Family Tree Dominant in Zia Park Oaks

It took six Thoroughbred stakes for a favorite to come in at Zia Park and she provided the most impressive performance of the day in the final race.

Gary and Mary West's Family Tree punctuated the 10-race card full of stakes for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses with an 8 1/2-length victory in the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks.

Sent off as the 6-5 favorite in the field of nine, the Smart Strike filly tracked early leader Coniah in second, took command in the final turn, and burst away from the field in the stretch to finish off the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.59 under jockey Florent Geroux. It was the third "Oaks" win of the season for the Wayne Catalano-trained filly, who also won the Indiana Oaks (gr. II) and Iowa Oaks (gr. III) over the summer, and finished third in the Remington Oaks Sept. 25. She was also grade I-placed (third) in the Alabama Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 20.

Bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm and Sam-Son Farm, out of the Giant's Causeway   mare Giant Mover, Family Tree now has a 5-2-4 record from 12 starts and $689,387 in earnings.

Prior to the Zia Park Oaks came a procession of prices.

Bryan Hawk's Pass the Buck (who was bred by Gary and Mary West) upset favorites Semper Fortis (second, 5-2) and Dalmore (fourth, 6-5) at odds of 7-1 in the $200,000 Zia Park Derby. Bryan Hawk, along with co-owners Leo Hawk and Tim Hawk, also won the $150,000 Zia Park Championship Handicap at 12-1 with Code West.

Other Thoroughbred stakes winners on the card were Happy Hennessy ($140,000 Eddy County, 6-1), D R C's Pretty Sky ($75,000 Zia Park Distaff, 14-1), and Rockport Kat ($75,000 Zia Park Sprint, 3-1).