Two Rivers Over continued his upward trajectory Tuesday, when the Southern California invader captured the $300,000 Zia Park Derby in track-record time. He won by two lengths over Heroic Move, while it was another 1 1/4 lengths in third to Red Route One. Two Rivers Over covered the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in a hand-timed 1:41.25. The previous record was 1:41.80. Two Rivers Over ($29.40) was content to track leader No White Flags, who was pushed along by Wildatlanticstorm in a race in which fractional times were unavailable. Two Rivers Over moved to the lead on the final turn and increased his advantage to the wire. Luis Fuentes was aboard for trainer Doug O’Neill, who raved about the effort from Two Rivers Over. “Just so impressed,” he said. “We’re so over the moon to have won the Zia Park Derby – got a track-record time, too. It still hasn’t set in. “The race really came up tough – as it should for the prize money. We’re just so proud of our guy. Hopefully, we have a really nice 4-year-old next year.” O’Neill said he is grateful to owners Todd Cady and Ty Leatherman for making the call to claim Two Rivers Over for $30,000 in June. The gelding won that day at Ellis Park and came back to take a $50,000 starter allowance at Del Mar. Two Rivers Over was sixth at the same level one start later on turf before returning to dirt and taking a first-level allowance in September at Del Mar. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. “His owners have just been so patient with the horse,” O’Neill said. “And credit to them for taking a chance, and the financial expense, shipping a crew and horse from California to New Mexico. It’s not easy.” O’Neill said Two Rivers Over would now return to Santa Anita. “Anytime you get lucky with a nice [horse] that can run long on the dirt, there’s so many cool options,” he said. “Those horses are difficult to find.” Two Rivers Over is a son of Tamarkuz. He picked up $176,400 for his win Tuesday to improve his career mark to 4 for 13 with earnings of $313,851. Flying Connection romps home in Zia Park Oaks Flying Connection gave jockey Joel Rosario his fourth stakes win on Tuesday’s rich Land of Enchantment card at Zia Park, when she pulled away by five lengths in the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks. The race was one of seven stakes worth a cumulative $1.1 million. Flying Connection also completed a sweep of New Mexico’s biggest offerings for her division with the win, as she previously had won the $300,000 Sunland Park Oaks in March. Flying Connection ($2.10) raced along the rail in fourth in the Zia Park Oaks as Pepper Mill and Halosnheaven dueled through fractions of 23.72 seconds for the opening quarter and 47.36 for the half-mile. Pepper Mill drifted out sharply into the stretch as Flying Connection moved to the lead after six furlongs in 1:11.21. The eventual winner poured it on in the lane, covering 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.29. It was the fourth straight stakes win on the card for Rosario, who was aboard for trainer Todd Fincher. It was Fincher’s second stakes win on the card after taking the $100,000 Zia Park Princess with Candy Aisle. Love Tank closed from last for second, finishing 6 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Magic Bubbles. Flying Connection is now 3 for 3 at Zia, where she won a maiden race by 15 lengths last year before taking the Zia Park Princess. Flying Connection came into the Zia Park Oaks off a win over male rivals in the $75,000 Charles Taylor Derby at the Downs at Albuquerque. Earlier in the year, she ran sixth in the Kentucky Oaks. She set the pace in the race, as she had in a number of other races, and Fincher said Flying Connection has since matured and shown a willingness to also bid from off the pace. The daughter of Nyquist and the multiple stakes-winning mare Free Flying Soul races for Brad King, Randy Andrews, Chris Coleman, Jim Cone, Suzanne Kirby, and Lee Lewis. Flying Connection is now 6 for 12 with earnings of $557,300. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.