The field is set for the August 6, $173,593 Zia Derby (RG2) for New Mexico-bred 3-year-old Quarter Horses, and River Flash (pictured) set the fastest qualifying time from five trials on Saturday.
Trained by Wes Giles for owners Robert M. Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey, River Flash won the first of five 400-yard trials by 1 3/4 lengths in :19.564. Adrian Ramos rode the gray son of the Chicks Beduino stallion Chicks Regard.
River Flash sports a four-race win streak that includes victories in the April 24, 400-yard New Mexico Breeders’ Stakes (RG3) at SunRay Park, and the June 18, 350-yard Mountain Top Derby (R) at Ruidoso Downs. The gelding was bred by Ivey Cattle Co., and he has won six of 10 starts and has earned $184,580, of which $149,860 has been banked from seven outs this season.
Second-fastest qualifier Mitey Keymeera won the third heat by a half of a length in :19.684. Lucas Constantin rode the A Revenant filly for owners Charlie and Dixie Patterson, and trainer Donna McArthur.
Mitey Keymeera was bred by Debra Laney. The filly is out of Mitey Moon, a daughter of 2009 AQHA champion aged stallion First Moonflash who won the 2013 New Mexico Cup Futurity (RG2) at Zia Park. Mitey Keymeera is a half sister to Mitey Political, an Apollitical Jess gelding who won the March 20, 400-yard West Texas Maturity (G3) for the Pattersons at Sunland Park.
Mitey Keymeera has won three of nine outs and has banked $55,609 while racing exclusively in New Mexico.
Bob and Sissie McClure’s Classy Moon set the third-fastest qualifying time with his half-length victory in the fifth trial. Ridden by Noe Garcia Jr. for trainer Fred Danley, the homebred First Moonflash gelding stopped the timer in :19.740 while earning his third win in 12 races.
Classy Moon has earned $61,770, and his record includes a second-place run, one length behind winner Muy Peligrosito, in last year’s 440-yard, $100,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship Stakes (G2) at Zia Park.
The complete list of Zia Derby qualifiers follows:
| Horse (Sex, Pedigree) | Owner | Breeder (State) | Trainer | Time |
| RIVER FLASH G, Chicks Regard-Riverside Flash by First Moonflash | Robert M. Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey | Ivey Cattle Co. (NM) | Wes Giles | :19.564 |
| MITEY KEYMEERA F, A Revenant-Mitey Moon by First Moonflash | Charlie & Dixie Patterson | Debra Laney (NM) | Donna McArthur | :19.684 |
| CLASSY MOON G, First Moonflash-Shez Classy Now by Now I Know | Bob & Sissie McClure | Bob & Sissie McClure (NM) | Fred Danley | :19.740 |
| MI GENTEE G, Jesse James Jr-Quick First Key by First Moonflash | Juan A. Terrazas | Juan Esquivel (NM) | Martin Orona Jr. | :19.744 |
| Z YA G, First Moonflash-Zoobie Cartel by Corona Cartel | Curtis Crenwelge, Jim Laird, and Jose R. Espinosa | Crenwelge, Laird, and Espinosa (NM) | Wes Giles | :19.760 |
| COWBOY ZULU G, Zulu Dragon-First Cowgirl Flash by First Moonflash | Fred I. Danley and Chuck Sonnenberg | Fred Danley (NM) | Fred Danley | :19.789 |
| FLASHIN THE IVORY C, First Moonflash-Special Dark Ivory by Ivory James | Leslie A. Amestoy and Pierre Amestoy | Mike Abraham and Grant Farms (NM) | James Lackey | :19.806 |
| FLASHIN FIRE G, First Moonflash-Episode Of Fire by Walk Thru Fire | Josefina Guzman | Donna McPherson and Mike Abraham (NM) | Santos Carrizales Jr. | :19.822 |
| JAUNT G, Big Daddy Cartel-Sandys Fame by Dash Ta Fame | Haskell E. Rich and Jacque M. Rich | MJ Farms (NM) | Casey Lambert | :19.848 |
| EBW PISTOL PETE G, First Moonflash-EBW Pistol Annie by Pyc Paint Your Wagon | Ernie & Brenda Wood | Ernie & Brenda Wood (NM) | Chris Zamora | :19.855 |