Twice the Appeal upsets Sunland Derby at 25-1

Twice the Appeal proved best in the Sunland Derby (Coady Photography)

With $400,000 up for grabs to the winner of Sunday’s $800,000

Sunland Derby (G3), a field of 11 sophomores lined up in the
starting gate, each hoping to stamp his ticket
to the first Saturday in May. When the dust had settled, the connections
of TWICE THE APPEAL (Successful Appeal) found themselves basking in the
New Mexico sun as their dark bay colt had his picture taken in the winner’s
circle following a 1 1/2-length victory.

Jockey Christian Santiago-Reyes settled Twice the Appeal in midpack
as Sinai (Rockport Harbor) gunned straight to the front and proceeded to
set swift fractions of :22 3/5, :45 and 1:10 4/5. Beer Meister (Pleasant
Tap) was keeping close tabs on the leader, while near 3-1 second choice
Astrology (A.P. Indy) kept Fusa Code (Fusaichi Pegasus) company just in
behind.

The pace took its toll on Sinai, and the 2-1 favorite completely
stopped following his six-furlong split, backing all the way up to last
between calls. Astrology was just waiting for his chance and pounced on
the lead in the stretch. However, Twice the Appeal was making his move
after going wide around the turn and caught his season-debuting rival in
the lane. The Jeff Bonde trainee inched away in the final yards to be 1
1/2 lengths clear on the wire while finishing up the nine-furlong,
fast-track test in 1:50 4/5.

Twice the Appeal took seven tries to break his maiden (Coady Photography)

Campaigned by Edward J. Brown Jr., Victor Flores and Henry Hernandez,
Twice the Appeal began his career competing on the synthetic Polytrack
at Del Mar in August. He didn’t manage a top three finish until moving
over to Fairplex Park’s dirt track, where he ran third, placed second
via disqualification, in a maiden on September 25. Transferred back to
the synthetics, this time the Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields, the dark bay
managed a runner-up effort against maiden rivals before finishing third
over that track’s turf in November.

Twice the Appeal started twice more as a juvenile, finishing fifth
back on the Tapeta before finally getting his initial win in a maiden
claimer at Santa Anita Park on December 29. He returned 16 days later
and stretched out to a mile against winners, resulting in a 4 3/4-length
victory for the newly turned three-year-old. The colt made his stakes
bow in the Turf Paradise Derby on February 26, boldly rallying for
second, but in the process lugged in at the sixteenth-pole and
interfered with Mr Artistic M D (Mr. Greeley). After an objection lodged
by Mr Artistic M D’s rider, the stewards disqualified Twice the Appeal
and placed him fourth.