Forest Mouse gets a lighter load for Texas Mile

Forest Mouse is such a dominant force among older horses in New Mexico that he would have had to carry a significant burden of weight had he defended his title in last month’s Sunland Park Handicap. New Mexico’s loss is Lone Star Park’s gain, as Forest Mouse has brought his three-race winning streak to town for Saturday night’s Grade 3, $200,000 Texas Mile.

Forest Mouse was one of nine horses entered Wednesday in the Texas Mile, a race for 3-year-olds and up that will be run under the lights for the first time, with a post time of 9:51 p.m. Central. Forest Mouse will break from post 4 and tote 119 pounds, a far cry from the 127 he hauled over 1 1/8 miles in last year’s Sunland Park Handicap. He skipped that race this year.

“He was weighted at 128 pounds, and if he happened to win, from then on he’d keep carrying more and more weight,” said trainer Henry Dominguez. “This Texas Mile is not a handicap. They weight themselves, so he doesn’t have to carry the grandstand.”

The Texas Mile gives weight allowances to horses based on earnings. The 121-pound highweights are Grand Contender, who breaks from post 3 under Richard Eramia, and Taptowne, who breaks from post 5 under Calvin Borel.

Forest Mouse began his streak last April in the Sunland Park Handicap. He had a physical setback that kept him away from the races until this past February, when he won his comeback in an optional $25,000 claimer at Sunland Park. In his other start this year, Forest Mouse cruised in an optional $50,000 claimer on the Sunland Derby undercard March 23.

“He’s come back really well,” Dominguez said. “He’s come back a little bit stronger. He’s an older horse, a more mature horse. This looked like a good race. It was the right timing, the right distance. Everything seemed to fall into place for him.”

Ry Eikleberry has the mount on Forest Mouse, a 6-year-old by Teton Forest who has won 15 of 33 starts and $532,377.

The field from the rail out with riders is: Stachys, Luis Quinonez; Texas Air, Dakota Wood; Grand Contender, Eramia; Forest Mouse, Eikleberry; Taptowne, Borel; Bourbon Courage, Leandro Goncalves; Skip the Pinot, Roman Chapa; Smack Ridge, Glen Murphy; and Proud Strike, Cliff Berry.

The Texas Mile is the first leg of the Global Gaming Triple linking the Lone Star Park Handicap and Governor’s Cup at Remington Park. The horse with the most points based on finishes in all three races earns a $15,000 bonus to be split equally between his owner and trainer. Global Gaming owns both Lone Star and Remington.

The forecast for Saturday is a high of 87 degrees and a low of 69, with a 10 percent chance of rain, according to The Weather Channel.