Zia Park Championship Preview

Zia Park on Sunday will present a card loaded with seven $100,000 stakes highlighted by the 20th running of the Zia Park Championship Invitational (G1) at 440 yards. 

The morning line favorite is Texas-bred Shakers No Secret, who earlier this year earned the title of AQHA Supreme Race Horse. Trained by Marc Jungers for owners Abel Lopez, Ethan Lopez and Manny Dutchover, the 5-year-old gelding by Five Bar Cartel is seeking his third Grade 1 victory after taking this year’s Championship at Sunland Park and last year’s AQHA Racing Challenge Championship. Shakers No Secret has also finished second in three Grade 1 events this season at Remington Park and Los Alamitos. Bred by Garlyn Shelton, Shakers No Secret has banked $770,744 with 10 wins from 35 career starts. He will break from post 9 with Christian Ramos named to ride.

Another top contender is Pete Scarmardo’s homebred Hes A Jet One, who comes in off a second-place finish in the Refrigerator Championship Stakes (G1) at Lone Star Park last month. The gelded son of EC Jet One has earned $355,290 on the track and has nine victories from 34 trips to the post. The John Stinebaugh trainee drew post 3 and will have Ricky Ramirez in the saddle. 

Utah-bred Bout Ta Learn Yall brings a perfect two-for-two record this year into his Grade 1 debut. The Apollitical Jess gelding ended his 2024 campaign with a runner-up finish in the Lovington Stakes (G2) at Zia Park, and this year he's won the John Andreini Memorial Stakes at Ruidoso Downs and an allowance contest at The Downs at Albuquerque. Sebastian Gonzales trains for owner Francisco Navarrete, and the 4-year-old has post 7 with Christian Cardenas set to ride.

The other $100,000 stakes on the card are the King Rick Rack Stakes (G2) at 870 yards, New Mexico Classic Distaff (R) for state-bred fillies and mares at 350 yards, Lovington Stakes (G2) at 400 yards, James Isaac Hobbs Stakes (G2) at 350 yards, Southwest Juvenile Invitational (G2) at 400 yards and Hobbs America Derby Invitational at 400 yards. 

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