Forest Mouse fires off long layoff in Premier Cup

Forest Mouse won his first race back from a more than 10-month layoff in dramatic fashion at Zia Park on Sunday, when he got up by a head in the $55,000 Premier Cup Handicap. The six furlong race was the first stakes of the Hobbs, N.M., meet that opened Saturday.

Forest Mouse ($12.80), who last raced Nov. 3, 2014, settled off the pace as Shock Hazard took the field through fractions of 23.17 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.40 for the half-mile. Forest Mouse advanced on the turn and in the stretch and covered the distance on a track rated fast in 1:10.19.

Dirt Monster finished second, a half-length in front of third-place finisher Scherer Magic.

Enrique Gomez rode Forest Mouse for Solitaire Stable and trainer Henry Dominguez. Forest Mouse, a multiple stakes winner, is a 7-year-old by Teton Forest and was bred in Kentucky by E.H. Beau Lane III.