The Sunland Derby (G3) has produced one Kentucky Derby winner in it’s brief history and that horse, Mine That Bird, didn’t even hit the board in the race (he ran 4th). The racing gods still have yet to explain Mine That Bird’s subsequent victory on that soggy first Saturday in May, 2009. However, if Saturday’s Sunland Derby winner Chitu finds his way to the roses it would be well within the realm of logic.
Under Martin Garcia, Chitu stumbled slightly at the start of the Sunland Derby but recovered well to be forwardly placed. He then rated willingly in second behind early leader Garen through reasonable fractions. Stablemate Midnight Hawk applied some pressure to both runners on the backstetch and turning for home it was a Bob Baffert-trained showdown between Midnight Hawk and Chitu. The former appeared to gain a narrow advantage in early stretch but Chitu re-broke and got to the wire first. The Sunland Derby was a near carbon copy of the Robert B. Lewis Stakes on February 8, the only exception is that there was a quality closer in the field, Candy Boy, who was along to get past Chitu at the wire.
Watching the Sunland Derby live it wasn’t hard to dismiss Chitu as a speedy horse with distance limitations. But upon further review (which is easy to do on our 3YO Stakes Archive page) it may be a premature to pigeonhole Chitu as simply a middle distance specialist at this point in his career. The Sunland Derby was only his fourth lifetime start after a pair of winning sprints as a juvenile and his runner-up finish in the Lewis. He’s taken each successive step up in distance well and further improvement and development can be expected. If that does indeed happen this is a horse that can be dangerous even at the longer Classic distances.
It’s true that the components of Chitu’s pedigree also slant more toward speed. His sire, Henny Hughes was certainly a fast one and never won beyond 7 furlongs. He was a graded winner at two going 6 furlongs and was runner-up in both the one-mile Champagne Stakes and the 8 1/2-furlong Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). Kept to sprinting as a three-year-old, the son of Hennessy rolled through a trio of graded stakes by a combined 18 lengths, including an easy win over older horses in the Vosburgh Stakes (G1). His sire career has been a mixed bag but he is also the sire of dual champion Beholder, coasting winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at 9 furlongs. Chitu’s dam, Sea Gift, brings the promise of some distance aptitude as she’s a daughter of Belmont Stakes/Breeders’ Cup Classic winner A. P. Indy. However, she was but a maiden winner in Europe and Chitu is her first blacktype runner. Sea Gift’s dam set a new course record in a victory over males in the grassy Bay Meadows Derby (G3) going 9 furlongs at the now-defunct Bay Meadows.
With recent defections of top-class closers like Honor Code and Top Billing, the complexion of this year’s Classics change almost daily. Assuming Chitu makes it to Churchill Downs for Kentucky Derby week, he’s one we’ll be anxious to see in person. If it looks like he’s is blossoming and ready to take another step forward, it could be time to head for the windows.
Matt O'Neil Consulting 