Page 82 - New Mexico Horse Breeder Spring 2018

Zia park
by Michael Cusortelli
Zia Park Honors its 2017 Meet Champions
Zia Park in Hobbs, New Mexico, ended its 56-day Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse season on December 12.
Roimes Chirinos led all Zia Park Thoroughbred jockeys with 41 wins from
156 mounts, one more than runner-up Ry Eikleberry, who rode the winners of 40 races from 194 mounts. Eikleberry led all Zia Park riders in mount earnings at $933,864, while Chirinos finished second with mount earnings of $925,210.
Justin Evans was Zia Park’s leading Thoroughbred trainer, as he saddled the win- ners of 35 races from 117 starters, four more than runner-up Todd Fincher, who prepped the winners of 31 races from 104 starters. Due largely to his success on New Mexico Cup Day, October 29, Fincher led all Thoroughbred trainers in starter earnings at $835,964, while Evans finished second with starter earnings of $628,314.
Zia Park’s leading Thoroughbred owners, J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas, won 11 races from 41 starters, one more than runner-up Judge Lanier Racing, which won 10 races from 117 starters. The Robisons also topped the track’s Thoroughbred owners in purse earnings at $256,372.
Zia Park’s leading Quarter Horse jockey, Esgar Ramirez, rode the winners of 25 races from 140 mounts, six more than runner-up Salvador Martinez, who won 19 races from 115 mounts. Ramirez also topped all Quarter Horse jockeys in mount earnings at $481,223.
Jose Luis Muela was Zia Park’s top Quarter Horse trainer with 13 winners from 49 starters, two more than Juan Carlos Gonzalez, who sent out the winners of 11 races from 58 starters. Muela also topped the track’s Quarter Horse trainers in starter earnings at $371,602, while Mike Joiner finished second with starter earn- ings of $346,290.
Diamond Racing Stables led all Zia Park Quarter Horse owners with nine victories from 21 starters, two more than runner-up Valle Guadiana Corporation, which won seven races from 20 starters. RC Racing LLC led
all Quarter Horse owners in purse earnings at $200,718.
Zia Park’s 2017 season was topped by two premier days of racing, the New Mexico Cup on October 29 and Land of Enchantment Day on November 22. The New Mexico Cup fea- tured 12 stakes for state-bred runners, eight for Thoroughbreds and four for Quarter Horses. The day’s richest race, the 400-yard, $306,841
New Mexico Cup Futurity (RG2), was won by A Passion For Flashn. A brown son of cham- pion First Moonflash, the colt was prepped
by Martin Orona Sr. and ridden by Manuel Gutierrez for owner RC Racing LLC.
The richest New Mexico Cup Thoroughbred race, the 1-mile, $180,000 Rocky Gulch New Mexico Cup Championship (R), was won by Michael C. Stinson’s Hute.
A homebred 3-year-old gelding by Western Gambler, Hute was ridden by Miguel Fuentes, Jr. for trainer Joel Marr.
Land of Enchantment Day featured nine stakes on its 10-race program, headlined by
the 1 1/16-mile, $300,000 Zia Park Oaks for 3-year-old fillies. Sandy’s Surprise, a Kentucky- bred daughter of Drosselmeyer trained by Doug O’Neill for owners STD Racing Stable, John Fuller, and Neil Haymes, won the Zia Park Oaks and banked the $180,000 winner’s share of the purse. Mario Gutierrez rode the filly, who won by 4 3/4 lengths while covering her 8 1/2-furlong trip in 1:44.66.
A total of $1,678,608 was wagered on the Land of Enchantment Day card, including $1,617,323 off-track.
Zia Park’s 2018 race meet runs September 8-December 11.
80 New Mexico Horse Breeder
Coady Photography