Viva La Moon Leads Qualifiers To Zia Derby at Ruidoso Downs

RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (July 16, 2011) – Viva La Moon raced to her first win in nearly one year when she posted the fastest-qualifying time to the $121,219 Zia Derby at Ruidoso Downs on Saturday afternoon.

The horses with the 10 fastest times in the three trials all came out of the first and the third 400-yard heats. Those 10 horses return to race in the Zia Derby for New Mexico-breds on July 31 at Ruidoso Downs.

The Zia Derby is one of the prominent races on the Zia Festival program celebrating New Mexico.

Viva La Moon, trained by Juan Gonzalez, raced to the 8-1 mild upset in the first race when he prevailed by a neck with a :19.622 time for the 400 yards with Gaspar Garcia aboard.

The Furyofthewind daughter won her maiden last summer at Ruidoso Downs and has been winless in four subsequent starts. She showed her readiness for Saturday’s winning effort when she was a competitive third in a Ruidoso Downs optional-claiming race in her previous start.

David Barrett’s Wilmon was second behind Viva La Moon and recorded the second-fastest qualifying time of :19.670 under Cody Jensen. The Fred Danley-trained gelding won the Zia Futurity consolation last year for his only other win from seven starts.

Eusevio Sanchez’s homebred Talleys First Shake won the third trial with the third-fastest qualifying time of :19.696. The gelding won by nose over fourth-fastest qualifier EBW Getusum, who recorded a :19.702 time.

Talleys First Shake prepared for the Zia Derby trial with a one-length win in a $20,000 allowance race at SunRay Park on June 21.

EBW Getusum, owned by Ernie and Brenda Wood with Derrol Hubbard, won his maiden two starts ago and was then fourth in an optional-claiming race.