Baffert, Pletcher, O'Neill Invade Sunland

Though Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino officials chose not to run the track's signature event, the Sunland Derby (gr. III), this year following an outbreak of equine herpesvirus-1 in its barn area, its replacement, the $415,000 Sunland Park Festival of Racing Stakes, still drew a full field and national trainers for its March 20 running.

Unlike the $800,000 Sunland Park Derby, the race will award no points toward the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). Still, the nine-furlong race for 3-year-olds attracted an impressive cast of runners as trainers like Bob Baffert, Todd Pletcher, Doug O'Neill, and Steve Asmussen attempt to sort out their runners while going for the rich purse.

Baffert checks in with Collected, who won the Sham Stakes (gr. III) in his initial 2016 start. Sent to Oaklawn Park for the Southwest Stakes (gr. III) in February, Collected ran a disappointing fourth as the favorite and will seek to regroup. Collected has shown the ability to stalk and pounce, and has a pair of seven-furlong moves on the work tab as he stretches out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time.

Gettysburg, who drew outside in the field of 12, also hopes to get back on the beam. After breaking his maiden in January at Gulfstream Park, Pletcher sent him to the Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) at Tampa Bay Downs and Gettysburg failed to fire, finishing fifth of six. A victory by either of those two puts them back into Triple Crown consideration.

Found Money finished fourth behind Collected in the Sham in his most recent start. Prior to that he won the King Glorious Stakes at Los Alamitos Race Courser. However, his two other efforts in graded company have been his two worst races. He likely will have to show speed from the rail and step up his game for trainer O'Neill to move forward with the California-bred.

Concord Fast leads a parade of runners coming out of the Mine That Bird Stakes, run Feb. 26 at one-mile at Sunland. Concord Fast, in his first race as a gelding in the Mine That Bird, eschewed his previous speedy style and sat in eighth position before moving late past the field and drawing off by four lengths.

He is the best bet among the local runners. Asmussen ships in with Sam Houston Race Park allowance winner Walk Out, who will be engaging stakes company for the first time. The closer is going to require some pace to close into.

Cowboy Cool has placed in a pair of New Mexico stakes and was second to Concord Fast in the Mine That Bird. Deputy's Echo prompted the pace in that race and finished a neck in back of Cowboy Cool in third. He will have to prove he can be effective on the stretch out.

Dad swung wide from the clouds to finish fourth in the Mine That Bird. He has absolutely no early speed but could benefit from the nine furlongs.

Bruntino finished a well-beaten fifth in the Mine That Bird after making a mid-race move. Music Giant broke his maiden last out after finishing seventh in the Mine That Bird; Crown of Ambition and Ice Box Tango are both maidens, and it is difficult to see either of them threatening.

The $200,000 Plum Pretty Stakes is replacing the Sunland Park Oaks on the card. The 1 1/16-mile test for 3-year-old fillies features Pletcher shipping in with multiple graded stakes-placed Thrilled; Baffert bringing stakes-placed Family Tree; and local stakes winner K P Wildcat, who won the one-mile Island Fashion Stakes in February.