Sunland Park Horse Racing Picks Including KY Derby Prep Sunland Derby for Sunday 3/26/23

The Sunland Derby Championship Series race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby headlines seven stakes races Sunday at Sunland Park in New Mexico. Picks are provided, including for the Sunland Oaks - a Kentucky Oaks prep race. Post time for Sunday's races at Sunland Park is 2:20 p.m. ET.

As always, check the program for scratches and changes, monitor the weather and keep an eye on the track conditions.

(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure in selected races, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races after adjusting for track, distances, and conditions).

Sunland Park Betting

According to numberFire horse racing projections, these are some of the best bets to make at FanDuel Racing today.

1. Antonios Mark and Thruthestorm, Race 6

FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/1 and 7/2
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Race 6 is the $250,000 New Mexico Breeders' Derby for state-bred 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles. The numberFire data picks Antonios Mark (5/1), Thruthestorm (7/2), both on the inside, along with Still in the Trap (4/1) on the outside No. 12 post as the top 3 finishers.

2. Flying Connection and Doinitthehardway, Race 8

FanDuel Racing Odds: 9/5 and 2/1
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Race 8 is the $300,000 Sunland Park Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. This is a Kentucky Oaks Championship Series race with the top 5 finishers awarded qualifying points (50-20-15-10-5). The numberFire algorithm projects the two favorites to decide the race. Doinitthehardway (2/1) is ridden by Flavien Prat for trainer Bob Baffert, who is ineligible to run horses in the Kentucky Derby.

Flying Connection (9/5) is on the rail, and he's won a pair of minor stakes in his last three starts including at this track a month ago with a 95 speed figure going 1-mile wire-to-wire to win by 9-lengths.

3. Hard to Figure and Fort Bragg, Race 10

FanDuel Racing Odds: 2/1 and 4/1
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Race 10 is the $600,000 Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. This is a Kentucky Derby Championship Series race with the top 5 finishers awarded qualifying points (50-20-15-10-5). The numberFire data picks the favorite Hard to Figure (2/1) ahead of Henry Q (3/1). Those two are also top win contenders of Horse Racing Nation's Super Screener picks, along with Fort Bragg (4/1).

Hard to Figure is ridden by Flavien Prat for controversial trainer Bob Baffert. Juan Hernandez, the top jockey at Santa Anita, flies in to ride Fort Bragg for trainer Tim Yakteen, or former Baffert assistant. Hard to Figure finished second by a neck to the heavy favorite in the Derby prep Robert B. Lewis Stakes last month with a 102 speed figure. Hard to Figure is not eligible for KY Derby points as Baffert remains suspended from running horses at Churchill Downs.

Fort Bragg is very talented, and will run better second race off a layoff. He's a son of Tapit, and finished fifth in the KY Derby prep San Felipe Stakes earlier this month with a 100 speed figure. So. California horses have won 9 of the last 17 editions of this race.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.