New Mexico Classic Quarter Horse Showcase offers nearly $1.2 million; December card features two Grade 1 events.

By H. David Smith, StallioneSearch

HOBBS, NM—AUGUST 10, 2026—A lucrative Quarter Horse stakes schedule, highlighted by nearly $1.2 million on New Mexico Classic Quarter Horse Showcase day and a December program featuring two Grade 1 events, will headline the 2026 Zia Park fall racing season.

Zia Park Casino, Hotel and Racetrack announced Monday (Aug. 10) that its 31-day mixed meet will open Saturday, October 31. Quarter Horse racing will be conducted every Saturday and Sunday, along with special Friday programs on November 6 and December 11. The first post each racing day will be at 12:05 p.m. Mountain Time.

The centerpiece of the track's New Mexico-bred Quarter Horse program comes Sunday, November 22, when Zia Park hosts the New Mexico Classic Quarter Horse Showcase. The card will feature six stakes for New Mexico-bred Quarter Horses offering nearly $1.2 million in total purses.

Another major Quarter Horse program is scheduled for Sunday, December 13, with seven graded Quarter Horse stakes worth a combined $750,000.

The December card will be headed by the Grade 1, $125,000 Zia Park Quarter Horse Championship at 440 yards and the newly elevated Grade 1, $100,000 King Rick Rack Stakes at 870 yards.

Horsemen from both breeds will compete for an overnight purse schedule totaling $340,000. New Mexico-bred 2-year-old Maiden Special Weight races for both Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds will carry a $60,000 purse, up from $55,000 in 2025. The increase is made possible by an additional $5,000 bonus from the New Mexico Horse Breeders Association.

“Zia Park has been a well-kept secret the past few years; we are looking for more horsemen and racing fans to look at and participate in, the 2026 race meet,” Christopher McErlean, Vice President of Racing for PENN Entertainment, parent company of Zia Park, said.

The mixed meet also includes a substantial Thoroughbred stakes program. The New Mexico Classic Thoroughbred Showcase on Monday, November 23, will offer eight stakes worth $1.3 million, followed Tuesday, November 24, by Land of Enchantment Day, featuring seven stakes worth $1.15 million, including the $350,000 Zia Park Derby.

Thoroughbred racing will primarily be conducted on Mondays and Tuesdays, with an additional Friday card on November 27. Zia Park is also introducing several Thoroughbred-specific purse incentives based on field size and race distance during the meet.

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Stall and racing applications for the 2026 meet are available through Zia Park. Track officials emphasized that an approved racing application is required to enter, including for horsemen who plan to ship in only for races.

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