Zia Stakes 08/07/22

KJ Daddys Money Cruises Home a Winner In Zia QH Futurity at Ruidoso Downs Race Track

KJ Daddys Money, a two-year-old filly, broke on top and cruised home a 13-1 upset winner in the $379,527 Zia Quarter Horse Futurity Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs during the Zia Festival.

“She put the peddle to the metal,” jockey CJ Benn said in the winner’s circle. “She was a little edgy in the gates but when they opened she was focused and had plenty of speed to get the job done.” The victory is another score for John and Kathy Lee and Ruben Mares, owners of last season’s All American Futurity champion KJ Desparado. The filly is sired by Big Daddy Cartel out of the mare KJ Kiss Me Goodbye by First Moonflash. The mare is a half-sister to KJ Desparado. The gelding paid $29.60, $11.20 and $6.00 in a winning time of 19.724 seconds for 400-yards. Heavily-favored Pick Your Pour and Doing Something Good were involved in a mid-race tangle; stewards chose to reverse their order of finish and placed Pick Your Pour in second place. KJ Daddys Money is expected to head to Albuquerque Downs for a futurity event in the fall.

The fourth race was the $50,000 Zia 870 Championship won for the second year in a row by Wascallywittlewabbit and jockey Benito Baca. The seven-year-old gelding tied his own track record set in the same race one year ago of 44.438 seconds. Wascallywittlewabbit won for the 14 th time in a sensational career for owner Jarett Case Rogers and trainer Mike Joiner. The gelding broke on top and won by nearly three lengths and has career earnings of about $375,000. The champ paid $3.60, $2.80 and $2.20.

The sixth race was the $50,000 Road Runner Stakes won by Majorwayhome and jockey Francisco Amparan in an upset. Favorites Bye Bye Matty and Life Jacket set a brutal opening fraction of 21.86 seconds and were ran down in the stretch.

Majorwayhome paid $18.80, $6.80 and $3.40 in a winning time of 1:04.41 seconds for five-and-a-half furlongs. The three- year-old gelding is owned by Roger and Melissa Holland and trained by Guadalupe Munoz Jr. In the seventh race, Gemologist, a two-year-old gelding, won the $50,000 Zia Quarter Horse Juvenile by a half-length in a winning time of 19.776 seconds for 400-yards. The gelding has now won three races in four career starts. The winning rider was Luis Martinez for owner Jose Aguliar Mendoza and trainer Eloy Navarro. Gemologist paid $9.00, $5.00 and $3.60.

Bella Dona, a three-year-old filly, kept to her winning ways in the eighth race in the $50,000 Lincoln Stakes at five-and-a-half furlongs. It was her sixth consecutive win and ninth win in ten lifetime starts. She is undefeated in three career starts at Ruidoso Downs. Jockey Luis Fuentes guided Bella Dona home in a winning time of 1:04.41 seconds. She paid $2.60, $2.40 and $2.20 for owners Robert and Del Rae Driggers and Ben Lee Ivey. She is trained by Simon Buechler.

Racing continues next Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Ruidoso Downs with first post at 1 p.m. Next weekend is the Chile the Kid Beer and Wine Festival in the Santa Fe Furniture Event Center. For more information visit www.raceruidoso.com.