Rolling to a five-length victory on Sunday in the $800,000 Sunland Derby (G3), Govenor Charlie capped a huge day at the New Mexico track for Bob Baffert, owner Mike Pegram, and the sire Midnight Lute, the two-time Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner who Baffert trained for Pegram.

Govenor Charlie's track record-setting performance came a little more than a half-hour after the Baffert and Pegram team took the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks with Midnight Lucky, who is also by Midnight Lute.

With assistant trainer Jim Barnes on hand for the saddling duties, Govenor Charlie was sent away the 6-5 favorite in the field of nine 3-year-olds. After a bit of a scramble into the first turn, Governor Charlie was three wide around the bend. The pace was pretty quick, a half-mile in :46.22, but Martin Garcia urged Govenor Charlie to the front after three-quarters in 1:09.96.

Straightening for home Govenor Charlie asserted himself with authority, drawing away with every stride to stop the timer in 1:47.54 for the nine furlongs, besting a track record of 1:48.51 that was set in 1961.

Govenor Charlie earned 50 points under the system put in place this year by Churchill Downs to determine eligibility to the May 4 Kentucky Derby (G1).

“I got my first 50-point horse!” Baffert said. “It was a great day.”

Pegram bred and owns Govenor Charlie, who is out of the unraced Storm Cat mare Silverbulletway, a daughter of Silverbulletday, a Kentucky Oaks (G1) and two-time Eclipse Award winner for Pegram.

“The Derby’s the hardest race in the world to win,” Pegram said. “We all get Derby fever, and I’ve got it right now.
“But losing the Derby’s no fun,” said Pegram, who owned 1998 Derby and Preakness winner Real Quiet. “If he’s good enough, he’ll be there. It’ll be up to Bobby.”

This was the second Sunland Derby for Baffert and Pegram, who took the 2006 renewal with Wanna Runner.