Page 81 - NMHBA Spring 2022

RACING NEWS
ZIA PARK MEET RECAP
Zia Park Racetrack in Hobbs, New Mexico, ended its 36-day Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse meet on December 14, 2021.
Among the highlights of the 36-day season was the 17th annual New Mexico Cup races. From October 31-November 1, a total of 15 stakes restricted to New Mexico-breds -- eight for Thor- oughbreds and seven for Quarter Horses -- were run, and a total of $1,596,880 in purses were paid to horsemen. Josefina Guzman’s Flashin Fire won the richest New Mexico Cup race, the 350-yard, $300,940 New Mexico Cup Futurity (RG2) for state-bred 2-year-old Quarter Horses.
A dozen of the New Mexico Cup stakes were contested on October 31. The 12-race program handled a total of $829,587, of which $738,861 was bet off-track.
Zia Park’s annual “Land of Enchant- ment Day” featured seven Thoroughbred stakes worth a total of $775,000 in purses. Super Stock, a Kentucky-bred son of Dialed In trained by Steve Asmussen for owners Erv Woolsey and Keith Asmussen, won the pro-
gram’s richest race, the 1 1/16-mile, $237,500 Zia Park Derby for 3-year-olds. A total of $1,138,315 -- including $1,093,717 off-track -- was wagered on the 10-race program, which included two Quarter Horse races.
Rigo Sarmiento was Zia Park’s leading Thoroughbred jockey with 29 wins from 115 mounts, eight more than runner-up Francisco Amparan, who rode the winners of 21 races from 112 mounts. Sarmiento also led all Thoroughbred jockeys in mount earnings at $549,138.
Todd Fincher led all Zia Park Thorough- bred trainers with 24 wins from 96 starters, eight more than runner-up Sherry Armstrong, who sent out 16 winners from 50 starters. Fincher was also the track’s leading Thorough- bred trainer in starter earnings at $759,114.
Sherri Galvez won nine races from 19 starts to lead all Zia Park Thoroughbred owners, one more than runner-up Rocky Carter Racing LLC, which won eight races from 22 starts. B4 Farms LLC was the meet’s leading Thorough- bred owner in purse earnings at $214,020.
On the Quarter Horse side, Noe Garcia Jr. led all jockeys with 20 wins from 92 mounts, eight more than runners-up Adrian Ramos, who rode the winners of 12 races from 78 mounts, and Hector Aldrete, who won 12 races from 104 mounts. Garcia was also Zia Park’s leading Quarter Horse rider in mount earnings at $532,918.
Zia Park’s leading Quarter Horse trainers, Fred Danley and Wes Giles, each won seven races, Giles from 22 starters and Danley from 24. Danley topped all Quarter Horse trainers in starter earnings at $231,236.
Bob and Sissie McClure led all Zia Park Quarter Horse owners with four wins from 10 starts, one more than runners-up Mike G. Parker, Anti Gravity Customs, and Norberto Morales Perez. Josefina Guzman topped all Quarter Horse owners in starter earnings at $153,461.
Zia Park’s 2022 meet is scheduled to start October 1. The 48-day season will run through December 20.
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