Zia Park Schedules 33 Stakes for 2015 Meet
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Zia Park Racetrack & Casino has released a schedule of 33 stakes for its 56-day mixed meet that begins Sept. 12.
The meet will be highlighted by the third annual Land of Enchantment Day Nov. 25 and New Mexico Cup Day Nov. 1. Total stakes purses for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses total almost $4 million.
Land of Enchantment Day on Thanksgiving Eve will feature eight stakes worth more than $1.2 million. The richest event of that afternoon will be the third running of the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles.
The card will also feature the $200,000 Zia Park Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, the $150,000 Zia Park Championship for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles, the $100,000 (up from $75,000) Zia Park Distaff for fillies and mares at six furlongs, the $140,000 Eddy County Stakes for 2-year-old New Mexico-breds at one mile, and the newly created $100,000 Zia Park Sprint for 3-year-olds and up at at six furlongs.
The 2014 Land of Enchantment Day set the second-highest single-day pari-mutuel handle at Zia Park of $1.275 million, behind only the inaugural running in 2013. The Zia Park Oaks, Zia Park Derby, Zia Park Championship, and Zia Park Distaff will be the final races in the $5 million Penn Gaming Racing Challenge launched in 2014 by parent company Penn National Gaming Inc.
Zia Park's sister racetrack, Penn National Race Course, will also hold its Thanksgiving Eve Racing Festival on the same night as part of the challenge.
"We are excited this year based upon the progressive successes we have experienced the last couple of years here at Zia," director of racing operations Fred Hutton said in a release. "We are very grateful by the reception from owners and trainers from all over the country and even Canada getting on board for our big races and hope to continue to put Zia Park in the national spotlight.
"We are focused on creating value to our on-track and simulcast patrons with competitive race cards. Our Monday and Tuesday racing schedule garnered solid support from our simulcast customers across the nation, and we plan to continue to build on that segment of our program."
Zia Park will host the richest day of state-bred stakes in the country on New Mexico Cup Day Nov. 1 with 12 stakes for New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses totaling more than $2 million in purses.
Racing will take place at Zia Park through Dec. 15 on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays, as well as Wednesday, Nov. 25. Post time for the first race each day will be at 12:15 p.m. MT.