Alamos prepared for Zia Derby bid
RUIDOSO — Tony Sedillo-trained Alamos, winner of the $201,725 Mountain Top Derby last time out, will likely be favored in the third of four trial heats Saturday at Ruidoso Downs for the $175,000 est. Zia QH Derby.
Owned by Tungsten Racing Partnership, Alamos rallied for a half-length win in the Mountain Top Derby under jockey Mauro Salcedo at odds of more than 11-to-1, earning the first stakes win of his career.
The 3-year-old son of Eye Am King, with three wins from nine lifetime starts and earnings of more than $109,000, Alamos will break from post five as the 2-to-1 morning line choice in the 400-yard trial heat, which has a scheduled post time of 2:44 p.m.
A total of 40 horses will take part in the trials for the Zia Derby, which will be run Saturday, July 19 at Ruidoso Downs. The 10 fastest qualifiers from those four trial heats will automatically be entered into the trials, which will be run at a distance of 400 yards.
Alamos was bred by Mj Farms and purchased by the Tungsten Racing Partnership for $185,000 at the 2023 Ruidoso New Mexico Bred QH Yearling Sale. He is out of the Woodbridge mare Anakena, a three-time winner and earner of more than $36,000 in her racing career.
Woodbridge, the leading siring son of Dash Ta Fame, has produced several top runners including multiple stakes winners Mister Riptide, winner of the Grade 1 Zia QH Futurity, and Miss Hi Tide, who also captured the Mountain Top Derby.
Harken, fifth-place finisher in the Mountain Top Derby despite being sent off as the overwhelming post time favorite, will be looking for eighth career win when he goes to the starting gate as the 5-to-2 morning line favorite in the first Zia Derby trial, scheduled as the third race on the program, which has a first post time of 1 p.m.
Owned by Alepony, LLC and trained by Jesus Soto, Harken has amassed more than $347,000 in lifetime earnings. He will break from the inside post in the 10-horse trial heat with Noe Garcia, Jr. aboard.
Harken is out of the Big Daddy Cartel mare Donelli, winner of the 2019 Grade 3 New Mexico State Fair Futurity as well as the 2020 New Mexico State Fair Derby and earner of more than $420,000.
Owner/trainer Jorge Luis Sanchez, Jr. will send multiple stakes winning Pavel to the starting gate in the fourth and final trial heat on Saturday. The son of Czar Cartel Mv won three stakes races as a juvenile, including the New Mexico Classic Juvenile Stakes at Zia Park, as well as the New Mexican Spring Futurity at Sunland Park and the New Mexico Breeders Futurity at SunRay Park.
With earnings of more than $357,000 under his belt, Pavel, a $6,000 purchase at the Ruidoso New Mexico Bred QH Yearling 2023 has seven lifetime wins from 11 starts.
Bred by Mrb Racing LLC, Pavel is out of the Tempting Dash mare Camelia, who was winless in eight career starts. Tempting Dash was a perfect 4-for-4 on the racetrack with wins in the 2009 Dash For Cash Futurity and Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star Park.
Pavel has been installed as the 7-to-2 second choice in the fourth and final trial for the Zia Derby, which will go as the sixth race on the Saturday card. Post time for the Saturday program is 1 p.m.