With a last-to-first rally, Kentucky shipper Brotha Keny wore down fatigued 3-year-old rivals to post a half-length victory in the $300,000 Zia Park Derby on Land of Enchantment Day, Nov. 25, at Zia Park in eastern New Mexico.
Brotha Keny was farther off the pace than usual in Tuesday's race under Joseph Ramos, settling in ninth, as Oklahoma invader Mister Omaha controlled the pace in the 1 1/16-mile dirt race with fractions of :23.72, :47.73 and 1:12.07.
Leaving the second turn, Brotha Keny began to gain ground outside, but he was still in midpack. Mister Omaha started to retreat in the stretch, and a challenging Remember Big Jim would tire in the final sixteenth after striking the front. That set the stage for Brotha Keny's successful late bid, and he outkicked the inside-rallying Zero Sugar to claim victory in the closing strides. The winner's final time was 1:44.
Zero Sugar, firing in his first start since a maiden victory at Oaklawn Park in late March, finished second, a nose ahead of Remember Big Jim in third. Favored Mister Omaha ran fourth.
The Zia Park Derby was the second stakes win for the twice graded-placed Brotha Kenny, a 3-year-old dark bay or brown Mo Town gelding out of the Northern Afleet mare Raramuri Princess. The Billy Morey trainee, bred by Terrazas Thoroughbreds, is now 4-1-3 in 13 starts with earnings of $499,528 for owners Lance and Steve Kinross.
