Black Hills scores in Distance Championship

Black Hills continued his love affair with the 1 1/8-mile distance Sunday, when he won his third stakes at the trip in the at Zia Park. The race was the richest Thoroughbred offering of the meet, which will close Tuesday.

Black Hills ($14.80) has never been beaten at 1 1/8 miles, with his other two starts at the distance resulting in stakes wins at SunRay Park and the Downs at Albuquerque.

In the race at Zia, he was well back, then rallied to overtake Orientate Express in the stretch for a 1 1/4-length win. Black Hills covered the distance in 1:53.22.

Catalino Martinez rode the winner for trainer Bart Hone. Black Hills has won 7 of 17 starts and $317,580. He races for A & R Stables and Class Racing Stable.

Song of Navarone finished third as the favorite Sunday, 1 1/4 lengths behind runner-up Orientate Express.

Also on the card, the $120,000 Eddy County for 2-year-olds bred in New Mexico turned out to be a two-horse race, with winner Rig's Runner ($13) and second-place finisher Huntin the Trash ending up more than 15 lengths clear of the rest of the field.

Rig's Runner won the one-mile race by 1 1/4 lengths, covering the distance in 1:41.30.

Cliff Lambert rode the winner for Derrell Riggan and trainer Cliff Lambert.

*Little Bit of Ah Ha ($33.60) upset 3-5 favorite Noconi by a neck in the $175,000 Distance Championship for Quarter Horses.