Brotha Keny, Mister Omaha square off in Zia Park Derby
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Brotha Keny and Mister Omaha will both be returning to the straight 3-year-old ranks Tuesday when they invade New Mexico to start as chief contenders in the $300,000 Zia Park Derby.
The 1 1/16-mile race that drew nine anchors the $1.1 million Land of Enchantment card. There are seven Thoroughbred stakes on a 10-race program that includes the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks.
Brotha Keny won the Bourbon Flight in September at Churchill Downs. His most recent start came at Keeneland, where he was a close fourth behind stakes winners Generous Tipper and Catching Freedom in an allowance over 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 24.
“It was a tough race,” trainer Bill Morey said. “Of course, at Keeneland, a three-other-than allowance is a very stiff race against 3 and up. And he had a little bit of a troubled trip. He kind of ran off early down the backside and made a big, wide early move, and made the lead and got caught late. It was awkward-run race, but it wasn’t a bad race.”
Brotha Keny earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 93, which matched the number he earned in the Bourbon Flight. Brotha Keny won his first stakes in the Bourbon Flight after running third in both the Indiana Derby and West Virginia Derby. He defeated a short Bourbon Flight field after some of his rivals defected to a stakes in Illinois.
“We just kind of played it like it was a match race and tried to take it to them early and it worked,” Morey said. “They scratched down to three horses. I think probably one of the toughest horses, if not the toughest horse, stayed in, Chunk of Gold. But we kind of got the jump on him in a short field and we got lucky.”
Brotha Keny will break from post 3. Joe Ramos has the mount for Lance and Steve Kinross. Brotha Keny could settle just off the ample speed in the Zia Derby.
“My owners and I and Joe Ramos will have to look at it more in detail, but he can kind of be anywhere, really,” Morey said Wednesday.
Mister Omaha used his speed to wire his rivals in the Oklahoma Classics Cup for 3-year-olds and up on Oct. 17 at Remington Park. He will start from post 7 under Luis Quinonez.
“We’ll be in the race early, I would think,” trainer Joe Offolter said Wednesday. “I haven’t really looked at what all speed is in there, if anybody is coming out of sprints, but he’ll be forwardly placed.”
Mister Omaha gave all of his rivals weight in the Oklahoma Classics Cup, a 1 1/16-mile race that he won by 9 3/4 lengths.
“He ran a bang-up race,” Offolter said. “I thought he handled the older horses, even though they were statebreds. This looked like a good spot for him. This part of the country, it’s the last [stakes] for straight 3-year-olds.”
Prior to the Oklahoma Classics Cup, Mister Omaha ran third in both the Iowa Derby and Oklahoma Derby.
“He’s really carried his weight well,” Offolter said. “He’s one that just comes right back and doesn’t ever miss a meal. He’s feeling good about himself. He’s just healthy – dapples all over him right now. He just looks like, physically, he’s doing real well.”
The field also includes McKinzie Street, a Grade 1-placed runner who is coming off a pair of allowance wins in New Mexico; and Amorosa, a multiple stakes winner who was second last out in the Iowa Breeders’ Derby.
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