Steal Sunshine weaved his way through traffic to come away with a rousing 3 ¼-length win in Sunday’s $200,000 Ellis Park Derby.
The 3-year-old Constitution colt now has a three-race winning streak, the latest two coming in stakes, and has now earned $233,910 for Carrie Brogden and Little Red Feather Racing.
Constitution leads the 2022 Fourth-Crop Sire list with 25 stakes horses and 13 graded stakes horses.
Steal Sunshine, who was coming off a July 9 win in the Carry Back S. at Gulfstream Park, was shuffled back to last in the field of nine as they made their way onto the backstretch. He gained a bit of ground going into the far turn, but was stuck behind some very heavy traffic turning into the homestretch. When an opening appeared, he shot between horses, then dived back down onto the rail and sped past the pacesetter Rome to win going away.
The final time on a fast track was 1:38.19.
“When he hit the hole in the stretch, he ran all the way to the wire,” winning jockey Leonel Reyes said.
Steal Sunshine was bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall and is the first foal out of Warm Sunshine, who is a half-sister to Florida Derby (G1) runner-up Reveron.
Note: Ellis Park Derby video begins at the 4:54.42 mark.
