The New Mexico-bred Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse will be in the spotlight this weekend, as Ruidoso Downs presents its annual Zia Festival stakes program on Saturday and Sunday.

A total of nine stakes will be contested — five for Quarter Horses and four for Thoroughbreds — and purses offered will total $904,527. First post time each day is set for 1 p.m. (MDT).

Following is a preview of all nine stakes, listed in the chronological order they will be run.

SIERRA BLANCA STAKES (R)
Purse, $50,000 — 5 1/2 furlongs
3-year-olds & older
Five New Mexico-bred sprinters are entered in Saturday’s 5 1/2-furlong, $50,000 Sierra Blanca Stakes (R).

Hollywood Henry, the 9-5 morning-line favorite, is coming off of a third-place finish, one length behind winner Sigur Ros, in the open 4 1/2-furlong, $75,000 SunRay Park Stakes at SunRay Park on May 14. A 7-year-old son of Roll Hennessy Roll trained by Fred Danley for owner Bennie A. Vanecek, the multiple stakes winning gelding scored a clear 5 3/4-length victory in last year’s Sierra Blanca Stakes.

Hollywood Henry drew post 3 and will be ridden by Luis Fuentes.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
On A Warpath (Miguel Perez), 5-2
Golden Band (Oscar Ceballos), 9-2
Hollywood Henry (Luis Fuentes), 9-5
Cerveza (Francisco Amparan), 6-1
Diabolical Gator (Jose L. Torres), 4-1

ZIA QUARTER HORSE STAKES (RG2)
Purse, $50,000 — 400 yards
3-year-olds & older
Saturday’s Zia Quarter Horse stakes has drawn a field of seven state-breds, headed by morning-line favorite Bigg Dee.

Bigg Dee has won nine of 19 races and has earned $447,154, and his five wins in eight outs at Ruidoso Downs include last year’s $203,000 Zia Derby (RG2). The 4-year-old Big Daddy Cartel gelding is trained by James Gonzales III for owner Rex Wells, who purchased Bigg Dee as a yearling for $30,000 at the 2019 New Mexico-Bred Sale at Ruidoso Downs.

Bigg Dee has banked $100,000 from four outs this season, much of which came from his half-length victory in the 350-yard, $100,000 Mesilla Valley Speed Handicap (RG2) at Sunland Park on February 12. The gelding drew the rail post and will be ridden by Mario Delgado.

The compete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Bigg Dee (Mario Delgado), 9-5
Effortless Candy Cat (Ricky Ramirez), 8-1
Wish Bigg (Eugenio Navarrete Jr.), 3-1
Magnifico Dragon (Luis A. Flores-Garcia), 12-1
Fly On Down (Juan Pulido), 9-2
Jess To Reel (Angel Marquez), 12-1
The Calling (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 4-1

LAND OF ENCHANTMENT STAKES (R)
Purse, $50,000 — 7 1/2 furlongs
3-year-olds & older
A two-turn stakes winner during the Sunland Park meet, Cheese Tray heads a field of five state-bred Thoroughbreds entered in Saturday’s Land of Enchantment Stakes (R).

Cheese Tray prepped for this race with a half-length victory in a 7 1/2-furlong, $25,000 allowance race for New Mexico-breds at Ruidoso Downs on July 17. The 4-year-old homebred Attila’s Storm gelding’s season record includes a three-quarter length win in the March 27, 1-mile & 70-yard New Mexico State University Handicap (R).

Todd Fincher trains Cheese Tray for owners J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas. The gelding drew post 4 and will be ridden by Oscar Ceballos.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Delbert Too (Jose A. Torres), 7-1
One Mark (Luis A. Fuentes), 5-1
B A Champion (Francisco Amparan), 7-2
Cheese Tray (Oscar Ceballos), 8-5
Thunder Dome (Rigo Sarmiento), 5-2

ZIA QUARTER HORSE DERBY (RG2)
Purse, $173,634 — 400 yards
3-year-olds
Ten state-bred sophomores are entered back in Saturday’s Zia Quarter Horse Derby (RG2).

River Flash, a homebred Chicks Regard gelding trained by Wes Giles for owners Robert M. Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey, will put his four-race win streak on the line. The fastest qualifier from five trials run July 16, River Flash has won two stakes this season — the 400-yard, $100,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Stakes (RG3) at SunRay Park in April, and the 350-yard, $163,000 Mountain Top Derby (R) at Ruidoso Downs on June 18.

River Flash drew post 2 and will be ridden by Adrian Ramos.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Z Ya (Cordarelton J. Benn), 15-1
River Flash (Adrian Ramos), 3-2
Classy Moon (Noe Garcia Jr.), 4-1
Mitey Keymeera (Lucas Constantin), 7-1
Jaunt (Tanner Thedford), 25-1
Jess Ring The Bell (Sergio Dominguez), 15-1
EBW Pistol Pete (Daniel Amaya), 20-1
Flashin Fire (Juan Pulido), 9-2
Flashin The Ivory (Raul Valenzuela), 12-1
Cowboy Zulu (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 10-1

ZIA 870 CHAMPIONSHIP (R)
Purse, $50,000 — 870 yards
3-year-olds & older
Reigning AQHA champion distance horse Wascallywittlewabbit drew post 6 for Sunday’s Zia 870 Championship (R).

A 7-year-old son of Heza Motor Scooter racing for Rogers Farms, Wascallywittlewabbit won two graded stakes during the Remington Park spring season, including the May 28, 870-yard Remington Park Distance Championship (G1), and was named the meet’s champion distance horse. The gelding has won this stakes the last two years.

Wascallywittlewabbit will be ridden by Benito Baca for trainer Mike Joiner.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Heza Classy Now (Bryan Candanosa), 10-1
Dragon On Ice (Angel Marquez, 6-1
Roll Big River (Damian Corral), 7-2
Why By The Cow (Daniel Torres), 8-1
Freedom Flash (Alfredo Juarez Jr.), 5-2
Wascallywittlewabbit (Benito Baca), 9-5

ROAD RUNNER STAKES (R)
Purse, $50,000 — 5 1/2 furlongs
3-year-olds
A field of five state-bred 3-year-olds is entered in Sunday’s Road Runner Stakes (R).

Diabolical Storm, a homebred Attila’s Storm gelding racing for Joe Dee Brooks, Scott Bryant, and Derrol Hubbard, drew post 1 and will be ridden by Rigo Sarmiento for trainer Todd Fincher. Diabolical Storm will be facing state-breds off of his nose victory in the 5 1/2-furlong, $50,000 Duke City Sprint Stakes at Albuquerque Downs.

Diabolical Storm has won four of seven races and has earned $252,100, but this race will make his first career start at Ruidoso Downs.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Diabolical Storm (Rigo Sarmiento), 8-5
Bye Bye Matty P (Alfredo Juarez Jr.), 2-1
Majorwayhome (Francisco Amparan), 10-1
Go Red Rascal (Casey Chavez), 7-2
Life Jacket (Oscar Ceballos), 6-1

ZIA QUARTER HORSE JUVENILE STAKES (R)
Purse, $50,000 — 400 yards
2-year-olds
Gustavo Cadena Jr.’s Jess Emotions heads a field of 10 state-bred 2-year-olds entered back in Sunday’s Zia Quarter Horse Juvenile Stakes (R).

A bay daughter of Jess A Chicks trained by David Gomez-Barraza, Jess Emotions has banked $52,517 from seven starts, and she broke her maiden with a one-length win in the 350-yard, $50,000 Mountain Top Juvenile Stakes (R) at Ruidoso Downs on June 19. The filly drew post 7 and will be ridden by Felipe Garcia-Luna.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Wood Dee Queen (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 12-1
Mr Tres Efffort (Luis Flores-Garcia), 5-1
JM Jazzlynn (Bryan Candanosa), 10-1
White Lightenin (Mario Delgado), 5-1
Jenavi (Sergio Dominguez), 20-1
Dash Flash (James Flores), 12-1
Jess Emotions (Felipe Garcia-Luna), 7-2
Owens Wee Beastie (Francisco Calderon), 10-1
Sissys Passion (Noe Garcia Jr.), 5-1
Gemologist (Luis Martinez), 4-1

LINCOLN STAKES (R)
Purse, $50,000 — 6 furlongs
Fillies & mares, 3-year-olds & older
Bella Dona, a multiple stakes winning 3-year-old daughter of Attila’s Storm, will face older fillies and mares for the first time in Sunday’s Lincoln Stakes (R).

Trained by Simon Buechler for owners Robert M. Driggers, Del Rae Driggers, and Ben Lee Ivey, Bella Dona has won eight of nine races, including six stakes, and she has earned $525,068. The homebred bay filly will be making her first start since March 27, when she scored a 3 3/4-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile, $250,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Oaks (R) for sophomore fillies at Sunland Park.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
Destiny Who (Oscar Ceballos), 20-1
Tutta Terlingua (Francisco Amparan), 7-2
Proofsinthepuddin (Rigo Sarmiento), 3-1
Marking Time (Alfredo Juarez Jr.), 7-1
Marilyn Moneyroll (Jose L. Torres), 10-1
Bella Dona (Luis Fuentes), 7-5
Band Of Glory (Luis H. Rodriguez), 10-1

ZIA QUARTER HORSE FUTURITY (RG1)
Purse, $379,527 — 400 yards
2-year-olds
Pick Your Pour will put his undefeated record on the line in Sunday’s Zia Quarter Horse Futurity (RG1), the weekend’s richest race.

A sorrel son of Jesse James Jr racing for Orlando Granillo, Azucena Mendoza, and Rene Mendoza, Pick Your Pour was a $25,000 purchase from breeder MJ Farms at last year’s Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale. The gelding has won all three of his races and has banked $154,087, and his early season record includes a clear two-length victory in the 350-yard, $342,000 Mountain Top Futurity (RG2) on June 19.

Pick Your Pour drew post 5 and will be ridden by Mario Delgado for trainer James Gonzales II.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments and morning-line odds:
KJ Daddys Money (Cordarelton J. Benn), 10-1
Elisas Esperance (Emilio Tapia), 6-1
Jess A Response (Sergio Becerra Jr.), 20-1
Verstappen (Jose Enrique Ortiz), 20-1
Pick Your Pour (Mario Delgado, 3-1
Doing Something Good (Noe Garcia Jr.), 5-1
Fine Am Eye (Juan Pulido), 8-1
Reef Ridge (Ricky Ramirez), 7-2
Codex (Adrian Ramos), 4-1
Demi Leigh (Francisco Calderon), 15-1