

RT Racing Stable and Cypress Creek Equine's son of Into Mischief  enters the Derby with only one win—in a maiden special weight race New Year's Eve at Oaklawn Park. But since then, he's been fourth in the Southwest Stakes (G3), second in the Risen Star Stakes (G2), fifth in the Louisiana Derby (G2), and fourth in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1).

Both trainer and jockey said the workout went according to plan, almost exactly four 12-second furlongs.

"That's what Kenny wanted," Hernandez said. "He was like 12-and-2, I had him on my watch, the first eighth and then from there he picked it up really, really nice. And once he hit the wire, we felt he did enough, so we didn't force him to go ahead and gallop out real strong just because you know we're what, four days, five days out. So it was just some nice smooth maintenance to kind of sharpen him up and put his game face on for Saturday."

Sun Thunder will break from the 13 post, a position Hernandez views as a positive.

"The 13's a good spot for him because, like I said, he's such a big horse and he's got one horse, Jace's Road , to his inside, who's got a little speed, and Angel of Empire 's to his outside, so we should be able to get away from there cleanly," he said, "and if we can get under the wire the first time around in good order without getting knocked around, he'll be able to show his best foot."

How far back early remains to be seen, Hernandez said.

"He's the type of horse where you just stay out of his way and let him get into his rhythm, and whether it's midpack or a little further back, he'll tell us," Hernandez said. "Our biggest thing is we want to be running. From the half-mile pole home, you want to be going forward and passing horses."

McPeek isn't worried about how much early speed there is, on paper, in the race, or whether that would improve his colt's chances.

"You can't predict it," McPeek said. "The year that you think there's not any speed, there's too much. The year that you think there's tons of speed, there isn't any. ... My horse'll rate off the pace; that's not a problem."