Diodoro loading up for Land of Enchantment card

Albizu is among the horses trainer Robertino Diodoro plans to bring to Zia Park for the $1.1 million Land of Enchantment card of seven stakes Nov. 28.

Albizu is coming off a win in the $100,000 David M. Vance at Remington Park. He closed from last for a half-length victory in the six-furlong stakes on Sept. 24 and Diodoro said he will now target the $100,000 Zia Park Sprint.

“He’s a horse that tries all the time,” Diodoro said. “He didn’t have a huge pace to run at and still came running. He had some pace, but not crazy. I just thought he ran a really big race.

“I’ll probably not run him until the stakes at Zia Park.”

Diodoro long has been active on the Land of Enchantment card, which is anchored by the $300,000 Zia Park Derby and $300,000 Zia Park Oaks. He’s won five stakes in the series, including the 2011 derby with First Strike and the 2018 derby with Nanoosh.

“We plan on taking close to a full load,” Diodoro said of this year’s Land of Enchantment Day. “We’re just figuring out which one for the derby.”

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Diodoro said the barn plans to have starters in other stakes, including the $125,000 Distance Championship and the $100,000 Zia Park Princess.

“We’re sorting through all that,” he said.

Zia opens its meet Nov. 3. The Land of Enchantment card will be run on a Tuesday. The meet runs through Dec. 20.

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