RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 22, 2019—The ultimate Zia Festival racing program on Sunday offers fastest-qualifier Mister Riptide in the $433,129 Zia Futurity and top-qualifier Zee James racing in the $197,724 Zia Derby at Ruidoso Downs.

They are record purses for each race.

The Zia Futurity and the Zia Derby for quarter horse races carry the two largest purses from the 11 stakes races offered during the Zia Festival on Saturday and Sunday.

The Zia Festival presents one of the most popular weekends of the Ruidoso Downs racing season while celebrating the Land of Enchantment. Numerous vendors offer New Mexico products in a large tent and in the grandstand. There will is a play area for children. The tent and grandstand open at 11 a.m.

First post time for the racing program is 1 p.m.

There will be six stakes races for New Mexico-breds on Sunday afternoon. Also offered is the $50,000 Road Runner Handicap, $50,000 Lincoln Handicap and the $50,000 Land of Enchantment for thoroughbreds. The $50,000 Zia 870 Championship brings together quarter horses and thoroughbreds.

Mark and Annette McCloy's Mister Riptide dominated his competition in his Zia Futurity trial when he won by two-and-three-quarter lengths and his time of :19.483 for 400 yards was the quickest mark from the 11 trials.

Mister Riptide, a striking son of Woodbridge, has been at the top of his division since his debut. He started his career with a one-and-one-half length win in his trial to the $403,985 Mountain Top Futurity while covering the 350 yards in :17.703, the third-fastest qualifying mark. He then finished in a dead heat for fifth place in the $404,357 Mountain Top Futurity.

"He stepped back at the start of the Mountain Top or I think he could have done better," trainer Trey Wood said. "He's doing great. He came back from his (Zia Futurity) trial super good. He was tired after his Mountain Top trial, but that was his first start and to be expected."

Ricky Ramirez rides Mister Riptide from the third post position.

US Alliance Logistic's Honky Tonk Daddy is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the Zia Futurity. The daughter of Big Daddy Cartel won the $393,483 New Mexican Spring Futurity on May 5 and did not start again until the Zia Futurity trials.

The Jose Luis Muela-trained Honky Tonk Daddy won her Zia Futurity trial by two-and-one-half lengths with the fifth-fastest qualifying time of :19.802.

Regular rider Esgar Ramirez is on Honky Tonk Daddy with the fifth post position.

Rex Wells' Colby James brings a strong stakes record into the Zia Futurity. The Jesse James Jr-sired gelding won the Mountain Top Futurity by a nose and was second by a neck behind Honky Tonk Daddy in the Spring Futurity.

Trainer Rudy Valles will have Alan Hernandez ride Colby James from the eighth post position.

Zia Derby

In the Zia Derby, Robert Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey's Zee James raced to a neck win in her trial as the 1-5 favorite to establish the fastest qualifying time of :19.540 for 400 yards.

Zee James won last year's $396,412 New Mexican Spring Futurity and then raced in three more graded stakes for two-year-olds.

A winner of six of her 12 starts, the Wes Giles-trained Zee James has the fourth post position and regular rider Adrian A. Ramos.

Road Runner Handicap
Five-and-one-half furlongs
Three-year-old New Mexico-bred thoroughbreds

Dale Taylor Racing LLC, B.J. McQueen and Suzanne Kirby's Hustle Up has won eight of 11 starts, highlighted by a win over open company in the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park back in February.

The Todd Fincher-trained gelding also has wins over New Mexico-breds in the Copper Top Futurity, Mountain Top Thoroughbred Futurity, Steve Prather Stakes and the Red Hedeman Mile. He has won stakes races at distances from four-and-one-half furlongs to one-and-one-sixteenth mile.

Roimes Chirinos rides Hustle Up for the first time with the fourth post position.

Lincoln Handicap
Six furlongs
Three-year-old and older New Mexico-bred filly and mare thoroughbreds

Dale Taylor Racing's Hennessy Express along with J. Kirk and Judy Robison's homebred Fast Gator each have stakes wins this year.

The Fincher-trained Hennessy Express won the $60,000 Foutz Distaff at SunRay Park two starts ago and then was third as the 3-2 favorite in a Ruidoso Downs' allowance race.

Chirinos rides Hennessy Express with the fifth post position.

Fast Gator took the $85,000 La Coneja Stakes at Sunland Park on February 17. The Joel Marr-trained filly took the lead of the six-furlong stakes at the start and went on to win by two lengths as the 13-10 favorite.

Miguel T. Fuentes Jr. rides Fast Gator from the second post position.

Land of Enchantment Handicap
Seven-and-one-half furlongs
Three-year-old and older New Mexico-bred thoroughbreds

Blazing Navarone, owned by the Estate of Henry Dominguez and George Coleman, is in sharp form for trainer Martin Valdez-Cabral Jr. The gelding drew out to win the $60,000 Jack Cole Handicap at SunRay Park on May 13 and then was a close second as the 3-1 favorite in the $85,000 O.D. McDonald Handicap at Albuquerque Downs.

The gelding has won nine of 19 starts and earned $464,576.

Enrique Portillo Gomez rides Blazing Navarone from the inside post position.

Zia 870 Handicap
870 yards
Three-year-old and older New Mexico-bred thoroughbreds and quarter horses

The thoroughbred Weappear, owned and trained by Nancy Summers, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite after winning a $44,000 conditioned allowance race over 870 yards at SunRay Park in his most recent effort. Last fall, he was a close second in the $50,000 Zia 870 Championship at Zia Park when his late rally came up a neck short of the victory.

Regular rider Duane Sterling has the mount with the fourth post position.

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