Zia Park Stakes Recap

Zia Park on Sunday presented a bevy of American Quarter Horse stakes highlighted by the $100,000 Zia Park Championship (G1) won by favored Bigg Picture. Ridden by Noe Garcia Jr. for trainer Wes Giles, the 4-year-old gelding by Big Daddy Cartel broke sharply from post 4 and never gave up the early lead en route to a one-length victory clocked in :21.015 for a 109 speed index at 440 yards. 

Bred in New Mexico by MJ Farms and owned by Uno Menos, Bigg Picture earned his second straight graded stakes win after taking the $200,000 Namehimastreaker New Mexico Classic Championship (RG1) last month at Zia. His record now stands at 21-6-4-6 with earnings of $440,609. It took him 10 attempts to break his maiden, although he did qualify to last year’s All American Derby (G1) before winning a race. He’s come into his own this year with five wins from eight starts after only recording one win in 13 outs as a 2-year-old and 3-year-old. 

Jess A Salty Candy, a Jess Good Candy gelding owned by Stacy Barr and Carol Addison, finished second as a 32-1 longshot. Bout Ta Learn Yall, who came in with two wins this year from as many starts, took third. 

Also on the card, Emilo Perez’s Handin Out Candy extended his winning streak to four in the $100,000 King Rick Rack Stakes (G2) at 870 yards. The Alabama-bred gelding by Jess Good Candy drew clear to win by 1 ¼-lengths under jockey Omar Iturralde and earned a 98 speed index for a time of :44.784. Paul Sedillo is the trainer of the 6-year-old, who was bred by Paris Wixon.

A winner of six of seven starts this year, Handin Out Candy came into this race after a decisive victory in the $118,975 Q-Racing Video Distance Challenge Championship (G1) on October 18 at The Downs at Albuquerque. A winner of nine of 36 lifetime starts, his earnings now stand at $299,581. 

In the $100,000 New Mexico Classic Distaff Stakes (R), Flashtoglory prevailed as the 7-10 favorite for breeder, owner and trainer David Meridyth. A 5-year-old mare by First Moonflash, Flashtoglory got up to win by a neck under jockey Christian Ramos in a time of :17.376 for a 95 speed index at 350 yards. This was the fourth career stakes win for Flashtoglory and it pushed her lifetime earnings over the half-million mark with a bankroll of $553,862 and a record of 26-8-8-4.

Renee Wilson’s Good Things Come, a daughter of Eye Am King, earned her first stakes placing with a runner-up finish. Copy Of Jess took third. 

In the $100,000 Lovington Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds and up at 400 yards, Tungsten Racing Partnership’s Alamos earned his first career stakes win with a 1 ¼-length score in :19.207 for a 102 speed index. Ridden by Christian Ramos for trainer Tony Sedillo, Alamos is a 3-year-old gelding bred in New Mexico by MJ Farms. 

A 3-year-old gelding by Eye Am King, Alamos had four prior victories this year but this marked his first career stakes win. He has won six of his 15 career starts with earnings of $120,401.

Teller Perry MRL, an Oklahoma-bred colt by Teller Cartel owned by Javier Chavez, finished second in his stakes debut. Whiting Ranch’s homebred Whata Lota Boy finished third while hitting the board for the seventh time in as many starts this year. 

In a major upset, 27-1 longshot Apollitical Boogie J scored in a blanket finish in the $100,000 James Isaac Hobbs Stakes (G2) at 350 yards. Jorge Neito-Saenz rode the Apollitical Jess gelding for trainer Jose DeHerrera and owners Paul Blanchard, Javier Chavez and Heysol Howlet. Jaime Gomez bred the 4-year-old in California.

Apollitical Boogie J picked up his second win of the year and fourth victory of his career. The gelding now has earnings of $136,211. 

BP Moonlight, the betting favorite with three wins in her last four starts, took second. Flyingfooserageous was third. 

In the $100,000 Hobbs America Derby Invitational Stakes, Samuel Mendoza’s JS Freightrain sprinted clear to a 1 ¼-length victory and posted a 102 speed index for her 400-yard time of :19.058. Bonifacio Quiroz rode for trainer Heber Deyta-Melendez. 

The Oklahoma-bred filly by Freighttrain B just missed winning her first stakes race last time out when she ran second by a neck in the $247,588 Purina Feeds Texas Classic Oaks at Lone Star Park. This victory was her fifth of the year from seven starts and boosted her lifetime earnings to $208,207.

Pavel, a three-time stakes winner last year, finished second with Eagle Aye, the third-place finisher in the Ruidoso Derby (G1), taking that spot again.

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