Mr Money Bags preps in Roadrunner Stakes

Mr Money Bags returns to action Monday on a Zia Park card that features three stakes designed to produce starters for next month’s $1.1 million Land of Enchantment Day.

Mr Money Bags goes in the $50,000 Roadrunner, a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up. It is his first start since July.

“If he comes out of the race good, we’ll go to the Zia Park Derby,” trainer Mike Neatherlin said.

The $250,000 Zia Park Derby is the co-richest race on the Land of Enchantment card of stakes on Nov. 27.

Mr Money Bags is a three-time stakes winner. He was last heard from in August, when scratched from the Prelude at Louisiana Downs. Mr Money Bags was a top choice in the Prelude, but displayed signs of colic and was declared from the race that morning.

“He kind of hauled around a lot in that heat in the summer, and it kind of took a toll on him,” Neatherlin said. “He needed a little time off. We freshened him up, just kind of let him regroup and get happy again.

“He’s been breezing just phenomenal. I think he’s better than he’s ever been.”

Mr Money Bags worked a half-mile in a bullet 46 seconds at his Lone Star Park base on Oct. 18. He will be making his second start at Zia, having won a maiden special weight at six furlongs there last November. Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez has the mount for breeder and owner Roy Cobb.

The probable favorite is Tiz Alluptome Now, who comes off a runner-up finish to Welder in the $150,000 David M. Vance on Sept. 29 at Remington Park.

The Roadrunner also is expected to produce starters for the $100,000 Zia Park Sprint.

The $50,000 Veterans is the local prep for the $150,000 Zia Park Championship. The field of 11 for the 1 1/16-mile stakes includes Lookin At Lee and Bokeelia Island, who ran one-two in the $200,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap in August; Sheriff Brown, a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Runaway Ghost; and Mr. Benz, who is seeking his sixth straight win.

Popularity, runner-up to Mocito Rojo in the $175,000 Governor’s Cup in August at Remington, will get a good deal of support in the Veterans. Mocito Rojo went on to win the Grade 3 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs and was to run in the Grade 2 Fayette on Saturday at Keeneland. Popularity was beaten a half-length when they met at Remington.

“He ran hard,” trainer Joe Offolter said. “He got up there on the front end, a couple of horses and him. He got away from them and then that horse, who is a beast, has won [five] in a row, just kind of got by him.”

Popularity will break from post 2 under Richard Eramia.

“He’ll be up close,” Offolter said. “He doesn’t have to be on the front. He can sit just off of it.”

◗ Best of Me, who exits a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar, leads the $50,000 Chaves County, a six-furlong race for fillies and mares that could produce starters for the $100,000 Zia Park Distaff.