Preview Racing


Grade 1 Zia Park Championship Headlines Sunday Stakes Bonanza
Eagle Coast heads a field of 11 sprinters entered in Sunday’s 440-yard, $150,000 Zia Park Championship (G1) at Zia Park.

© Coady Photography
Grade 1 Zia Park Championship Headlines Sunday Stakes Bonanza

BY MICHAEL CUSORTELLI

HOBBS, NM—NOVEMBER 30, 2019—Ernesto Palacio’s Eagle Coast, a 3-year-old son of One Dashing Eagle and a Grade 1 winner during the Ruidoso Downs meet, heads a field of 11 sprinters entered in Sunday’s 440-yard, $150,000 Zia Park Championship (G1) at Zia Park.

Eagle Coast will be making his first official start since July 20, when the sorrel gelding scored a neck victory in the 440-yard, $1,008,129 Rainbow Derby (G1). Eagle Coast drew post 6 and will be ridden by Sergio Becerra Jr. for trainer Jose Luis Muela.

Other contenders include Political Attraction, a 4-year-old son of world champion Apollitical Jess trained by Josue Ponce for owners Rogelio Marquez Jr. and Kathy Robinson. Political Attraction has earned $270,126 from five outs this season, and he won three graded stakes during the Remington Park spring meet, including the 440-yard, $250,000 Remington Park Invitational Championship (G1) in June.

Political Attraction drew post 3 and will be ridden by James Flores.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments:

  1. Danjer (Cody Jensen)
  2. Tools In The Sky (Ricky Ramirez)
  3. Political Attraction (James Flores)
  4. Jess Move You (Jaime Leos)
  5. Valiant Tiberias (Alan Hernandez)
  6. Eagle Coast (Sergio Becerra Jr.)
  7. Stone Cold Leader (Jose A. Alvarez)
  8. Hes Limitless (Gilbert Ortiz)
  9. Tough To Bee (Tanner Thedford)
  10. Ryansmanonthemoon (Mauro Salcedo)
  11. AE-Hot Dam Bam A Lam (John Hamilton)

Also on Sunday, Mr Jess Jenkins will make his first official start in nearly three months in the 440-yard, $200,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship (G2) for 2-year-olds.

Trained by Marcos Carrizales for owners Jose Ernesto Guzman and Rito Sosa, Mr Jess Jenkins is coming off of a neck victory in Quarter Horse racing’s richest and most prestigious race, the 440-yard, $3-million All American Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs on September 1. The gelded son of world champion Apollitical Jess drew post 7 and will be ridden by James Flores.

Trainer Jose Luis Muela will send out Hotsempting for owners Miguel Y. Gallegos and Mauricio Gallegos. A bay daughter of champion Tempting Dash, the filly will be stretching out in distance off of her second-place finish, 1 1/4 lengths behind winner Uncle D, in the 400-yard, $1-million Rainbow Futurity (G1) at Ruidoso Downs on July 21.

Hotsempting drew post 4 and will be ridden by Esgar Ramirez.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments:

  1. Meleros Dash (Jose Ruiz)
  2. Number One Interest (Alfredo Sigala)
  3. First Neon Moon (Raul Herrera)
  4. Hotsempting (Esgar Ramirez)
  5. Flying Famous Eagle (Jaime Leos)
  6. Cers Final Try (Mauro Salcedo)
  7. Mr Jess Jenkins (James Flores)
  8. Chilitos (Nestor Duran)
  9. Dash For Glitter (Ricky Ramirez)
  10. Perrys Secret (Jesse Levario)
  11. AE-Aggressive Driver (Mauro Salcedo)
  12. AE-Industrious (Brian C. Barraza)

Three other stakes will be contested at Zia Park on Sunday. Olaya Munoz Duarte’s Rarin heads a field of 10 aged runners entered in the 400-yard, $50,000 Lovington Stakes (G2). A 7-year-old son of Inseperable, the gelding has won two of five starts this season, including the 350-yard, $50,000 Higheasterjet Stakes (G2) at Ruidoso Downs in June. Rarin drew post 10 and will be ridden by Martin Felix for trainer Fernando Carrete.

Why Buy The Cow, a 4-year-old Heza Motor Scooter gelding trained by Simon Beuchler for owner Carroll A. Durbin, will make his next start in Sunday’s 870-yard, $50,000 King Rick Rack Stakes (G3). Why Buy The Cow is coming off of a 2 1/2-length victory in the October 27, $145,000 New Mexico Cup 870 Championship (R) for state-breds at Zia Park. The gelding drew post 3 and will be ridden by Luis H. Rodriguez.

A dozen state-bred distaffers have been entered in Sunday’s 400-yard, $145,000 New Mexico Filly and Mare Championship (RG1). Sister Sophia, a sophomore daughter of Big Daddy Cartel racing for Calder and Candy Ezzell of Roswell, New Mexico, drew post 3 and will be ridden by Raul Ramirez Jr. for trainer Mike Joiner. Sister Sophia will be making her first start since September 22, when the filly scored a neck victory in the 400-yard, $189,405 New Mexico State Fair Derby (R) at Albuquerque Downs.

All Zia Park races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.