Dominguez will saddle trio for Distaff

Trainer Henry Dominguez will be coming at the competition from every possible pace angle at Zia Park on Saturday, when he sends out a front-runner, a stalker, and a closer in the $55,000 Distaff.

The six-furlong race for fillies and mares drew a field of 10.

Hayley’s Halo wired the field in the $60,000 Chaves County at Zia on Oct. 3 to earn what ranks as this field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, a 90. But she might be making her run in the later stages Saturday as she will be cutting back from a mile for the Distaff. Hayley’s Halo closed from fifth to win an allowance the last time she sprinted. Dominguez has given the mount to Alejandro Medellin.

Linnea used stalking tactics to finish second to No Other Tone in the allowance prep for the Distaff, but she might race with the pace Saturday as she will break from the rail in a large field. Juan Ochoa has the call on the filly, who in June won an allowance sprint in wire-to-wire fashion at Parx Racing.

Perfectly Nice, who closed for third in the same allowance prep as Linnea, raced farther off the pace than usual in that race. She might assume a stalking position Saturday from post 10. Justin Shepherd will ride Perfectly Nice, whose last win was a stalk-and-pounce allowance score at Zia in October.

◗ Woody Dungarees will attempt to win her sixth straight race in the $140,000 Filly and Mare Championship for Quarter Horses. The 400-yard stakes goes as the sixth race Saturday.