Zia Park meet offers more money, racedays than last year

Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M., opens Tuesday with perhaps the highest purse structures in track history, reduced takeout on a number of wagers, and an additional 12 race dates over last season.

The meet, which features Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses, runs through Dec. 20.

Zia has 48 dates on the schedule compared to 36 last season, and is accommodating them by moving from a three-day to four-day race week. The track is set to run every Saturday through Tuesday, with Wednesday cards this week and on Nov. 2 and Dec. 14.

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Purses are projected to average $260,000 a day including stakes, according to Chris McErlean, vice president of racing for track owner Penn Entertainment.

“As far as I can recall, that’s our highest that we’ve been at,” he said.

Zia has 32 stakes scheduled, worth a total of $3.4 million. The calendar includes a trio of $75,000 stakes for 3-year-olds and up that have rejoined the stakes schedule after an absence. The Chaves County for fillies and mares at six furlongs, the Roadrunner at six furlongs, and the Veterans at 1 1/16 miles will all share a card Oct. 31.

“Our two signature days are Oct. 30, the New Mexico Classics with 12 statebred stakes races,” McErlean said. “We’ll have around $1.3 million in purses that day. On Nov. 22, we have Land of Enchantment Day, with open stakes races. We have the Zia Park Derby and the Zia Park Oaks that day, and the undercard.”

The $250,000 Zia Derby and $250,000 Zia Oaks both will be run over 1 1/16 miles.

“There are five other open stakes going for over $300,000,” McErlean said. “So, it’s $800,000 in total purses that day.”

McErlean noted that last year’s Zia Oaks winner, Pauline’s Pearl, went on to win the Grade 1 La Troienne, and that last year’s Zia Derby winner, Super Stock, had won the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby earlier in the year. Both horses invaded for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Zia’s rich purse structure has led to requests for 1,900 stalls, exceeding the 1,400 available. The first two cards of entries averaged over nine horses a race.

Takeout on exacta, daily double, pick three, pick four, and pick five wagers has been reduced to 21 percent from the previous range of 22-25 percent.

“These are the lowest takeout rates among the racetracks in New Mexico,” said McErlean.

Zia has put $250,000 into improvements over the offseason, said McErlean, including a renovation of the paddock area. The track also moved its steakhouse to the first floor of the grandstand. Zia has a hotel and a casino with 600 slot machines.

First post is 12:30 p.m. Mountain.

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