Trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. made successful excursions to Hobbs, N.M., on Tuesday, teaming up to win three of seven stakes on Zia Park's biggest day of racing including the $250,000 Zia Park Derby with prohibitive favorite Super Stock. They also won the $200,000 Zia Park Oaks with Pauline's Pearl and $50,000 Zia Park Princess Stakes with Optionality.
Second-place finishes by Casual in the $75,000 Zia Park Distaff Stakes and by Tenfold in the Zia Park Championship Handicap kept Asmussen and Ortiz from going a perfect five-for-five on a 10-race card that offered $775,000 in added-money purses.
Only three horses lined up against Super Stock, the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby winner owned by Asmussen's father, Keith Asmussen, and Erv Woolsey. The Dialed In colt sat just off the lead as Pirate Junction set the pace early, then took command on the far turn and went on to win by 1 1/4 lengths, covering 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.73. Tesoro was up for second with Pirate Junction third and Convention fourth.
The win, worth $150,000 to Super Stock's connections, was the colt's fourth in 14 career starts. He paid $2.10 to win as the 1-20 favorite.
Stonestreet Stables LLC's homebred Pauline's Pearl was the second betting choice at 6-5 in the Oaks, but the gray Tapit filly raced past 9-10 favorite Lady Mystify in the final furlong to win by 1 1/2 lengths under Ortiz. Lady Mystify, from the barn of California-based Peter Eurton and ridden by Flavien Prat, finished second, with Gemstone Gal third in the field of six 3-year-old fillies.
Pauline's Pearl, out of the Dixie Union mare Hot Dixie Chick, was winning for the third time in 10 starts, her most recent victory coming in the G3 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn in April. She was clocked in 1:42.71 for 1 1/16 miles, earned $120,000 and paid $4.40 on a $2 win mutuel.
Pauline's Pearl and Irad Ortiz Jr. winning the Zia Park Oaks
Optionality, carrying the maroon and white colors of Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, aired by 6 1/2 lengths under Ortiz as the 11-10 favorite in the Princess, running six furlongs in 1:09.16 and giving leading freshman sire Gun Runner – who had campaigned for Winchell and was trained by Asmussen – his sixth stakes winner of 2021. It was the second win from five starts for Optionality, who broke her maiden last out by 6 3/4 lengths at Indiana Grand on Oct. 26.
B4 Farms LLC's Canoodling was 5 3/4 lengths best over 7-10 favorite Casual in the Distaff for trainer Todd Fincher and jockey Roimes Chirinos. The 3-year-old filly by Pioneerof the Nile ran six furlongs in 1:08.44, winning for the sixth time in 12 career starts.
B4 Farms and Fincher clicked earlier on the card with Bye Bye Bobby winning the Juvenile Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths under Chirinos, defeating 13-10 favorite Aquitania Arrival, a California-based gelding trained by Peter Miller and ridden by Prat. Bye Bye Bobby, a 2-year-old colt by Quality Road out of Revel in the Win, by Red Bullet, was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC and was purchased from the Summerfield consignment for $870,000 as a yearling. Bye Bye Bobby paid $9.80 to win.
Zestful won the Zia Park Championship by a head over the 6-year-old Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred millionaire Tenfold, the even-money favorite. Zestful, trained by Bart Hone and ridden by Prat, races for Stable HMA, which claimed the 6-year-old gelding for $80,000 at Del Mar on Aug. 22. The son of Ghostzapper, coming off a victory in the Bull Dog Stakes at the Fresno fair in California, was winning for the 12th time in 38 starts. He ran 1 1/8 miles in 1.49.35.
Winner's circle presentation for the Zia Park Derby, won by Super Stock
The post Super Stock Leads Trio Of Stakes Winners For Asmussen, Irad Ortiz Jr. On Zia Park Derby Card appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
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