Fullofenergy After Fifth-Straight
Win In Land Of Enchantment on Zia Day
RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (July 28, 2011) – Joe Allen
and Michael Stinson’s Fullofenergy tries for an
unprecedented fifth-straight win in the $50,000 Land Of
Enchantment Handicap to highlight the Zia Festival
racing program on Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.
The Zia Festival is dedicated to New Mexico-bred racing
with 10 stakes races for state-breds and total purses
reaching $1,110,839.
Other races offer higher purses, yet the focus will be
on the Land Of Enchantment and Fullofenergy’s attempt
for his fifth-straight victory in the seven-and-one-half
furlong race.
A year ago in the Land of Enchantment, Fullofenergy
raced just off the pace and then rallied to win by
one-and-one-half lengths. That was a shortest winning
margin from his four wins in the Land Of Enchantment. He
won by five-and-one-half lengths in both 2007 and 2009.
Trainer Joel Marr brings the eight-year-old Fullofenergy
up to the Land of Enchantment off a nearly 11-month
layoff. The Desert God gelding has worked six times at
Ruidoso Downs since May 18 preparing for the Land Of
Enchantment.
Freda McSwain and Joe Walter’s Train Rider Blues faces
Fullofenergy in the Land Of Enchantment and he is after
his third-straight win of Zia Festival Day. Two years
ago, he won the Rio Grande Senor Futurity and last year
he won the Road Runner Handicap for trainer Terry
Walker.
The Land of Enchament is the 10th race with Carlos
Medeira aboard Fullofenergy with the 10th post position
and Juan Ochoa aboard Train Rider Blues with the eighth
post position.
The richest Zia Festival race is the Grade 1, $383,030
Zia Futurity, the ninth race, for quarter horses and
trainer Paul Jones has the two fastest qualifiers –
Erasmus B Dragon and First Blazin Love.
Also bred and owned by Jones, Erasmus B Dragon won his
Zia Futurity trial by more than two lengths with the
fastest-qualifying time of :19.519 for 400 yards.
First Blazin Love won his maiden in his first start on
June 3 and then rolled to a two-length win in his Zia
Futurity trial with the second-fastest time of :19.546.
In the $156,290 Rio Grande Senorita Futurity for
two-year-old female thoroughbreds, Our Flying Angel
tries to back up a stunning career debut in her Senorita
trial when she won by more than 11 lengths.
In the $149,250 Rio Grande Senor Futurity for
two-year-old male thoroughbreds, Who Left Who and Boy
Ego each won their trials in their first starts. Who
Left Who set all the pace to win by nearly three lengths
while Boy Ego pushed the early leader and went on to win
by a neck.
In the Grade 2, $121,219 Zia Derby at 400 yards, Viva La
Moon won his trial by a neck for his first win in more
than 10 months. His time of :19.622 was the fastest time
from three trials.
In the $50,000 Road Runner Handicap for three-year-olds
at five-and-one-half furlongs, Mostly Dust comes off a
gate to wire win in the Norgor Derby and Attitude E
Racer returns from a front-running victory in the Dine
Stakes at SunRay Park.
In the $50,000 Lincoln Handicap for fillies and mares at
six furlongs, Soaring Goddess is in sharp form with two
wins this summer at Ruidoso Downs. The four-year-old has
finished in the top three runners in five of six 2011
starts.
In the $50,000 Sierra Starlet for three-year-old fillies
at five-and-one-half furlongs, Comicsperfection returns
to racing for the first time since winning last year’s
Rio Grande Senorita Futurity. She won three of four
starts before her year-long layoff.
In the 400-yard, $50,000 Zia Handicap, Fredda Draper’s
Jenuine Joy makes her first appearance at Ruidoso Downs
since a maiden race in 2008. The Carl Draper-trained
mare has won seven of 10 starts and has stakes wins this
year in the Mesilla Speed Handicap and the Tommy “Duke”
Smith Stakes from three starts.
In the $50,000 Zia 870 Championship, Rogelio Carrasco’s
BRT Opulence carries high weight of 125 pounds after
winning the New Mexico Horse Breeders 870 Handicap in
his most recent start. He also rallied from a striking
position to win last year’s Zia 870 Championship by more
than one length at 3-1 odds.
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