Shakin It Up stretches out in Sunland Derby

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Sunland Park, NM (Sports Network) - San Vicente Stakes winner Shakin It Up tops a field of nine 3-year-olds in Sunday's $800,000 Sunland Derby at Sunland Park. The 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Derby prep will have an approximate post-time of 7:40 p.m. (ET).

As part of the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" points system, the Sunland Derby is worth 50 points to the winning horse for entry into the Run for the Roses.

One of two horses in the race trained by Bob Baffert, Shakin It Up will start from post 4 with David Flores again in the saddle. Co-owned by Mike Pegram, the colt will be making his initial start in a race longer than seven furlongs.

Shakin It Up won last month's San Vicente by a length after coming from off the pace at San Anita. After finishing second in his debut last October, the colt won his maiden race by 4 1/2 lengths and finished third in the Hollywood Prevue in November.

With two wins in four starts Shakin It Up has banked $139,600.

Baffert's other entrant is Govenor Charlie who will be ridden by Martin Garcia from post 7. He is also owned by Mike Pegram.

Local winner Dry Summer goes for his third straight victory at Sunland Park after claiming the $120,000 Mine That Bird Derby last month. Trained by Joel Marr, Dry Summer will break from post 6 with Carlos Madeira in the saddle.

Dry Summer, owned by Sam Britt and Michael House, won the Mine That Bird as the 6-5 favorite. He had won an allowance race at the track four weeks earlier.

"I think everything worked out extremely great. I could not believe how slow they were going on the front end. No one could close with that pace. He was in a good spot throughout. When he came to New Mexico, he was ready to run," Marr said after winning the Mine That Bird Derby.

Last year, Dry Summer was trained by Jeff Mullins and won the Oak Tree Juvenile Turf at Del Mar in September after winning for the first time in his second start. He finished eighth in the FrontRunner Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 29 and 11th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Dry Summer began his 3-year-old campaign with a fourth in the Sham Stakes at San Anita before coming to New Mexico.

The 3-year-old has earned $205,680 with four wins in eight starts.

Here is the field for the Sunland Derby in post position order: Just Win Baby. Alonzo Quinonez; Abraham, John Velazquez; Stormdriver, Ry Eikleberry; Shakin It Up, David Flores; Saint Prado, Rafael Bejarano; Dry Summer, Carlos Madeira; Govenor Charlie, Martin Garcia; Mudflats, Edwin Maldonado and Show Some Magic, Luis Contreras.