Wanna Runner Pulls Victory at WinStar Derby

Bob Baffert-trained Wanna Runner left the pacesetting Blaze It behind on the far turn on his way to demolishing an overmatched field by 4 3/4 lengths in the $600,000 WinStar Derby at Sunland Park in New Mexico Saturday.

Victor Espinoza joined his main trainer Baffert at Sunland to register an easy win aboard the Canadian-bred son of El Corredor. Wanna Runner notched his first stakes victory, but the win does nothing to get the colt to the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) next month. In spite of a $300,000 winner’s share, the purse doesn’t count toward Derby eligibility because the WinStar is an non-graded race.

"He looked pretty awesome today," said Baffert, who said Wanna Runner remains under consideration for the Derby. "He sat off that pace, and I really liked how he was extending. Victor tells me this horse is better than we thought.

The winning time was 1:48 4/5 on a fast track, breaking the stakes record set last year by Thor’s Echo. The time was three ticks off the track mark. Wanna Runner, who wore blinkers again after Baffert took them off for his last start, paid $3.80, $3 and $2.20 as the 9-10 choice in the nine-horse field. The all-Baffert exacta with Sky Diving was worth $21.20.

The winner gained his third victory in seven starts which pushed his bankroll to $381,950. Wanna Runner won for the first time in three starts as a 3-year-old. He ran fifth in the El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) in his last start Jan. 29 at Bay Meadows when Baffert removed blinkers. Two weeks prior to that, he finished third behind Brother Derek in the San Rafael (gr. II) at Santa Anita.