Isn’t He Clever fresh for Curribot

Isn’t He Clever will be giving up recency to all of his rivals Saturday, when he seeks to win his fourth consecutive stakes in the $50,000 Curribot Handicap at Sunland Park in New Mexico. The 1 1/16-mile race will be Isn’t He Clever’s first start since November.

The Curribot drew a field of six older horses, among them the stakes winners Ol Winedrinker Who, Rebranded, and Smack Ridge. The race figures to produce starters for the Sunland Park Handicap.

Key contenders

Isn’t He Clever (Last 3 Beyers: 92-96-97)

* He began his stakes streak in September, when he won the $100,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap in track-record time. Isn’t He Clever ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 to establish the new mark in the inaugural running of the race.

* Isn’t He Clever’s stakes run continued with his next start, the $55,000 Veterans on Nov. 3 at Zia Park. From there, he won the $200,000 Zia Park Distance Championship by a nose over Ol Winedrinker Who on Nov. 26 in his most recent start.

* Isn’t He Clever used front-running tactics to win the three stakes and figures to be prominent again Saturday as a fresh horse breaking from the rail.

* Enrique Gomez has the mount for J. Kirk and Judy Robison and trainer Henry Dominguez.

Rebranded (Last 3 Beyers: 92-90-53)

* He moved to the ranks of older horses in his 4-year-old debut Jan. 25 and won a $25,000 optional claimer by a length. Rebranded set the pace and prevailed in the one-mile race one start after closing out his 3-year-old season with a runner-up finish Oct. 26 in the Charles Taylor Derby at Albuquerque.

* Rebranded is a stakes winner at Sunland, having accounted for the track’s Riley Allison Futurity in 2013.

* Ry Eikleberry has the mount from post 2 for Tony Pennington and trainer Justin Evans.

Ol Winedrinker Who (Last 3 Beyers: 78-92-90)

* He exits the same optional claimer as Rebranded and closed for fourth in the race, his first start since November.

* Ol Winedrinker Who has a stalking style and may take advantage if Isn’t He Clever and Rebranded, both tucked to his inside, were to duel in the Curribot.

* Carlos Madeira has the mount for trainer Joel Marr.