Bv Midnite Express heads Southwest Juvenile Championship

The Grade 1, $200,000 Southwest Juvenile Championship for Quarter Horses, Zia Park’s final stakes of the meet, has drawn one of the top 2-year-olds in training in Bv Midnite Express.

Zia Park, in Hobbs, N.M., closes out its meet Dec. 15. The circuit in New Mexico then moves to Sunland Park, which opens Dec. 18 and races through April 19.

The Southwest Juvenile is a 440-yard race which drew 11. Other contenders include Game Changes and Miss Feet Down First, dead-heat winners of the Grade 2, $297,831 Hobbs America Futurity at Zia, as well as Good Job Honey, a stakes winner out to make it five in a row Sunday.

But the bulk of the focus will be on Bv Midnite Express, who established himself as one of his division’s best in May with a half-length win in the Grade 1, $1 million Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park. During the fall, Bv Midnite Express won the $200,000 All American Juvenile at Ruidoso Downs.

Russel Hadley has the mount from post 10. Eddie Wills trains Bv Midnite Express for Bella Vista Farms.

Wine Police aims for Sunland

Wine Police, an earner of $500,000, was pulled up during the $100,000 Zia Park Sprint on Nov. 25, but is in good health and could run back later this month in the $65,000 KLAQ Handicap at Sunland, trainer Henry Dominguez said Friday.

Dominguez said Wine Police had a stifle issue arise during the Zia Sprint. The stifle is a joint located in a horse’s hind leg between the hip and hock. The joint can sometimes lock.

“He got a cramp in his stifle,” said Dominguez. “The rider made the right decision and pulled him up.”

The KLAQ, for 3-year-olds and up at five furlongs, is Dec. 19.

Another top runner from the Dominguez barn, Isn’t He Clever, came out of his fourth-place finish in the $150,000 Zia Distance Championship in good order and also will target stakes at Sunland.

“We’re probably going to start sprinting Isn’t He Clever,” said Dominguez.

Isn’t He Clever is a nine-time stakes winner and has earned $940,995.

◗ Zia recorded its third-highest handle in track history Nov. 25 during the Land of Enchantment card, according to Fred Hutton, director of racing. Handle on the 11-race card from all sources was $1.19 million. The card was led by the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks.

The Zia Park Sprint was added to the that day’s lineup this year and Hutton said the race would remain on the program next year. The plan is to run the Land of Enchantment card the day before Thanksgiving again.

“That day is ultimately successful for us in the fact that our three best historic handles have been on Land of Enchantment Day,” said Hutton.