Of all the horses that have narrowly missed winning the Triple Crown in recent years, the most promising might have been Charismatic, who came within yards of pulling off the feat in 1999.

Charismatic was leading the Belmont Stakes with just a furlong left, but took a bad step and suffered both condylar and sesamoid fractures. Jockey Christ Antley, who is credited with saving the horse’s life, pulled him up at the wire.

Such twists of fate are worth keeping in mind as we start sizing up the hot 3-year-olds on this year’s Derby trail. But it’s hard not to get excited about Charismatic’s son, Sun King, who made a strong showing in his 3-year-old debut with a 5 3/4-length victory in a one mile allowance race Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Running for the first time since his third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Sun King settled in on the backstretch, and ran just off the pace through healthy early fractions. On the turn, Sun King kicked into gear. Jockey Edgar Prado took him three wide and shortly joined the leaders, at which point Sun King took control of the race.

Hal’s Image had set the pace with constant pressure from Monarch Lane. Both horses were tiring at the top of the stretch, and both horses caved. Survivalist got through on the inside and engaged with Sun King for a moment, but the charging Sun King shook him and drew off. Prado kept the horse’s attention on the job, and Sun King hit the wire 5 1/2 lengths out front. Survivalist hung on for a game place.

“That was extremely impressive,” trainer Nick Zito told the press afterward. “I couldn’t have asked him to do any better. Edgar rode him perfectly. I didn’t want him to get in a speed duel or have him be used too hard the first time back. It’s a long year.”

The win will no doubt send Sun King’s odds to the floor when the second Derby Future Pool opens March 10. But the horse still has a lot to prove.

First of all, Sun King has yet to win a graded stakes race. When his connections bumped him up last year and put him in deep company, he faltered. First, in the Champagne Stakes last October at Belmont, he was up in the running but was out-finished by Afleet Alex and Proud Accolade.

At the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Sun King was in the race all the way, and moved up to duel for the lead on the second turn. He was between horses and was looking good until the final sixteenth, at which point he weakened slightly, and gave way to A fleet Alex. Longshot Wilco dashed past them both to grab the race.

“He needed time to develop after the Breeders’ Cup,” Zito told the press on Saturday, “which is why I waited until now to get started, but it worked out good this way.”

It certainly did. But it’s important to keep in mind that Saturday’s victory, while impressive, was only Sun King’s second. His last was a $46,000 Maiden Special Weight at Belmont. That race, too, was run at a mile.

The horse has certainly developed since last year. He looks good, and he certainly looked like he had gas in the tank on Saturday. But look to his next race – yet to be determined but no doubt in deeper company – to see what he’s really got.

The son of Charismatic, Sun King looks like a possible contender in May. But the horse still has a lot to prove.