Page 255 - September 2022

Zia Juvenile
GEMOLOGIST
by Michael Cusortelli
Jose Aguilar Mendoza’s Gemologist earned his first career stakes win in the 400-yard $50,000 Zia Juvenile for state-bred 2-year-olds at Ruidoso Downs on Aug. 7.
Prepped by Eloy Navarro, Gemologist defeated JM Jazzlynn by 1/2-length in :19.776, earning a 91 speed index. Luis Martinez rode the bay gelding.
Gemologist banked the $21,000 winner’s share of the purse, boosting his bankroll to $47,789. He was coming off a 3-length victory in one of 12 Zia Futurity trials on July 15. The gelding was bred by Mikkelson Racing LLC, and he was purchased by Mendoza for $9,000 at last year’s New Mexico-Bred Sale.
The gelding has won three of six starts, and his record includes a second-place finish in the $74,000 Arizona QRA President’s Open Spring Futurity at Turf Paradise on April 27.
Gemologist is out of Pops Lil Princess, a homebred Sixes Royal mare and a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Princess Jesse and graded stakes winner Mr Innovator.
JM Jazzlynn (JM Specialwynn-Built In Flash) placed second under jockey Bryan Candanosa and pocketed the $9,000 runner-up share of the purse for owner Ventura M Ranch and trainer Tony Sedillo.
White Lightenin (Eye Am King-Alice K White) ran third under jockey Mario Delgado, 3/4-length behind Gemologist, and banked $5,000 for owners Denis and Julie Schoenhofer and trainer James Gonzales II.
Mr Tres Effort (TF Featured Effort-Beyond 15), Wood Dee Queen (Eye Am King-Miss Woody Dee), Jess Emotions (Jess A Chicks-The Blues Girl), Jenavi (Big Daddy Cartel-C Twister Seis), Dash Flash (First Moonflash-PT Feature Dash), Sissys Passion (A Passion For Flashn-Sissys Tres Girl), and Owens Wee Beastie (Jumpn Chic-Fancy Easter Parade) completed the order of finish.
Zia Handicap-RG2
BIGG DEE
by Michael Cusortelli
Sent to post as the 3-10 favorite in a field of six New Mexico-bred aged sprinters, Rex Wells’ Bigg Dee rolled to a wire-to-wire victory in the $50,000 Zia Stakes-RG2 at Ruidoso Downs on Aug. 6.
Bigg Dee covered 400 yards in :19.480 while defeating Effortless Candy Cat by 1 3/4-lengths. Mario Delgado rode the 4-year-old bay son of Big Daddy Cartel for trainer James Gonzales III.
Bigg Dee was bred by Mac and Janis Murray’s MJ Farms at Veguita, New Mexico, and he was purchased by Wells as a yearling for $30,000 at the 2019 New Mexico-Bred Sale. The gelding is out of Miss Woody Dee, a homebred 13-year-old daughter of the Dash Ta Fame stallion Woodbridge. His second dam, the Mr Jess Perry mare Deeheiress, won the 2004 Miss Princess Handicap-G3 at Los Alamitos and was a finalist in that season’s Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super, Golden State, and Southern California derbies. Bigg Dee traces back to his third dam, Deelish, a daughter of First Down Dash and a two-time AQHA Champion.
Raced exclusively in New Mexico, Bigg Dee has won 10 of 20 races, and the $30,000 winner’s share
of the Zia Stakes purse increased his bankroll to $477,154. Bigg Dee’s six wins in nine races at Ruidoso Downs include last year’s Zia Derby-RG2.
Effortless Candy Cat (TF Featured Effort-
Rime Has A Chick) earned $10,000 for his owner, Sebastian Gonzales. Ricky Ramirez rode the 5-year- old gelding to second for trainer James Gonzales III. Magnifico Dragon (Zulu Dragon-Cassies Mag) ran third, 3 3/4-lengths behind Bigg Dee, and banked $5,000 for his owner, Balderrama Racing LLC.
Luis Flores-Garcia rode the 8-year-old gelding for trainer Jaime Aldavaz Sr. Wish Bigg (Big Daddy Cartel-Wish You Had One To), Jess To Reel (Jesse James Jr-Hot For Reel), and The Calling (Big Daddy Cartel-Fine Wines) completed the order of finish. Fly On Down was scratched.
Zia 870 Championship
WASCALLYWITTLEWABBIT
by Michael Cusortelli
Rogers Farms’ Wascallywittlewabbit, a 7-year- old gelding and the sport’s reigning distance Champion, dominated a field of New Mexico-
bred distance specialists in the $50,000 Zia 870 Championship at Ruidoso Downs on August 7.
Prepped by Mike Joiner, Wascallywittlewabbit covered 870 yards wire-to-wire in :44.438 while posting a 107 speed index, and his margin of victory was a clear 2 3/4-lengths from Heza Classy Now. Benito Baca rode the bay gelding.
Wascallywittlewabbit was voted the best distance horse of the Remington Park spring meet, as he made his season debut with a 3 1/2-length win in the $50,880 Pauls Valley Stakes-G2 on March 31, and followed
that with a 2-length victory in the $54,470 Remington Distance Championship-G1 on May 28. The gelding has won 14 of 25 starts, and the $30,000 winner’s share of this purse from his 9th career stakes win boosted his earnings to $374,188. This was Wascallywittlewabbit’s third year in a row to win the Zia 870 Championship.
The gelding was bred by Mike Weatherly, and he is out of Rabbits N Diamonds, an unraced daughter of the Yawls Rabbit stallion Rabbits Rainbow. Wascallywittlewabbit’s second dam, the Coup De Kas TB mare Shines Likea Diamond, won the 400- yard KHEY/Y96 Handicap at Sunland Park in 1998.
Heza Classy Now (Rock Solid Jess-Shez Classy Now) placed second under jockey Bryan Candanosa for owners Bob and Sissie McClure and trainer Toby Keeton.
Freedom Flash (First Moonflash-Mi Camila) placed third under jockey Alfredo Juarez Jr. for owners Pierre Amestoy Jr., Leslie Amestoy, and Roger Beasley, and trainer Todd Fincher.
Why Buy The Cow (Heza Motor Scooter- Southwest Treasure) finished fourth and was followed by Roll Big River (Rock Solid Jess-Fabulous Brook), and Dragon On Ice (Zulu Dragon-Vanil On Ice).
RACING NEWS
Ruidoso Downs • $50,000
870 yards • :44.438 • si 107
Heza Fast Man
Heza Motor Scooter
Hot Tin Lizzie
WASCALLYWITTLEWABBIT, ‘15-g.
Rabbits Rainbow
Rabbits N Diamonds
Shines Likea Diamond
Ruidoso Downs • $50,000
400 yards • :19.480 • si 99
Corona Cartel
Big Daddy Cartel
Miss Racy Eyes Woodbridge
BIGG DEE, ‘18-g.
Miss Woody Dee
Deeheiress
Ruidoso Downs • $50,000
400 yards • :19.776 • si 91
Chicks A Blazin
Jess Satin
Sixes Royal
Jess A Chicks
GEMOLOGIST, ‘20-g.
Pops Lil Princess
Total Miracle
SPEEDHORSE September 2022 253
Bailey Ivey, Ruidoso Downs
Bailey Ivey, Ruidoso Downs
Bailey Ivey, Ruidoso Downs