Page 103 - New Mexico Winter 2021

ZIA PARK
New Mexico Cup Derby Champ. (R)
Story by Michael Cusortelli • Photos by Coady Photography
King Bull
Holy Bull
Pookette
Last Danz
Danzatore
Misericordia
TUCUM
Tucum, a homebred dark bay or brown son of King Bull owned by Tucumcari Thoroughbreds, scored a four-length victory in the October 31, $100,000 New Mexico Cup Derby Championship (R) for state-bred 3-year-old colts and geldings at Zia Park.
Trained by Danny Morales, Tucum went 6 furlongs in 1:09.69 under jockey Enrique Gomez. The gelding banked $60,000 from his second win in seven outs and first career stakes score.
Tucum was sent to post at odds of 7-1, and he was coming off of a third-place finish in a 6-furlong, $39,000 first-level allowance race for New Mexico- breds on October 4. The gelding’s sire, King Bull, is a winning 20-year-old Kentucky-bred son of 1994 Horse of the Year Holy Bull. From 12 crops, King Bull has sired 22 winners from 29 starters and the earners of more than $1.4 million. His four stakes winners include Infinite Bull, the winner of the 2015 Mt. Cristo Rey Handicap (R) at Sunland Park.
King Bull entered stud in 2007. The stallion is owned by Gary Balzano and stands at Tucumcari Thoroughbreds in Tucumcari, New Mexico.
Tucum is out of Last Danz, a winning 19-year-old daughter of the Northern Dancer stallion Danzatore who ran third in the 2004 Dessie & Fern Sawyer Futurity (R) at Albuquerque Downs. Last Danz
has foaled four winners from five starters, including
K.B.’s Princess, a full sister to Tucum who won the 2012 C.O. “Ken” Kendrick Memorial Stakes (R) at SunRay Park, and K.B.’s Last Danz, a winning full sister to Tucum who ran third in the 2014 New Mexico Cup Juvenile Fillies Stakes (R) at Zia Park.
Tucum traces back to his fifth dam, Crowned Queen, a stakes-winning Kentucky-bred daughter
of the Nearco (ITY) stallion Royal Charger. A 1962 foal, Crowned Queen produced two stakes winners, including Crowned Music, the winner of the 1978 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte Stakes (G2) in France.
Raced in two states, including Texas, Tucum has earned $88,209. The gelding broke his maiden with an 11-length victory as the 7-5 favorite in a 5 1/2-furlong, $30,000 maiden-special-weight race for New Mexico- breds at Albuquerque Downs on August 15. He also ran sixth, 4 1/2 lengths behind winner Shining Source, in the September 12, 7-furlong O.D. McDonald Stakes for state-breds at Albuquerque Downs.
Cheese Tray ran second and was followed by Izeright, Champ Spirit, 9-10 favorite One Mark, B A Champion, Ilikerollin, and Aisle Runner.
Cheese Tray is a homebred son of the Forest Wildcat stallion Attila’s Storm campaigned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison of El Paso, Texas. A half-brother to 2019 Mountain Top Futurity (R) third-place finisher Road To Heat, the bay colt was shortening in distance off of his second-place finish, 8 1/4 lengths behind
winner One Mark, in the September 4, 1-mile Casino at The Downs Derby (R) at Albuquerque Downs. All told, Cheese Tray has won two of 12 starts, and the $20,000 runner-up share of the New Mexico Cup Derby Championship purse pushed his earnings to $98,136, of which $58,886 has been banked from six outs this season.
Izeright finished 4 1/4 lengths behind Tucum and pocketed $10,000 for his owner, Gaylon McGee, who also bred the gray or roan son of the Unbridled’s Song stallion Right Rigger. The colt has won three of eight starts, including the 6 1/2-fur- long, $55,000 Dine Stakes (R) at SunRay Park on May 30, and he has earned $94,397, all of which has been banked this season.
WINTER 2021 101