Proud and Fearless pursues first stakes win in Zia Park Oaks
Trainer Larry Jones has been down this road before. Literally.
Jones has personally hauled a New Orleans-based filly to Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M., to take part in the meet’s richest race for Thoroughbreds, the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks.
“It’s 934 miles from gate to gate,” he said. “It isn’t a long way if you win. It gets to be a long drive if you don’t.”
Jones made a successful journey in 2014 when he won the Zia Park Oaks with Cassatt. He’s back Wednesday with Proud and Fearless, who could go favored in the 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-old fillies that tops a $1.2 million program.
The Zia Oaks anchors the annual Land of Enchantment card, which features nine stakes, including the $200,000 Zia Derby and $150,000 Zia Park Championship. Those races are among the program’s six stakes for Thoroughbreds. The remaining races are for Quarter Horses, including the Grade 1, $150,000 Distance Championship that lured reigning world champion Jessies First Down.
The Zia Oaks – which drew seven including stakes winners Ever So Clever, Escape Clause, and Kell Paso, as well as Southern California shipper Sandy’s Surprise – goes as the 10th and final race with a post of 4:12 p.m. Mountain. The card dovetails into a Wednesday night program of three stakes at sister track Penn National.
Zia Park Oaks (Race 10)
KEY CONTENDERS
Proud and Fearless, by Proud Citizen
Last 3 Beyers: 90-69-90
◗ She is looking for her first stakes win off a trio of graded starts. Proud and Fearless was a close second to It Tiz Well in her stakes debut in the Delaware Oaks in July, sixth in the Monmouth Oaks in August, then a good fifth to It Tiz Well in the Grade 1 Cotillion in her most recent start Sept. 23 at Parx Racing. The efforts came after back-to-back allowance wins at Parx and Delaware and are a long way from the $50,000 maiden-claiming level at which Proud and Fearless raced last season at Fair Grounds.
“We don’t know if Proud and Fearless got good because she was getting good, or if there was something about Fair Grounds she did not appreciate,” Jones said. “Her first race at Parx was a good race, and at Delaware she beat older by a lot of lengths. She did it the right way and put herself into the Delaware Oaks. We took her to Monmouth, and she didn’t run so good. Maybe she didn’t like that track. Maybe she’s a little finicky on her track. I hope she’s not. I feel like Zia has the type of surface she’s run well on. The Fair Grounds track is very similar to Monmouth.”
◗ Brian Pedroza has the mount from post 4 on the versatile Proud and Fearless.
“If somebody goes out there really running, she’s fine sitting off of it,” Jones said. “If they want to go slow and give me the lead, we’ll take it.”
◗ Proud and Fearless races for her breeder, Brereton Jones.
Ever So Clever, by Medaglia d’Oro
Last 3 Beyers: 86-69-71
◗ She exits the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks, a race in which she closed from last for second to champion Champagne Room, who wired the field in the 1 1/16-mile race Sept. 24.
“She fired,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains Ever So Clever. “The pace scenario wasn’t ideal, but she ran a good race – second behind last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner [who was] loose on the lead.”
◗ Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount from post 2 for owner Clearview Stable.
:: Watch Wednesday's Penn National card live, beginning 6:05 p.m. ET