Zia Park lowers takeout for fall meeting that begins Nov. 1

When Zia Park opens for live racing on Nov. 1, it will offer the third-lowest trifecta and superfecta takeout in North American Thoroughbred racing. The new 21% takeout rate is the lowest allowed by New Mexico law and is an improvement over the 25% charged in previous years.

According to data collected by horseplayer Chris Larmey, only Prairie Meadows and Kentucky Downs offer lower takeout on those bets at 20%. Oaklawn is the other track with 21% takeout.

Chris McErlean, executive vice president of Penn National Gaming Inc., which owns Zia in Hobbs, N.M., said that the change was made to align the takeout on vertical exotics to horizontal exotics, which Zia reduced to 21% in 2022. 

"Zia is somewhat overlooked during the time it runs, but overnight purses are nearly $350,000 per day, and it provides a Thoroughbred product later in the day early in the week, so maybe some more people will pay attention," McErlean said.

Zia runs Saturday through Tuesday with all-Quarter Horse cards on Saturdays and Sundays and all-Thoroughbred cards on Mondays and Tuesdays. The meeting concludes Tuesday, Dec. 16, and the featured day of racing is Land of Enchantment day on Nov. 25, featuring the Zia Park Derby and Oaks.

Zia handle fell 37.2% in 2024 versus 2023 with average field size per race cratering 12.5% despite a 2.6% increase in purses. Turf Paradise did not race a traditional meeting in 2023 but did so in 2024, which contributed to the declines in horse population and market share.