Zia Park: Dominguez saddles Keyboard Courage in deep Veterans

Trainer Henry Dominguez will send out Del Mar claim Keyboard Courage in a deep renewal of the $55,000 Veterans at Zia Park on Monday. The race is a prep for the $150,000 Zia Park Championship, which Dominguez has won with such horses as Song of Navarone (2008), Imco Spirit (2010), and Forest Mouse (2012).

The Zia Championship, at 1 1/8 miles, will be part of a rich card of stakes Nov. 24.

The Veterans is a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up. The field of 10 includes Global Stage, the race’s defending champ; Treacherous, winner of two stakes in his last two starts; Clone, who won the $50,000 Ruidoso Derby; Moonshine Mullin, who invades off a $25,000 optional-claiming win at Remington Park; and Congenial, who earlier this year was based in Southern California.

Dominguez is in the final months of another strong year at the track, having won 122 races and $2.6 million in purses through Friday. He’s also the second-leading trainer at the Zia meet and on Saturday was to have saddled his first Breeders’ Cup starter, Wine Police, in the $1.5 million Sprint.

“I’m 55, but I feel like I’m 20,” an enthused Dominguez said.

Dominguez claimed Keyboard Courage on behalf of Wine Police’s owners, Kirk and Judy Robison, for $12,500 at Del Mar on Aug. 18. The horse won that afternoon with a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 92. One start later, Keyboard Courage trumped himself when he closed from last to take a $40,000 optional claimer at Del Mar, with a Beyer of 93. He will be moving back to two turns for the Veterans, a race Dominguez finished second in last year with Forest Mouse, who one start later took the Zia Championship.

Enrique Gomez will ride Keyboard Courage, a 4-year-old by Speightstown who is to break from post 7.

Treacherous could go favored in the Veterans for his sharp form. He has won three of his last four starts, with his loss a runner-up finish to No Spin in the $100,000 Arapahoe Park Classic. His three wins came in an allowance, the $50,000 Ruidoso Thoroughbred Championship, and $35,000 New Mexico State Fair Handicap.

◗ Winter Book will return to sprinting in the 10th race Monday, a 5 1/2-furlong dash for fillies and mares that is expected to produce starters for the $55,000 Zia Park Distaff on Nov. 24. The six-furlong race is a goal for Winter Book, Dominguez said. She will be cutting back to one turn, where she is 4 for 4, after suffering her first defeat last out in the $55,000 Chaves County at a mile at Zia.