Irad Ortiz continues torrid riding, wins with three including Super Stock on Zia card

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has been on a cross-country stakes tear and on Tuesday he won three in New Mexico, including the $250,000 Zia Park Derby on Super Stock and the $200,000 Zia Park Oaks aboard Pauline’s Pearl.

Ortiz started the month of November with a pair of Breeders’ Cup wins at Del Mar – the Dirt Mile and Juvenile Turf Sprint. He then returned to New York and piled on three more stakes wins, including the Grade 2 Red Smith on Saturday at Aqueduct.

The Zia Derby anchored the annual Land of Enchantment card. It was comprised of seven stakes worth a total of $775,000.

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Ortiz’s winners at Zia Park all came for trainer Steve Asmussen. The millionaire Super Stock ($2.10) won his third stakes race on the year in the Zia Derby. He was always prominent, tracking Pirate Junction through fractions of 24.81 seconds for the opening quarter and 49.73 for the half-mile. The eventual winner engaged the leader on the final turn, and went on for 1 1/4-length win over Tesoro. Super Stock covered the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.73.

The field for the Zia Derby was scratched down to four with the defection of None Above the Law.

Asmussen has now won the Zia Derby three times, with his other victories Reporting for Duty in 2007 and Real Dandy in 2005.

Super Stock won the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in April and the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby in August. The son of Dialed In races for Erv Woolsey and Asmussen’s father, Keith Asmussen.

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Pauline’s Pearl ($4.40) rallied from off the pace to catch 4-5 favorite Lady Mystify in the Zia Park Oaks, winning by 1 1/2 lengths over that one. It was another 3 3/4 lengths back in third to Gemstone Gal.

Pauline’s Pearl was content to stalk the pace as Lady Mystify took the field through an opening quarter in 23.62 seconds, a half-mile in 47.34, and six furlongs in 1:11.28. The eventual winner moved past the leader in the later stages and covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.71.

Earlier this year, Pauline’s Pearl won the Grade 3 Fantasy at Oaklawn. She is a daughter of Tapit who races for her breeder, Stonestreet Stables.

Optionality ($4.20) became a stakes winner in the $50,000 Princess, when she drew clear by 6 1/2 lengths over Tyler’s Dream. The winner tracked a contested pace of 21.92 seconds for the opening quarter and 44.45 for the half-mile before going on to cover six furlongs for 2-year-old fillies in 1:09.16.

Optionality is a daughter of Gun Runner who races for her breeder, Winchell Thoroughbreds.

Double for Fincher, Chirinos

B4 Farms, trainer Todd Fincher, and jockey Roimes Chirinos won two of the stakes on the card, taking the $75,000 Zia Park Distaff with Canoodling and the $50,000 Juvenile with Bye Bye Bobby.

Canoodling ($4.20) tracked the pace and powered home by 5 3/4 lengths over 3-5 favorite Casual. The winner covered six furlongs for fillies and mares in 1:08.44. Canoodling is a daughter of Pioneerof the Nile.

In the six-furlong Juvenile, Bye Bye Bobby ($9.80) closed into hot fractions of 21.54 seconds for the opening quarter and 43.51 for the half-mile to win in 1:09.30. He is a son of Quality Road.

Mr Money Bags takes Sprint

Mr Money Bags and Competitive Idea finished in a dead heat for first in the $75,000 Zia Park Sprint, but Competitive Idea was disqualified and placed second for interference in the stretch. It was a length back in third to Nifty.

The six-furlong race went in 1:08.45.

Mr Money Bags, who is a past winner of the Zia Park Derby, paid $2.80. Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez was aboard the son of Silver City for Erma Cobb and trainer Jaylan Clary.

* Zestful ($4.20) was a head winner over Tenfold in the $75,000 Zia Park Distance Championship. It was another 9 1/4 lengths back in third to Mine That Star, who is a half-brother to Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. Zestful covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.35. Flavien Prat was aboard the son of Ghostzapper for Stable H.M.A. and trainer Bart Hone.