How to bet the 2024 Zia Park Derby

A very good field of 10 sophomores will travel 1 1/16 miles on the main strip in Tuesday’s $300,000 Zia Park Derby. This is arguably the deepest field ever assembled for the event, and I could make a legitimate case for at least half of the well-matched field. 

Zia Park Derby Wagers

• 50-cent superfecta 3,5,9 with 2,3,5,9,10 with 2,3,5,9,10 with 2,3,5,9,10 ($36)
• 50-cent superfecta 9 with 3,5 with 2,3,5,10 with all ($21)

#9 Generous Tipper (4-1) has won a pair of races at the nine-furlong distance as of late and is well spotted in a field with a good measure of early pace in the fold. Trained by Kenny McPeek, the Street Sense colt capped his smart two-year-old season with a third in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. He was unplaced in his three-year-old debut on Sept. 19 but has shown nice improvement in his two outings since that performance, led by a strong score in the Discovery S. at Aqueduct last time out. The Kentucky-bred will sit off of a lively and contested pace prior to moving into contention in early stretch beneath Brian Hernandez Jr. 

#5 Indispensable (5-2) has been at his best since adding blinkers earlier this campaign, and the John Sadler pupil comes off of nice tries in both the Shared Belief S. and Oklahoma Derby (G3) in his last pair of contests. The late-blooming son of Constitution ran into serious winners in his last two efforts and is a nice fit in this spot after earning a lifetime-topping 103 Brisnet Speed figure at Remington Park most recently. He continues to train forwardly in advance of Tuesday, and the $825,000 yearling picks up top pilot Flavien Prat for the event. 

Despite a pair of subpar showings in his last two races, I still feel that #3 Vlahos (10-1) is a big talent with a bright future. Conditioned by Doug O’Neill, the chestnut son of Kantharos was dueled into submission in an allowance sprint on Breeders’ Cup Friday when coming home in fourth, but his lone route race resulted in a fine third in the deep Pat Day Mile (G3) at Churchill Downs in May. He drilled a bullet five-eighths most recently, and if he clears early, which is quite possible, then he will be dangerous late at a big number beneath Edwin Maldonado. 

West Virginia Derby (G3) runner-up #2 Dimatic (6-1) and recent allowance romper #10 Big City (8-1) also have appeal as top-three contenders.