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© Coady Photography
BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI
HOBBS, NM—NOVEMBER 29, 2018—Five official stakes for American Quarter Horses, topped by the 440-yard, $200,000 Zia Park Championship (G1), will headline Sunday’s 10-race program at Zia Park.
A field of 12 aged runners, including two also-eligible entries, has been entered in the Zia Park Championship. Major Bites, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, will be facing open company off of his 1 1/2-length victory in the 440-yard, $170,000 Namehimastreaker New Mexico Cup Championship (G1) at Zia Park on November 4. Trained by Jesus Carrete for owner Israel Bordier, the 5-year-old Jesse James Jr gelding has won four of five starts and has banked $306,000 this season, with his only loss being a second-place finish to two-time reigning world champion Jessies First Down in the September 23, $300,000 Albuquerque Fall Championship (G1).
Major Bites drew post 3 and will be ridden by Jose Alvarez.
Other contenders include Believe Me Irene, a 3-year-old daughter of Valiant Hero who will be facing older horses for the first time off of her neck victory in the 440-yard, $220,000 Hobbs America Derby (G3) in October. Trained by Jose Luis Muela for owner Diamond Racing Stables, the filly drew post 5 and will be ridden by Esgar Ramirez.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
- Apollitical Brooke (Irving Delgado-Bustillos), 15-1
- Papaws Paint (Bonifacio Perez), 9-2
- Major Bites (Jose Alvarez), 5-2
- Tough To Bee (Ricky Ramirez), 5-1
- Believe Me Irene (Esgar Ramirez), 7-2
- Katella Deli (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 15-1
- Valiant Rogue (Alonso Rivera), 15-1
- Jess Bein The Hero (Manuel Gutierrez), 8-1
- A Passion For Flashn (Jesse Levario), 20-1
- Apolltical Chad (Adrian Ramos), 10-1
- AE-Putinical (Joseph Belloc Jr.), 6-1
- AE-SF Hot Pass (Francisco Calderon), 3-1
Southwest Juvenile Invitational Championship (G1)
Eagle Coast, a stakes-winning son of One Dashing Eagle trained by Jose Luis Muela for owner Ernesto Palacio, will make his next start in Sunday’s 440-yard, $150,000 Southwest Juvenile Invitational Championship (G1) for 2-year-olds.
Eagle Coast is coming off of a nose victory in the 400-yard, $344,000 Hobbs America Futurity (G1) at Zia Park on October 7. The gelding has won three of seven starts and has earned $209,658, and his season resume includes a third-place finish, a half of a length behind winner Suze Returns, in the April 14, 300-yard West Texas Futurity (G2) at Sunland Park.
Eagle Coast drew post 6 and will be ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr. His opponents include Licon Farm and Ranch LLC’s Tools In The Sky, a gelded son of First Down Dash trained by Mike Joiner. Tools In The Sky’s summer campaign at Ruidoso Downs included a fourth-place run, one length behind winner Apocalyptical Jess, in the 440-yard, $3-million All American Futurity (G1) on September 3.
Tools In The Sky drew post 2 and will be ridden by Felipe Garcia-Luna.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
- Suze Returns (Tanner Thedford), 4-1
- Tools In The Sky (Felipe Garcia-Luna), 6-1
- Tyson Gay (Alonso Rivera), 15-1
- Wokatee On Fire (James Flores), 8-1
- Jest Famous (Ricky Ramirez), 2-1
- Eagle Coast (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 9-2
- Zee James (Adrian Ramos), 12-1
- Jess Versiontino (Jesse Levario), 30-1
- Viva Le Don (Randy Wilson), 10-1
- Taking The Stage (Manuel Gutierrez), 20-1
- AE-Moonflash Numbers (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 15-1
- AE-Jess Saying (Raul Ramirez Jr.), 10-1
This Is A Deal Too, a homebred 3-year-old son of Dealagame owned by Pete Scarmardo, will make his debut against older horses in Sunday’s 400-yard, $50,000 Lovington Stakes (G2).
Trained by Jackie Riddle, This Is A Deal Too will be shortening in distance off of his fourth-place finish, three-quarters of a length behind winner Hotstepper, in the 440-yard, $376,000 Texas Classic Derby (G1) at Lone Star Park on November 10. The gelding drew post 7 and will be ridden by Francisco Calderon.
Other contenders include Paragon Farms’ Hierarchy, a sophomore son of champion FDD Dynasty trained by Blane Wood. Raced at Ruidoso Downs last summer, the gelding ran second, a neck behind winner Intense Fire, in the 440-yard, $100,000 First Down Dash Stakes on September 2, and third, one length behind winner Jess Move You, in the 400-yard, $759,000 Ruidoso Derby (G1) in June.
Hierarchy drew post 2 and will be ridden by Raul Ramirez Jr.
The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
- Born To B Bad (Cody Smith), 12-1
- Hierarchy (Raul Ramirez Jr.), 10-1
- Mr Perry Strong (Felipe Garcia-Luna), 9-2
- Strykr Force (Martin Felix), 8-1
- Apollitical Ok (Manuel Gutierrez), 5-1
- Swiss White Wine (Jose Alvarez), 20-1
- This Is A Deal Too (Francisco Calderon), 8-1
- Mojo Perry (Esgar Ramirez), 8-1
- Myst Fit (Ricky Ramirez), 7-2
- Boogies Special Dash (Adrian Ramos), 6-1
- AE-A Special Dynasty (Tanner Thedford), 15-1
- AE-FDD Can Jazz (Santos Carrizales), 20-1
Also on Sunday, Zoomin Racer heads a field of distance specialists in the 870-yard, $50,000 King Rick Rack Stakes. Owned and trained by Jesus Carrete of Albuquerque, the 5-year-old son of Jess Zoomin has banked $79,679 from five outs this season, and her four wins include a three-quarter length victory as the fastest qualifier and 3-5 favorite in the July 29, 870-yard AQHA Albuquerque Distance Challenge at Albuquerque Downs. Zoomin Racer drew post 3 and will be ridden by Jansen Melancon.
All Zia Park races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.