Mister Omaha gets the nod in Zia Park Derby

A talented field of 10 three-year-olds will go 1 1/16 miles on the Zia Park dirt surface in Tuesday’s $300,000 Zia Park Derby. I’m siding with the in-form #7 Mister Omaha (3-1) in the competitive cast. 

Zia Park Derby Wagers

• $30 win #7 Mister Omaha ($30)
• $10 exacta 7 with 3 ($10)
• 20-cent superfecta 3,7 with 3,4,7 with 3,4,7 with all ($5.60)

Trained by Joe Offolter, the son of Omaha Beach was a two-time stakes winner as a juvenile while facing mainly Oklahoma-bred runners, and he has upped his game this campaign. The bay colt has garnered three additional black-type tallies in the state-bred ranks in 2025, but he has also held his own while facing open stakes foes on four occasions. 

Mister Omaha has run with some really good horses as a sophomore and is a perfect fit in this field. He will be forwardly placed in the contest, and if regular pilot Luis Quinonez can avoid an early duel atop the colt, then he will be difficult to upend late. 

The transition from the synthetic to the dirt has done good things for the stakes winning #3 Brotha Keny (5-2). The Mo Town gelding has earned a pair of Grade 3 placings in addition to his black-type tally at Churchill Downs two back, and I thought he ran a good fourth in an open allowance tilt while facing his elders beneath the Twin Spires in his latest appearance, as well. The bargain $25,000 yearling purchase will likely track the pace from the second or third flight in the early going beneath Joseph Ramos. 

A horse for the exotics that I like is #4 Remember Big Jim (5-1) from the barn of Dick Cappellucci. The Medaglia d’Oro colt has been runner-up while close in two stakes races in his career and was last seen driving home a popular allowance hero on this course on Nov. 11. He’s not the greatest horse from the gate, but in a field with a lot of pace, the contender could benefit from being reserved in the early stages. I don’t feel that he is fast enough to win the event, but a top-three finish at a price is well within reach. Luis Fuentes retains the ride.