Zia Park: Leading trainers square off in closing-day stakes

The race for Zia Park’s training title is a tight one between Justin Evans and Henry Dominguez, and there is a chance it could be decided Tuesday in the $55,000 Truth or Consequences. Both men have starters in the overnight stakes for 2-year-old fillies that goes as the 10th of 11 races on the closing-day card in Hobbs, N.M.

Evans entered Saturday’s program at Zia as the meet’s leading Thoroughbred trainer, with 36 wins from 137 starts. Dominguez ranked second, with 33 wins from 162 starts. Both have top contenders in the Truth or Consequences, a six-furlong race named for a town in New Mexico.

Evans will be represented by two horses including Flamboyance, who was a maiden special weight winner at Zia on Nov. 17. She dueled and prevailed by three-quarters of a length in her first start outside of Southern California. Flamboyance is one of a handful of horses Lane Seliger has recently sent to Evans. Others include Graser, who last week won an allowance at Zia.

Flamboyance drew a tactical gate for Tuesday. She will break from the outside post in the field of 10, which will allow her to keep an eye on the other speed in the race. Ry Eikleberry has the mount.

The other starter for Evans is Call Me Rachel, an eight-length winner of a $12,500 maiden claiming race at Zia on Oct. 31. Francisco Giles has the mount for Evans, who with 147 wins in 2012 is tied for 10th on the list of leading trainers in North America.

Dominguez, who has won 128 races this year to rank 19th in wins in North America, will counter with Shesatopattraction. Like Flamboyance, she invades from California. Shesatopattraction won her debut by nine lengths in a $12,500 maiden claiming race at Pleasanton, then ran fourth in a stakes at the track. Enrique Gomez will ride for Tommy Town Thoroughbreds. Gomez ranked second in the Thoroughbred standings at Zia through Friday, with 37 wins.

Another top contender is Jossy Do It, who was a 12-length maiden special weight winner on Oct. 15. She is a full sister to Enumerate, who was Grade 2-placed at 2.