Zia Park Derby: Broadway Empire's speed dangerous

Broadway Empire was last seen pressing a defiant Goldencents in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, and based on the performance he appears to be the one to catch Sunday in the $200,000 Zia Park Derby.

The race is one of five stakes worth $845,000 on a new festival-like program designed to showcase the inaugural $300,000 Zia Park Oaks. The 11-race Land of Enchantment card begins at noon Mountain.

Broadway Empire will face six others in the Zia Derby, a 1 1/16-mile stakes which drew Carve, who was third in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby in September, and the quick Show Some Magic, runner-up in the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Park Derby back in March.

Broadway Empire won the Oklahoma Derby wire to wire, one start after a stalk-and-pounce score in the Grade 3 Canadian Derby at Northlands Park. He met older rivals for the first time in the BC Dirt Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 1, and pushed Goldencents through a half-mile in 44.60 seconds before finishing ninth behind the front-running winner.

“It’s disappointing when you run ninth, but [Goldencents] just ran a monster race,” said Robertino Diodoro, who trains Broadway Empire. “He ran the whole field right off their feet, including us. [Broadway Empire] was the only one that tried to pressure him. He did run hard.”

Diodoro said there were a number of reasons to target the Zia Derby, a race he won in 2011 with First Strike.

“It’s the last chance to run with straight 3-year-olds.,” he said. “We’ll give him a little break after this race. It’s always been in the back of our minds to run in this race and it’s worked out. He came out of the Breeders’ Cup good, and has been training really well since, so here we are.”

Broadway Empire breezed five furlongs in 59.40 seconds at Turf Paradise on Nov. 16, and on Thursday vanned to New Mexico from the Arizona track. Geovanni Franco has the mount for the partnership of Randy Howg, Bob Butz, Fouad El Kardy, and Rick Running Rabbit.

Carve appears to be the chief threat after a strong late bid in the Oklahoma Derby in his last start Sept. 25. He earned a career-high Beyer Figure of 92 in what was his first start in blinkers. Ricardo Santana Jr., has the mount for owner Michael Langford and trainer Steve Asmussen.

The Oklahoma Derby has produced five Zia Park Derby winners, according to statistics from Zia.

Track record holder in Distance

Ol Winedrinker Who set a track record for 1 1/16 miles last out at Zia, and on Sunday he will attempt to conquer more ground when he moves to 1 1/8 miles for the $150,000 Distance Championship.

“I think he’d like to run a mile and a half, so the distance won’t bother him,” said trainer Joel Marr.

Ol Winedrinker Who is part of a 12-horse field of the Distance Championship. The cast includes Jaycito, a Grade 1 winner at 2 making his first start since being purchased for $50,000 at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky in July.

Ole Winedrinker Who won the $55,000 Veterans in 1:41.94 in his last start Nov. 4 to set a new standard for the distance at Zia. He was returning to dirt for the race after spending time out of state for a chance to race on turf, according to Marr. Ole Winedrinker Who, the winner of last year’s Zia Park Derby, will break from the rail as the co-highweight at 120 pounds under Carlos Madeira.

Red Lead, the runner-up in the Distance Championship the last two years, is another top contender, as is Toccetive, a Grade 3 winner whose half-brother For Cash starts in the Zia Derby.

Jaws n’ Paws seeks win No. 16

Jaws n’ Paws will be seeking the 16th win of her 33-race career in the $55,000 Zia Park Distaff, a six-furlong race which drew nine fillies and mares, including sharp local Winter Book.

Jaws n’ Paws enters off a win in an optional $30,000 claimer at Turf Paradise on Nov. 3. The score improved her record this year to 4 for 6, with two of those wins coming in stakes at Turf Paradise and Sunland.

“She’s a mare with a heart as big as the grandstand,” said Diodoro, who trains Jaws n’ Paws for Stateside Racing “She’s awesome.”

Jaws n’ Paws will break from post 2 under Franco.

Winter Book has won 5 of 6 career starts, with her one loss coming in her two-turn debut. She is a 3-year-old daughter of Any Given Saturday and a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Motor City. Enrique Gomez has the mount for trainer Henry Dominguez.

◗ Dominguez will send out the undefeated 2-year-old filly That’s the Idea against males in the $140,000 Eddy County, a one-mile race for New Mexico-breds. That’s The Idea has won her three starts by a combined margin of 25 lengths and could be favored on Sunday.