Forty-six state-bred 3-year-old Quarter Horses are entered in Saturday’s 400-yard Zia Derby (RG2) trials at Ruidoso Downs.

River Flash (pictured), a homebred son of Chicks Regard racing for Robert M. Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey, brings in a three-race win streak that includes victories in the April 24, $100,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Stakes (RG3) at SunRay Park, and the June 18, $163,000 Mountain Top Derby (R) at Ruidoso Downs. Wes Giles trains the gray gelding.

River Flash drew post 3 and will be ridden by Adrian Ramos in the first of five trials.

Daddys Mony, a sorrel daughter of Big Daddy Cartel trained by Eric Valenzuela for owners Julie A. Schoenhofer and Maricela Vasquez, drew post 7 and will be ridden by Luis Flores-Garcia in the second heat. Daddys Mony has earned $85,827 from five outs this year, and her three wins include a neck victory in the March 5, $100,000 Sunburst Stakes (RG3) for New Mexico-bred sophomore fillies at Sunland Park.

Other promient Zia Derby entries include Flashin Fire and Wish Bigg. A gelded son of champion First Moonflash racing for Josefina Guzman, Flashin Fire will be seeking his third career graded stakes win. Trained by Santos Carrizales Jr., Flashin Fire won two futurities during his 2-year-old season, the 400-yard, $320,000 Zia Futurity (RG1) at Ruidoso Downs, and the 400-yard, $301,000 New Mexico Cup Futurity (RG2) at Zia Park.

Flashin Fire drew the rail post and will be ridden by Juan Pulido in the fifth trial.

A $13,500 yearling purchase at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale, Wish Bigg races for Sebastian Gonzales from the barn of trainer James Gonzales III. The Big Daddy Cartel gelding won two of four races during the 2022 Sunland Park meet, including the 400-yard, $100,000 New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association Stakes (RG2) on March 12.

Wish Bigg drew post 8 and will be ridden by Mario Delgado in the last trial.

The 10 fastest qualifiers will meet in the August 6, $175,000-est. Zia Derby final.