BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

HOBBS, NM–NOVEMBER 21, 2024–This year’s two-day New Mexico Classics festival at Zia Park gets underway with seven Quarter Horse stakes on Sunday.

Following is a preview of all seven stakes, listed in the order they will be run:

NEW MEXICO CLASSICS JUVENILE STAKES-R
Purse, $60,000–350 yards–2-year-olds

Pavel, a gelded son of the Corona stallion Czar Cartel MV owned and trained by Jorge Luis Sanchez Jr., heads a field of 11 state-bred 2-year-olds entered in Sunday’s 350-yard, $60,000 New Mexico Classics Juvenile Stakes-R.

A two-time graded stakes winner last spring, Pavel has earned $297,190 from seven races, Pavel has won six starts, including the April 6, 300-yard New Mexican Spring Futurity-RG2 at Sunland Park, and the May 18, 350-yard New Mexico Breeders’ Futurity-RG3 at SunRay Park. The gelding was a $6,000 yearling purchase at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs.

Pavel drew post 9 and will be ridden by Luis Martinez.

NEW MEXICO CLASSICS SOPHOMORE STAKES-R
Purse, $60,000–400 yards–3-year-olds

Seven state-bred 3-year-olds, led by early favorite Wood Be Bad, are entered in Sunday’s 400-yard, $60,000 New Mexico Classics Sophomore Stakes-R.

Wood Be Bad is a bay son of the Dash Ta Fame stallion Woodbridge trained by James Gonzales III for owner Rancho El 48 LLC. An $80,000 yearling buy at the 2022 New Mexico-Bred Yearling Sale, the gelding has won four of his eight races–including last year’s 400-yard, $100,000 New Mexico State Fair Juvenile Stakes-R at Albuquerque Downs–and he has banked $148,085.

Wood Be Bad’s sophomore season includes a second-place finish, one length behind winner Miss Hi Tide, in the June 15, $175,000 Mountain Top Derby-R at Ruidoso Downs. The gelding drew post 4 and will be ridden by Francisco Calderon.

NEW MEXICO CLASSICS 870 CHAMPIONSHIP-RG3
Purse, $150,000–870 yards–3-year-olds and older

Seven New Mexico-bred distance specialists, led by Freedom Flash and Fast Flashn, are entered in Sunday’s 870-yard, $150,000 New Mexico Classics 870 Championship-RG3.

A homebred 8-year-old son of champion First Moonflash, Freedom Flash is trained by Todd Fincher for owners Pierre Amestoy Jr., Leslie Amestoy, and Roger K. Beasley. The bay gelding has earned $120,395 from five races this year, and he began his season with a wire-to-wire, four-length victory in the February 4, $100,000 Starr Western Wear Stakes-R at Sunland Park.

Freedom Flash has won eight of his 19 starts at the 870-yard distance, including the last two runnings of this stakes. The gelding drew the rail post and will be ridden by Christian Ramos.

Fast Flashn prepped for this race with a wire-to-wire, six-length win in an 870-yard, $77,000 allowance race for New Mexico-breds at Zia Park on November 2. James Gonzales III trains the 4-year-old gelded son of A Passion For Flashn for owner Billy Tarango.

Fast Flashn drew post 7 and will be ridden by Alfredo Juarez Jr.

NEW MEXICO CLASSICS DISTAFF CHAMPIONSHIP-RG1
Purse, $200,000–400 yards–Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and older

Uno Menos’ Miss Hi Tide, a multiple stakes winning 3-year-old Woodbridge filly, will face older opponents for the first time in Sunday’s 400-yard, $200,000 New Mexico Classics Distaff Championship-RG1.

Trained by Wes Giles, Miss Hi Tide is coming off of an Albuquerque Downs campaign during which she won the 400-yard, $442,000 New Mexico State Fair Derby-RG3 on October 13, and ran second, a half of a length behind winner Especially Goodcandy, in the open 440-yard, $662,000 All American Oaks-G1 on September 2. The filly was an $80,000 purchase at the 2022 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.

Miss Hi Tide drew post 7 and will be ridden by Adrian Ramos.

Other contenders include Fine Am Eye, a multiple stakes winning 4-year-old Eye Am King mare trained by James Gonzales III for owner Backdoor Thoroughbreds LLC. Fine Am Eye will be stretching out in distance off of her three-quarter length win in the October 27, 350-yard Champagne Lane Stakes-R at Albuquerque Downs.

Fine Am Eye drew post 6 and will be ridden by Noe Garcia Jr.

NEW MEXICO CLASSICS CHAMPIONSHIP-RG1
Purse, $200,000–440 yards–3-year-olds and older

Jose R. Riojas’ RC Corona King will return to facing state-bred company in Sunday’s 440-yard, $200,000 New Mexico Classics Championship-RG1.

A 4-year-old Eye Am King gelding trained by Gerardo Quinonez, RC Corona King is coming off of a fifth-place finish in the 440-yard, $350,000 Albuquerque Fall Championship-G1 on October 5. Prior to that race, RC Corona King scored a neck victory against New Mexico-breds in the 440-yard, $75,000 First Moonflash Maturity-RG2 at Albuquerque Downs.

RC Corona King drew post 4 and will be ridden by Sergio Dominguez.

Vintage Bourdeaux has won his last two starts, including a 400-yard, $77,000 allowance dash at Zia Park for New Mexico-breds on November 3.Tony Sedillo trains the 4-year-old Eye Am King gelding for the Tungsten Racing Partnership.

Vintage Bourdeaux drew post 3 and will be ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr.

NEW MEXICO CLASSICS DERBY-RG2
Purse, $229,210–400 yards–3-year-olds

Bigg Picture, a gray son of Big Daddy Cartel trained by Wes Giles for owner Uno Menos, leads a field of state-bred sophomores entered back in Sunday’s 400-yard, $229,210 New Mexico Classics Derby-RG3.

Bigg Picture was the ninth-fastest qualifier from three trials run on November 3. However, the gelding was coming off of an Albuquerque Downs campaign during which he ran second, one length behind winner Miss Hi Tide, in the New Mexico State Fair Derby-RG3 and qualified to Quarter Horse racing’s richest race for 3-year-olds, the September 2, $1.041-million All American Derby-G1.

Bigg Picture drew post 7 and will be ridden by Adrian Ramos.

NEW MEXICO CLASSICS FUTURITY-RG2
Purse, $340,708–350 yards–2-year-olds

Multiple stakes winner Woody Rocks drew post 3 for Sunday’s 350-yard, $340,708 New Mexico Classics Futurity-RG2.

Trained by Tony Sedillo for owner CHR Racing, Woody Rocks has won all three of his outs at the 350 trip, including one of 12 trials on November 2. The sorrel son of Woodbridge has earned $200,994 from seven races, and his five wins include a neck victory in the 400-yard, $368,000 Zia Futurity-RG1 at Albuquerque Downs on July 28.

Woody Rocks will be ridden by Christian Ramos.

All Zia Park races can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.

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