Hall of Famer and North American Thoroughbred racing's all-time leading trainer Steve Asmussen and three-time Eclipse Award winner as the country's outstanding jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., will be well represented at Zia Park on its Tuesday, Nov. 23 Land of Enchantment stakes card. The duo sends out horses in six of the seven stake races, including the odds-on morning line favorite in three of them.
First post for the 10-race card will be 12:00 PM Mountain Time.
Headlining the $250,000 Zia Park Derby is Grade 1 winner Super Stock, winner of the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn in April. Super Stock finished 16th in this year's Kentucky Derby and will be making his twelfth straight start in stakes company. Last out, the son of Dialed In checked in third in the Oklahoma Derby (G3) on Sept. 26. Super Stock is the 1-5 morning line favorite in the field of five 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles.
Asmussen also sends out heavy favorites Casual (3-5 morning line) in the $75,000 Zia Park Distaff at six furlongs and multiple stakes winner Tenfold (8-5 morning line) in the $75,000 Zia Park Championship at a mile and one-eighth.
Assmussen will also saddle graded stakes winner Pauline's Pearl (9-5 morning line) in the $200,000 Zia Park Oaks at one mile and one-sixteenth, Optionality (3-1 morning line) in the $50,000 Zia Park Princess at six furlongs and Much Better (4-1 morning line) in the $75,000 Zia Park Sprint at six furlongs.
Ortiz, Jr., who took home his three Eclipse Awards in 2018, 2019 and 2020 is currently 2021's leading jockey in North America by wins and will have the mount on all of Asmussen's entrants in his debut at Zia Park.
Asmussen is seeking his first win in both the Zia Park Derby and the Zia Park Oaks.
A contingent from two California based trainers will be formidable in several of the stake events. Peter Miller sends out the morning line favorite Aquitania Arrival in the $50,000 Juvenile, A Paycheque Smile in the Princess and None Above The Law in the Derby. Top California rider and Kentucky Derby winning jockey Flavien Prat is named to ride Miller's three starters. Also in from California will be Lady Mystify from the barn of Peter Eurton. The winner of the Remington Park Oaks (G3) in her last start has been tabbed as the 6-5 morning line favorite with Prat in the irons.
Local hopes in the Zia Park Oaks may rest with the 3-year-old filly Slammed, trained by Zia's leading trainer in 2021 Todd Fincher. Slammed will go into the gate on Tuesday with a resume that includes 6 wins from 7 lifetime starts but has remained in New Mexico-bred events until now. Her last win was an emphatic score in the one-mile New Mexico Cup Championship versus older females on October 31.
2019 Zia Park Derby winner Mr. Money Bags makes his return to Zia Park in the Sprint. Mr. Money Bags has been in the money in 19 of 22 lifetime starts earning over $529,000.
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