Zia Derby trials kick off Saturday program at Albuquerque Downs
ALBUQUERQUE – A total of 45 horses will take part in trials for the $175,000 Zia Quarter Horse Derby on Saturday at Albuquerque Downs.
The five trial heats, each at a distance of 400 yards, kick off a 10-race card with the 10 fastest qualifiers earning a spot in the finals to take place on Saturday at July 18.
Mountain Top Derby winner Luxurie (pictured) is one of the stars of the afternoon trial heats. Owned by Triple R Racing Stables LLC, Wallace Lynn Landrum, Ted Rushing and Rancho El 48 LLC trained by Rodolfo G. Valles, Luxurie is a six-time winner from eight starts who will face off against Mountain Top Derby runnerup King Dynasty in the second trial heat of the day.
Luxurie, the 9-to-5 morning line favorite, will be ridden once again by Joseph Belloc, Jr. The son of Big Daddy Cartel, bred in New Mexico by MJ Farms will break from post three in the nine-horse dash.
King Dynasty, trained by David Gomez-Barraza for owners Meluking Ranch, LLC, is the 3-to-1 second choice in the second trial and will break from post four under Raul Ortega.
Last year’s All American Futurity winner King of the Tide headlines Saturday’s third trial heat. Owned by E. Gene Bradley, Tod Bradley and Ware Brown, the Trey Wood-trained son of Eye Am King will make his 3-year-old debut in the trial heat with Ricky Ramirez in the saddle.
King of the Tide has earned more than $1.59 million and is listed as the 7-to-5 morning line favorite in the heat and will break from post three.
A pair of stakes winners will be featured in the fourth trial heat, with Gerald Marr’s Pour Me A Drinkk set to challenge Eddy Cartel.
Pour Me A Drinkk, owned by Bob McClure and Sandra K. Barrett and bred by Fred Danley, is a five-time winner from 10 starts, including a score in the New Mexico Classic Futurity last fall at Zia Park. The son of Prospect to the Top was sixth as the post time favorite in the Mountain Top Derby last time out. He will be ridden by James Flores and will break from post six as the 9-to-5 morning line choice. Eddy Cartel drew the outside post in the fourth trial heat and will look to rebound after a third place finish in a trial for the Mountain Top Derby last time out. The son of Big Daddy Cartel had won each of his first four starts as a 2-year-old including a score in the New Mexico State Fair Futurity over this course last October. Owned by Paul E. Blanchard and trained by Rodolfo Valles, Eddy Cartel will be ridden by Joseph Belloc, Jr. as the 3-to-1 second choice in the dash.