Zero Sugar, who was a close second to Brotha Keny in the $300,000 Zia Park Derby last month in New Mexico, will likely make his next start at Oaklawn Park, according to co-owner Staton Flurry. Flurry said trainer Cippy Contreras has options for Zero Sugar, who is eligible for a conditioned allowance as well as the $135,000 The Coach, which is a new overnight stakes for 4-year-olds on Jan. 2. The 1 1/16-mile race is named for the late Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Zero Sugar was making his first start since March in the Zia Derby and raced with the pace throughout. He finished a half-length behind the closing rush of Brotha Keny and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 92. “So proud of that effort for not running since Arkansas Derby Day,” Flurry said. “He really dug in and showed his class. We’ve known from the get-go that he’s going to be a really nice horse, ever since we bought him. Zero Sugar has made three starts, beginning with a runner-up finish in a maiden special weight Feb. 23 at Oaklawn. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “We hooked a monster in Cornucopian,” Flurry said. “I think that wound up being the fastest maiden special weight ever at Oaklawn and he ran second in there. And then, to go from six furlongs in that race to win on Arkansas Derby Day going a mile and an eighth in your second start, he really proved to us that he’s got the talent we were thinking he had. “He came back with just a little flake in his knee after a breeze following that race. We took it out and gave him time off to mature and grow, and hopefully, we’ll have a good horse for an older campaign.” Zero Sugar is a son of Twirling Candy who also races for the Arkansas-based Little River Racing and the California-based Corey Smith. Flurry said one of the reasons Zero Sugar landed in the Zia Park Derby was the opportunity to face straight 3-year-olds late in the year. He said the group had full respect for the field he faced, especially Brotha Keny and Mister Omaha. Brotha Keny was entered in a digital sale that was to have wrapped up earlier this week, according to his trainer Bill Morey. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.