NM BRED STAKES ALL DAY SUNDAY 7 29 07

COURTESY OF STALLIONESEARCH.COM


Gun Battle winning the Zia Futurity last summer.
Photo by Bill Pitt, Jr.

NM-Bred Stakes All Day During Sunday’s Zia Festival at Ruidoso Downs


RUIDOSO DOWNS, NM—JULY 29, 2007—It’s the Zia Festival stakes extravaganza Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs with exceptional New Mexico-breds, headed by national champion Gotta Get, racing for combined purses of nearly $1 million.
The 10-stakes races highlight the Zia Festival, a celebration of all things New Mexico. The grandstand is filled with vendors selling jewelry, food, art, crafts and that perfect item for you home. The vendors will be ready by 11:00 a.m. and first post time is 1 p.m. There is always free parking and free general admission.

The Zia Festival program is always one of the most popular days every summer at Ruidoso Downs. Sunday figures to be the most popular renewal ever with the exceptional quality of horses racing this year, especially on the Quarter Horse side of racing with horses who have attained high national recognition against open horses racing.

The $45,000 Zia Handicap at 400 yards has attracted 2006 champion aged gelding Gotta Get and 2006 All American Derby winner Arealstraitheart. Gotta Get defends his title in the Zia Handicap, one of his seven stakes wins from seven starts last year. His undefeated run in 2006 for trainer Fred Danley was culminated with a win over open horses in the Grade 1, $400,000 The Championship at Sunland Park. Arealstraitheart became a prime championship contender when he defeated the best derby horses by one-and-three-quarter lengths in the Grade 1 All American Derby.

Gun Battle, the runner-up in the 2006 All American Futurity, figures to be the solid choice in the $93,272 Zia Derby. The Dash Ta Fame gelding won last year’s Zia Futurity and then won his All American Futurity trial by more than five lengths to go off as the favorite in the All American Futurity.

Also a member of the Danley stable, Gun Battle cruised to a three-quarter length win in his Zia Derby trial with the fastest-qualifying time of :19.650 for the 400 yards. In a rare occurrence, the second- and third-fastest qualifiers to the Zia Derby – Mightys First Call and Mister WW – were also the second- and third-place finishers in the same order in last year’s Zia Futurity.

The richest race on the Zia Festival program – the $362,977 Zia Futurity – brings out the Sleepy Gilbreath-trained prospect Ginnin Blaze. The Chicks A Blazin gelding beat the stakes-placed, second-fastest qualifier A First Caller in their trial by a commanding two lengths for his second win from three starts. He was timed in :19.601 for 400 yards, the quickest time from the 12 trials.

Two-year-old Thoroughbreds also have the opportunity to race for lucrative purses in the sex-segregated $122,225 Rio Grande Senorita Futurity and the $107,425 Rio Grande Senor Futurity.

In the Senorita for fillies, Danley probably has a winning hand when he saddles each of the three trial winners – Blooming Pleasure, Sweetghostrun and Wildwood Band. The stakes-tested Blooming Pleasure impressed when she ran away from her rivals to win her trial by more than 11 lengths at five-and-a-half furlongs.

In the Senor for colts and geldings, Playingwithchimes goes for his fourth-straight win, including the Ruidoso Thoroughbred Sale Futurity. A dangerous challenger is Brax, winner of his trial by seven lengths.

In the Road Runner Stakes for sophomore colts and geldings, Ky’s Quest brings in an impressive stakes resume that has resulted in $224,335 in career earnings. He won the New Mexico Cup Juvenile at Zia Park last fall by more than nine lengths and won the Red Hedeman Mile at Sunland Park by six lengths.

In the Zia 870 Championship, Bull Rope defends his title after winning last year’s running by a length by going to the front and never being headed. He returned from an extended layoff to finish second in an 870-yard allowance race at Ruidoso Downs, an effort that should put him in peak form on Sunday afternoon.

In the Sierra Starlet Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, Shezapirate makes her sophomore debut after winning each of her starts, both at Ruidoso Downs, last year. She broke her maiden in her Rio Grande Senorita Futurity trial and then turned in one of the most impressive performances on the Zia Festival card when she won the Senorita by more than 10 lengths.

In the Lincoln Handicap for distaff sprinters at six furlongs, the indomitable Peppers Pride puts her perfect 10-for-10 record on the line. She won the New Mexico Distaff in her most recent start and will be challenged by last year’s Sierra Starlet winner Timegoesdancer.

In the Land Of Enchantment Stakes at 7-1/2 furlongs, Abo L.B. faces his sternest test when he steps up in class chasing his third career win in his fifth start. He broke his maiden three starts ago and has a win over the Ruidoso Downs track in his most recent race.