ZIA FUTURITY & DERBY

COURTESY OF AQHA.COM

GINNIN BLAZE COULD FIRE IN ZIA FUTURITY

July 26, 2007 – There may be a rising force in the open division racing against New Mexico-breds in the $362,977 Zia Futurity (RG1) when fastest-qualifier Ginnin Blaze starts in the 400-yard stakes on Sunday at Ruidoso Downs.
The Zia Futurity has become a stepping stone for future open stars in recent years with All American Futurity runner-up Gun Battle winning last year and All American Derby winner Arealstraitheart winning the Zia Futurity two years ago.

The Zia Futurity is the richest race in the stakes-filled Zia Festival program that offers more than $1 million in purses.

Owned by Don Mourning and Scott Pruett, Ginnin Blaze (Chicks A Blazin-Ginnin Smith by R. Smith (TB)) is finding his peak form at an opportune time for trainer Sleepy Gilbreath. After finishing fourth in his career debut and being disqualified from the win in his second start, he got his racing form together in his third start — his Zia Futurity trial — when he easily won by 1 ¾ lengths with a strong run through the second half of the race. His time of :19.601 for 400 yards was the fastest time from 12 trials.

Richard Shearer’s A First Caller (Calligrapher-Might Be A First by First Down Dash), a brother to Zia Derby second-fastest qualifier Mightys First Call, finished second to Ginnin Blaze in their Zia Derby trial but still recorded the second-fastest qualifying time of :19.886. He was the odds-on favorite in his trial with two wins and a third in the New Mexican Spring Futurity (RG1).

The Juan Gonzalez-trained Uncovered Regard (Chicks Regard-Uncovered Streaker by Streakin Six) is three-for-three lifetime with a win in the Desert Classic Futurity (RG3) at Turf Paradise two starts back. In his Ruidoso Downs debut, he won his Zia Futurity trial by three-quarters of a length in the third-fastest time of :19.911 for owner Humberto Lopez Gaxiola.



GUN BATTLE IS BACK IN DÉJÀ VU DERBY

July 26, 2007 – It looks like déjà vu all over again in the $93,272 Zia Derby at Ruidoso Downs with 2006 Zia Futurity winner Gun Battle leading the top three finishers, who have the three fastest qualifying times, into Sunday’s Zia Derby.
Robert and Del Rae Driggers’ Gun Battle has been sensational for trainer Fred Danley. The gelding won the Zia Futurity and went off as the favorite in the All American Futurity after winning his trial by more than 5 lengths. He was second by a neck in the All American Futurity after pressuring No Secrets Here to a stakes record.

Richard Shearer’s Mightys First Call (Calligrapher-Might Be A First by First Down Dash) was second to Gun Battle in the Zia Futurity and then showed the depth of the New Mexico-bred ranks when she was fourth and the high-placing filly in the All American Futurity.

Trainer Blane Wood has productively spaced her races with a third in the NMHBA Stakes (RG2) on March 4 and then winning her Zia Derby trial with the second-fastest time of :19.753.

Gerald Rush Neff’s Mister WW (Dean Miracle-Miss Whipkey by On A High) is a stablemate of Mightys First Call from the Wood barn who parlayed a third-place finish in the Zia Futurity into a hot streak that continues to the derby. He has two stakes wins, a second in the West Texas Derby (G2) and his Zia Derby trial, and a third in his latest five starts. He won the Shue Fly Stakes (RG1) at 46-1 odds and then backed that win up with a victory in the NMHBA Stakes.