Familiar foes head Dominguez

Rocky Gulch and El Minuto get a rematch around two turns on Sunday in the $100,000 Albert Dominguez Memorial Handicap at Sunland Park. The 1 1/16-mile race for New Mexico-breds drew a field of 11.

Rocky Gulch and El Minuto will break side-by-side in the Dominguez, and are both returning to two turns after finishing a respective sixth and seventh last out in the $125,000 Johnie Jamison at 6 1/2 furlongs at Sunland on Dec. 16.

One start earlier, Rocky Gulch won the $212,000 New Mexico Cup Classic by a neck over El Minuto, becoming the first New Mexico-bred Thoroughbred to become a millionaire. Rocky Gulch was prominent throughout in the Classic, which was run at Zia Park on Nov. 12.

Terry Walker trains Rocky Gulch and has given the mount to Travis Cunningham.

Ken Tohill will ride El Minuto, a front-runner, for trainer Henry Dominguez.

Breaking just outside of El Minuto in post 10 is Romeos Wilson, who closed with a rush to win the Jamison. An earner of $448,760, he is co-highweighted with Rocky Gulch in the Dominguez at 121 pounds. El Minuto will carry 115 pounds.

The field also includes a pair of runners who return to racing with statebreds after facing open company, Excess Folly and Matchstick Man. Excess Folly was second last out in the $208,000 Zia Park Distance Championship on Dec. 10, and Matchstick Man ran fourth in the $157,000 Zia Park Derby on Dec. 9.