Hustle Up Steals the Show in Mine That Bird Derby
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Photo: Coady Photography
Hustle Up wins the Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park
Hustle Up is not used to finishing off the board.
In two years and 10 starts, the 3-year-old has proved himself to be a consummate professional, winning eight times and never finishing worse than fourth.
Riding high off his first win of 2019 in the Feb. 2 Red Hedeman Mile Stakes at Sunland Park, Hustle Up went gate to wire to keep his win streak alive, scoring by one length in Sunland's $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby.
Run over 1 1/16 miles on a track rated fast, Hustle Up and jockey Shane Laviolette left little to chance Sunday, heading straight to the front of the nine-horse field.
Having established a two-length lead over even-money favorite Wicked Indeed from the break, Laviolette kept a game Hustle Up steady, losing only a half-length by the time they hit six furlongs in 1:11.09.
Widening his lead to three lengths in the upper stretch, Hustle Up kicked clear of Wicked Indeed, whose five-wide advance on the far turn closed the gap but proved too late.
Final time for the race was 1:42.31.
Owned by Dale F. Taylor Racing, Bobby J. McQueen, and Suzanne Kirby and trained by Todd Fincher, the son of Abstraction earned his fourth black-type win. Bred in New Mexico out of the In Excess mare Speedin Excess, he has amassed $363,143 in earnings.
Two races earlier in the $75,000 Curribot Handicap, Runaway Ghost stalked the pace to another victory following his Feb. 2 score in Sunland's Ft. Bliss Stakes.
Joe Peacock's homebred Ghostzapper colt seems to have maintained his winning form after returning to the track in early February. The 4-year-old was sidelined by a shin injury after his win in the March 25 Sunland Derby (G3).
Breaking third from the far outside post, jockey Santiago Gonzalez moved Runaway Ghost up in third only 1 1/2 lengths behind leader American Dubai.
Clicking off fractions of :24.25, :47.46, and 1:10.56 for six furlongs, Runaway Ghost moved into second to challenge at the half-mile. On even terms with the frontrunner as they entered the stretch, Runaway Ghost drew away yards from the wire to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Final time for the 1 1/6-mile dirt test was 1:41.44.
Also trained by Fincher, Runaway Ghost has a 6-2-0 record from nine starts, with $653,510 in earnings.
Rounding out the undercard stakes, Tommy Town Thoroughbreds' Victim of Love rallied from the back of the field to win the $75,000 Island Fashion Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 1 3/4 lengths.
Trained by Henry Dominguez and ridden by Ry Eikleberry, the daughter of Speightstown broke her maiden one start prior Jan. 22 at Sunland by an impressive 11 3/4 lengths. Bred in Kentucky by Daniel J. Burke out of the stakes-winning Awesome Again mare Spacy Tracy, Victim of Love has two wins and one placing from four starts, with earnings of $63,400.