Why Two Ready for Sunland Foes

by J.M. Severni

Trainer Mike Machowsky’s will look for his second win in the GIII Sunland Park Derby Sunday when he sends forward Why Two (Bob and John). Machowsky won the 2009 edition of the race, when it was still a listed stakes, with Kelly Leak (Runaway Groom). The lightly raced Why Two graduated in his second start at Santa Anita going seven furlongs Jan. 25 and went pillar-to-post in the 1 1/16-mile Turf Paradise Derby as the heavy favorite last time out Feb. 21. The $120,000 OBS April purchase is campaigned by Ernest Marchosky, Kagele Brothers Inc, Ken Shaw and Lo Hi Stable. Why Two breezed three-furlong bullet in :34.60 Wednesday in preparation for the Sunday’s race. 

“He worked really, really well,” Machowsky commented. “He went a little quicker than I anticipated, but it was well in hand.” 

Why Two will face the likes of prohibitive favorite Firing Line (Line of David), who enters off runner-up efforts in both the GI Los Alamitos Futurity and the GIII Robert B. Lewis S.

Machowsky isn’t worried about the step up in competition though. 

“Not the way he’s trained, not at all,” the conditioner said of his class concerns.”He’s trained really good and I’ve love [the four post where] he drew. The favorite has drawn down inside, so he’s going to have some speed there and my horse is a little better with a target. He’s run three times and when he ran at Turf Paradise, he broke well and he was drawn outside, so the rider just went on with him. He’s better with a target, though, and there’s a decent amount of speed in the race.”