Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The best state-bred 2- and 3-year-old Quarter Horses will be on display this weekend at Zia Park, as the track presents trials for the New Mexico Cup Futurity (RG2) on Saturday and New Mexico Cup Derby (RG2) on Sunday.
Saturday's 12-race card at Zia Park gets underway at 12:15 p.m. (MDT) and includes seven 400-yard New Mexico Cup Futurity trials. A total of 64 2-year-olds are entered, topped by Hubaldo Solis' Osbaldo. A homebred colt by the Mr Jess Perry stallion Jesse James Jr, Osbaldo has earned $232,006 from seven starts, and he began his career with a six-race win streak that included the April 10, $248,491 New Mexican Spring Futurity (RG2) at Sunland Park, and the June 5, $176,040 New Mexico Breeders' Futurity (RG2) at SunRay Park.
Osbaldo is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the fifth heat, and the colt is coming off of a fourth-place finish in the 400-yard, $91,275 New Mexico State Fair Senor Futurity (RG3) at The Downs at Albuquerque on September 24.
Other prominent 2-year-olds entered in the New Mexico Cup Futurity trials include Holy Bucket LLC's Jess Dungarees, the winner of the State Fair Senor Futurity in his most recent out; and J & M Racing and Farm's Call Me A Blazn Chic, a filly by Chicks A Blazin who won the 400-yard, $384,031 Zia Futurity (RG2) at Ruidoso Downs on July 31.
The 10 fastest qualifiers from Saturday's trials will meet in the $350,000-est. final on Sunday, October 30. Past winner\s of the New Mexico Cup Futurity include Streak Of Sixes, last year's winner in a stakes-record :19.139.
A total of 21 sophomores are entered in Sunday's three 440-yard New Mexico Cup Derby trials, including graded stakes winners Quatro Menudos, Leave N Legal, and New Mexico Streaker.
Quatro Menudos is a gray gelding by Furyofthewind racing for McCarty, Wood, and SW Paving and Grading Inc. An earner of $177,914 from five starts, Quatro Menudo has won four races, including the 400-yard, $313,502 Shue Fly Stakes (RG1) at Sunland Park on New Year's Day.
Leave N Legal is owned and trained by Jaime Aldavaz Jr., a nephew of Quatro Menudos' trainer, Hermenegildo “Poppy” Aldavaz. The gray Illegal Runaway gelding has won four consecutive races, including the August 21, $53,500 Hard Twist Stakes (RG3) at The Downs at Albuquerque, and the June 11, $85,000 New Mexico Breeders' Stakes (RG2) at SunRay Park.
A gelding by Brookstone Bay campaigned by Rancho Los Dos Potrillos LLC, New Mexico Streaker is coming off of a one-length victory in the 400-yard, $121,219 Zia Derby (RG2) at Ruidoso Downs on July 31.
The 10 fastest qualifiers from Sunday's New Mexico Cup Derby trials will face off in the $200,000-est. final on October 30. Past winners of the stakes include First Moonflash, who won the race in '08 and was the AQHA champion aged stallion the following season.