Mr. Trieste back to what he does best

is likely to try for the early lead in Saturday's Veteran Stakes at Zia Park.P

Mr. Trieste will move back to arguably his best trip on Saturday, when he stretches out to two turns for the $55,000 Veteran at Zia Park. The 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds and up drew a field of nine, including the Chris Hartman-trained duo of Wait in Line and Guiding Hand.

Mr. Trieste was retired to stud last January following a fifth-place finish in the $50,000 Winsham Lad Handicap at Sunland Park. He resumed his racing career in September, and finished second in a six-furlong allowance at Zia. Mr. Trieste has made one other start in an allowance sprint, finishing a troubled fourth, and is now set to resume route racing for trainer Jimmie Claridge.

"I think he's a lot better horse going long," said Ken Tohill, Mr. Trieste's regular rider, who leads the standings at Zia. "He can sprint. He's beaten some nice horses going short. But I think he's better going long."

Mr. Trieste has recorded eight of his nine stakes wins in route races. He will break from post 4.

"He's versatile," said Tohill. "If there's no speed he can go. If there's a couple in there with speed, he can track them."

Guiding Hand figures to have a say in the pace. He invades from Fresno, where in his last start he set the pace and finished fifth in the $63,000 Bull Dog on Oct. 14. His stablemate, Wait in Line, moves back to a route after closing for fifth last out in the $75,000 Remington Park Sprint Championship on Oct. 21.

"We're going to take two shots," said Hartman. "Hopefully, we'll put one out on the lead and the other one will come tracking behind him. Both of these horses like this racetrack. They both like it here."

Wait in Line has run first, second, and third in three starts at Zia, while Guiding Hand ran second in last year's Zia Derby in his one start at the track. Jake Barton has the mount on Guiding Hand. Glen Murphy will ride Waiting in Line.

Others of interest include Sumac, who closed from eighth to third in the $300,000 Oklahoma Derby on Oct. 21. The race was his first since July, and he has a license to move forward for trainer John Hall. Also in the field is Mr. Pursuit, who won the Oklahoma Derby in 2006.