Zia Park: Red-hot Devon Rules steps up

Devon Rules is the winningest horse of the inaugural Zia Park meet, and on Saturday he will be looking for his fifth straight win when he takes a significant step up in class for the $50,000 Lea County.

A six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up, the Lea County has drawn a field of 12, including multiple stakes winners Leaving on My Mind and Cajun Pepper and the stakes-placed Semaphore Man.

Devon Rules to date has made his mark in the claiming ranks. His win streak started at Albuquerque on May 25, when he won his maiden for a claiming price of $8,000. From there, Devon Rules shipped to Zia, where he has been unbeatable. In three starts at the new track he has won a $5,000 conditioned claimer by eighth lengths Oct. 1; a $7,500 conditioned claimer by 3 1/4 lengths Oct. 7; and a $10,000 claiming race by 1 3/4 lengths in his last start Oct. 24.

Devon Rules has won from both on and off the pace and figures to get a stalking trip Saturday on the turnback in distance from one mile. He was a winner at the six-furlong distance of the Lea County on Oct. 1. Trainer Tony Sedillo has given the mount to Carlos Rivas.

Others of interest in the field include Wise Diplomat, who can be closer to the pace than he was last time, when he rallied from 11th to fourth in a two-other-than allowance at Hawthorne on Oct. 23. Trainer Chris Hartman has given the mount to Anthony Lovato.