Heroic Move continues with strong works ahead of Zia Park Derby

Heroic Move continued a strong work pattern on Wednesday, when he put in his final drill for the $300,000 Zia Park Derby that is being run Tuesday in New Mexico.

Heroic Move is based at Remington Park, where he worked five furlongs in 1:01.56 on a fast track. The move was part of a string of notable drills for the Zia Derby. Other works include five-eighths in 1:00.80 on Nov. 15 and the same distance in 59.28 seconds Nov. 8.

Heroic Move enters the Zia Derby, a 1 1/16-mile race that drew a field of eight when entries were taken Tuesday, off a confidence-building allowance win Oct. 11 at Remington.

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“He really needed that win, and now his last couple works have been huge, including this morning,” trainer Robertino Diodoro said Wednesday. “He worked really well. We’ll see what happens. He’s going to have to take a little step up.”

The Zia field, from the rail with riders, is Slip Mahoney, Gerardo Corrales; Heroic Move, Cristian Torres; Wildatlanticstorm, Elvin Gonzalez; Battle Strike, Kylee Jordan; Red Route One, Joel Rosario; Two Rivers Over, Antonio Fresu; Arrowthegreat, Victor Espinoza; and No White Flags, C.J. McMahon.

Slip Mahoney, the winner of the Bourbon Trail last out at Churchill Downs, has been made the 7-5 morning-line favorite, according to John McGary, track announcer at Zia.

Heroic Move is scheduled to travel to Zia on Sunday.

“It’s a good seven-hour drive, but a very easy drive,” said Diodoro.

Heroic Move is one of several runners the barn has on the card, which features a total of seven stakes worth $1.1 million. It’s the annual Land of Enchantment Day, and this year it comes on the heels of the New Mexico Cup program Monday, when eight Thoroughbred stakes worth $1.3 million will be run at Zia.

Diodoro has starters in five stakes on Tuesday, although he said Promise Keeper would be scratched from the $125,000 Zia Park Championship and could make his next start in the $75,000 Jeffrey Hawk Memorial on Dec. 15 at Remington Park.

Diodoro’s other starters include Triple L’s Cutter, a supplement to the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks, Albizu in the $100,000 Sprint, and Curlin’s Magic in the $100,000 Princess.

The Zia Park Derby is the 10th and final race on a card that starts at 12:05 p.m. Mountain.

Other Remington-based runners working for the Zia Derby on Wednesday were Red Route One, who went a half-mile in 51.30 seconds, and Battle Strike, who went the same distance in 52.69.

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