Super Stock Tops Zia Victories for Asmussen, Ortiz Jr.

Grade 1 winner Super Stock  added a third 'Derby' victory to his record this season by shipping to New Mexico and putting away three rivals in the $237,500 Zia Park Derby Nov. 23 at Zia Park. 

Erv Woolsey and Keith Asmussen's Dialed In   colt won the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park in April and returned to the winner's circle in the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby in August. In between his Ellis Park run and Tuesday's race, he was also third in the Sept. 26 Oklahoma Derby (G3) at Remington Park.

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. ventured out to Zia to ride Super Stock, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, for the first time. He positioned his mount a close second on the outside of Pirate Junction , who led through early fractions of :24.81 and :49.73 on the fast track.

Super Stock stuck his head in front around the turn for home and ticked off three-quarters in 1:14.44. After turning six wide into the lane, he shook off a bid from Tesoro , drifted in late, then edged clear to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Super Stock completed the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:44.73. He paid $2.10 as the heavy 1-9 favorite. 

Tesoro was second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Pirate Junction. Convention  was fourth and None Above the Law  was scratched.

Super Stock's owners paid $70,000 for him out of the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment to the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt boasts earnings of $1,151,677 from a 4-2-3 record in 14 starts. He was bred in Kentucky by Pedro Gonzalez and P. J. Gonzalez out of the Closing Argument mare Super Girlie , whom Blandford Bloodstock purchased for $725,000 from Taylor Made at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's premier breeding stock sale in Lexington. The mare was sold in foal to Authentic  .

Super Girlie is the dam of four winners from five starters, including grade 1-placed Boujie Girl . Her lone foal since Super Stock, a 2020 Mendelssohn   colt, was a $400,000 purchase by BlackRidge Stables from Taylor Made at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale.

Pauline's Pearl Rallies in Oaks

Asmussen and Ortiz teamed up again two races later in the $200,000 Zia Park Oaks with Stonestreet Stables' Pauline's Pearl , who ran down California shipper and 4-5 favorite Lady Mystify  for her first win since the Fantasy Stakes (G3) in April at Oaklawn. 

The Tapit   filly placed in her last three of four starts since that winning effort, including when second three lengths behind Lady Mystify in the Remington Park Oaks (G3) last out. 

Pauline's Pearl was settled fourth of six in the Zia Park Oaks as Lady Mystify showed the way up front through fractions of :23.62, :47.34, and 1:11.28. Slammed  pressed the pace in second and challenged Lady Mystify turning for home. While the favorite was able to shake off that rival, she could not stop Pauline's Pearl, who was rallying down the outside. 

Pauline's Pearl chipped away at the frontrunners down the homestretch before finally kicking clear late to win by 1 1/2 lengths. She completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.71 and paid $4.40 as the 6-5 second choice. 

Lady Mystify was second best, finishing 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Gemstone Gal  in third. Slammed, Pretty in Pink , and Gran Manna  completed the order of finish. 

Pauline's Pearl improved her record to 3-3-2 in 10 starts and increased her earnings to $733,300.

A Kentucky homebred, Pauline's Pearl was produced from the Dixie Union mare Hot Dixie Chick , a grade 1 winner trained by Asmussen. The dam of three winners from four starters, Hot Dixie Chick produced multiple stakes winner Union Jackson  , by Curlin  , as her first foal. She has an unraced 2-year-old full brother to Union Jackson named Marsalis who returned to the work tab last week at Stonesteet Training Center, a weanling Constitution   colt, and was bred to Quality Road   for 2022.

Earlier on the card Asmussen and Ortiz also partnered with Winchell Thoroughbreds' homebred Optionality , a Gun Runner   filly who was a 6 1/2-length winner of the Zia Park Princess Stakes. Optionality became the sixth black-type winner for her leading freshman sire.

Other stakes winners on the card were Bye Bye Bobby  in the Zia Park Juvenile, Mr Money Bags  in the Zia Park Sprint (in which Competitive Idea  crossed the wire in a dead heat for first but was disqualified for interference and placed second), Canoodling  in the Zia Park Distaff, and Zestful  in the Zia Park Championship. 

Asmussen and Ortiz finished second in the Distaff and Championship with Casual  and Tenfold , respectively.