O'Neill targets Zia Derby with improving Yulong Warrior

Yulong Warrior will attempt to give Southern California-based trainer Doug O’Neill another stakes win in New Mexico on Wednesday, when he starts as a major contender in a competitive renewal of the $250,000 Zia Park Derby.

Yulong Warrior came to O’Neill earlier this year after racing at Meydan in Dubai, where in March he became a stakes winner in the Al Bastakiya. He’s made two starts in the U.S., running fourth in the $100,000 Shared Belief on Aug. 25 at Del Mar, then winning the $100,000 Getaway Day Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths Sept. 23 at Emerald Downs. Yulong Warrior covered the mile and a sixteenth of the Getaway Day in an ultra-sharp 1:40.61.

“He’s a very impressive-looking colt and he really seemed to put it altogether at Emerald,” said O’Neill, who trains Yulong Warrior for Yuesheng Zhang. .

“This race just sets up perfect, timing-wise, for him.”

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O’Neill trainee Sandy’s Surprise won last year’s Zia Park Oaks when the race was the richest of the meet at $300,000. His other major wins in New Mexico include two runnings of the Sunland Park Derby.

Yulong Warrior on Wednesday is part of a nine-horse field that includes Grade 3 winners Sky Promise and Limation, as well as fellow Southern California invaders Air Strike, Restrainedvengence, and All Out Blitz.

The Zia Derby, at a mile and a sixteenth, helps anchor the $1 million Land of Enchantment card. There are seven stakes for Thoroughbreds on the 10-race program, which starts at 12 p.m. Mountain. The Zia Derby and the $250,000 Zia Park Oaks are the richest offerings on the program. There are new 2-year-old stakes on the card this year, and the Quarter Horse stakes that had been run on the program have been moved to Dec. 2.

KEY CONTENDERS

Yulong Warrior, by Street Cry

(Beyers: 92-76-NA)

◗ Yulong Warrior will break from post 6 under Evin Roman.

“He looks like he likes to have the race kind of unfold, have some horses in front of him, and make a charge late,” O’Neill said. “The great thing is Evin Roman has worked him just about every time he’s breezed and he’s ridden him both times we’ve run him. There’s a really good continuity between horse and rider.”

Sky Promise, by Sky Mesa

(Last 3 Beyers: 84-77-88

◗ He became the first horse in history to sweep Western Canada’s three major derbies when he captured the Manitoba Derby and Grade 3 Canadian Derby in August and the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby in his last start Sept. 8.

Trainer Robertino Diodoro noted that Sky Promise was able to come from behind and win the B.C. Derby despite the short stretch at Hastings.

“He’s a horse that’s filled out and is just getting better and better,” he said.

◗ Rico Walcott has the mount from post 7.

All Out Blitz, by Concord Point

(Last 3 Beyers: 92-90-56)

◗ He is back racing with straight 3-year-olds after defeating older horses in a Los Alamitos allowance Sept. 21 then finishing second to 2017 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Battle of Midway in the $78,000 Comma to the Top Oct. 28 at Santa Anita