SOY TAPATIO set a track record for 1 1/8 miles in his one-length victory in the $100,000 Zia Park Championship in New Mexico on November 22. The 4-year-old son of Not This Time – Rum Punch by Street Hero rallied wide into the stretch on his way to victory and he ran the distance in 147.18.
Trained by Robertino Diodoro, Soy Tapatio was making his fifth start for Alberta owners Rick, Clayton and Lena Wiest and Gary Kropp, who obtained the horse in July. The dark bay had won his maiden and an allowance race early in 2022 and then was entered in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 5 but he had early trouble and was unplaced. He was fifth to Olympiad in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs in the spring.
In his first race for his Alberta owners, Soy Tapatio won the $50,000 Manitoba Mile by 6 1/2 lengths. He won the Don Getty Stakes at Century Mile by 7 1/4 lengths in September and was second by a head to At Attention in the Speed to Spare in October.
The Zia Park Championship was Soy Tapatio’s fifth career win in 16 races and he has earned over $260,000.
Both Soy Tapatio and At Attention (Shanghai Bobby) are contenders for Champion Older Male Main Track in Canada for 2022.
The Wiests and Kropp, along with Arnold Bennewith, Norm Tremblay, Randy Howg and R6 Stables, also had their 3-year-old colt GREAT ESCAPE finish third in the $250,000 Zia Park Derby. Great Escape won the Grade 3 Canadian Derby at Century Mile this year.
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
