Weekend Wrap-Up by Mike Ahrens: Zia Festival Weekend, July 24 - 26, 2020
Zia Festival weekend was chock full of New Mexico-bred stakes action. Friday saw the Rio Grande Senorita and Senor trials for two-year-old thoroughbreds. Trainer Fred Danley came away with a victory in one of the Senorita trials with Fill The Bill, the disqualified winner of the Mountain Top Futurity, and a second-place effort by Bully Baby. Trainer Joel Marr completed the exacta in the first of the Senorita trials when Atill I Chime held off stablemate Speedy Wildcat who made a strong bid inside the former but could not get past. Assistant to Marr, Clay Sparks, still believes the latter filly may turn out to be the better of the two. Comic Hot Toddy from the barn of trainer Todd Fincher followed up an impressive eight-length win in her debut by running second to Fill The Bill and continued improvement could put her right there in the finals. In the two trials for the Senor trainer Todd Fincher had runners finish first and third, and second and third. Aisle Runner, who should be one of the favorites in the finals, made a bid outside Jornalero but when it was evident to rider Luis Fuentes he was not going to get past that rival was eased up late. Fincher was especially impressed with Delbert Too who was caught wide through the turn and ran on well late while making his first start.
Saturday stakes began with the Sierra Starlet for three-year-old fillies going five and one-half furlongs. Tight Fittin Jeans, trained by Greg Green, dueled inside a rival early, edged clear on the turn and held sway under strong hand-urging to prevail by a length and a half over a muddy sealed surface. "This was the goal," said Green, after Sunland had closed down racing this winter. "I don't like running on bad tracks but she did have a good wet number" and it appeared she took to the track just fine. The next stop is likely a three-year-old filly stake race at Albuquerque.
The Sierra Starlet was followed by the Zia Handicap, which had a very tight finish in which the top six were separated by just a length. The top prize went to Jess a Satin Flash who got up late over No Mires A La Luna with early leader Daddys Wine back in third.
Although 8-1 on the morning line and ending up as the lukewarm 5-2 favorite, trainer Duke Shults had the utmost confidence in Mister Riptide and was rewarded when the three-year-old gelding took the Zia Derby by a neck over the gutsy filly Close To Crazy. Mister Riptide hadn't run as quick in the trial for this as in his prior races but it was his first out since the All American Futurity last year and Shults said he needed the race to get to optimal fitness. Next stop, per Shults, is the All American Derby trials four weeks hence.
Sunday racing began with the Zia 870 Championship. Trainer Mike Joiner completed the exacta running one-two with Wascallywittlewabbit and Regards Miracle. The winner was making his third start, and third victory, under the care of Joiner. "When we got him, the only information we had on the horse was that he just didn't leave the gates very good," Joiner said. "You know what, we just spent a lot of time in the gates with him and he's just made a really good gate horse. And he rode him every time so maybe he's the difference," referring to jockey Benito Jude Baca.
Next Affair overcame a stumble at the start of the Land of Enchantment to sweep past rivals on the second turn and draw clear in the stretch under Luis Fuentes for trainer Joel Marr. It was the five-year-old gelding's first start since January and the addition of a hood today was "just to settle him," according to assistant trainer Clay Sparks. "He gets a bit nervous...ran great today."
The Sierra Blanca Handicap produced a time of 102.00 by Rig Time, which tied the track record set in 2003 by Rocky Gulch. Dueling inside Wheredoesthecashgo, Rig Time took charge under Isaias Enriquez a furlong out and drew clear to win by three and a half lengths. Trainer Weston Martin said next up is a stakes race at Albuquerque for the striking gray five-year-old gelding.
Having seen how well Wheredoesthecashgo ran to be second to the superb Rig Time, one might have had a clue that Cerveza would run well in the following race, the Road Runner Handicap. Cerveza was gaining on that rival in an allowance race here last out and galloped out in front past the wire. Today, after getting bumped at the break, jockey Luis Fuentes calmly guided Cerveza up inside rivals to contest the issue into the turn, edged clear and held sway.
The Zia Quarter Horse Juvenile, for horses who did not qualify for the finals, saw Bigg Dee for trainer J.J. Gonzales break on top and widen the margin to win by a length and a quarter. This gelding ran second in the trials to Cristom, who would go on to be favored in today's finals.
Before Cristom's race, however, was the Lincoln Handicap for three-year-old fillies and mares going six furlongs. Waltzing Attila broke on top under Luis Negron, quickly moved clear and never looked back to
win by four.
The Zia Futurity did not treat Cristom kindly, as the gelding appeared not to like the sealed track labeled good. Hollyn Bootie, ridden by Tanner Thedford and trained by Blane Wood, came in a bit in the early going but soon took charge and kept on to win by a half-length over Woodys Gold, who earlier in the meet had run second beaten just a neck in the Mountain Top Futurity for trainer Clint Crawford.