Tabbing Exactas in the Hobbs Fall Classic at Zia Park

A total of eight juveniles will vie in the Tuesday feature at Zia Park, the $150,000 Hobbs Fall Classic S. The event marks the initial time any contender in the field will travel a route of ground, and the obvious favorite is the once-beaten #1 Holy Hank (1-2) for conditioner Simon Buechler. The Holy Lute youngster led at every call in a debut victory at Albuquerque and hasn’t done much wrong since, led by a pair of facile stakes wins for New Mexico-bred runners in succession leading up to this tilt. 

Hobbs Classic Wagers:

• $25 exacta 1 with 3 ($25)
• $10 exacta 3 with 1 ($10)

Holy Hank is proven on the course, and he also displayed the ability to rate early while still unleashing a big kick in the stretch last time out too. He will be formidable with another step forward, although I don’t feel that he is a free space while making his first run at the distance with regular pilot Tracy Hebert on board.

I expect #3 B Bold Charlie (10-1) to run his best race to date while stretching out in distance on this occasion. By Shame on Charlie, the February foal made his first appearance at Albuquerque on October 23 and parlayed a five-wide voyage into a first-out victory in going-away fashion for conditioner Dick Cappelluci. The gelding was sent postward at 9-1 odds in the subsequent New Mexico Classic Juvenile S. on this surface and passed runners late to finish fourth. He got away slowly from the rail in that heat, and the bay will be in a much better spot on the backside in this one with Elvin Gonzalez retaining the ride. 

The barn shows a strong ROI when going from a pair of sprints to a route in general, and B Bold Charlie possesses a lot of value in the contest. His dam was stakes placed while traveling a route of ground, and I think that the youngster has a chance for an upset for good connections.