Isn’t He Clever leads Dominguez brigade in Thomas Memorial

Trainer Henry Dominguez will attack the Sunland Derby Day program at his home track in New Mexico on Sunday with 15 horses in the entries, including the barn’s flagship runner, Isn’t He Clever.

Dominguez has starters in eight races overall, including three runners each in the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby and $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks.

Isn’t He Clever goes in the $100,000 Bill Thomas Memorial, one of five undercard stakes. He won the 6 1/2-furlong Bill Thomas in track-record time in 2013 and will be one of the top choices in a competitive renewal.

Dominguez also has runners in all of the other undercard stakes. Purses for the seven stakes on the card total $1.4 million, making the program the richest of the meet at Sunland.

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“We aim for this day,” Dominguez said. “We try really hard to get the horses to peak at this time. We go back to our old methods, adjust our schedules. This year, we’ve accomplished that, and a lot of our horses are really getting to these races in the right manner at the right time.”

The Bill Thomas goes as the seventh race on a 12-race program that starts at 12:55 p.m. Mountain. There will be an all-stakes pick four that runs on races 8-11, ending with the Sunland Derby. The bet will have a 50-cent minimum. In other changes to the wagering format for Sunday, the track has moved its Super Hi 5 to the 11th race and will have a $1 minimum on superfectas, according to Dustin Dix, director of racing operations for Sunland. Jay Privman of Daily Racing Form will conduct a free handicapping seminar at 11 a.m. in the track’s Signature Showroom. The entire card will be streamed live at www.drf.com.

Isn’t He Clever powered to a 5 1/4-length win in the 2013 edition of the Bill Thomas Memorial, covering the distance in 1:13.45. He was a close third in last year’s renewal and this year enters off a third-place finish in the $50,000 Curribot on Feb. 28 at Sunland. The 1 1/16-mile race won by Rebranded went in a track-record time of 1:40.60. Isn’t He Clever was making his first start since his Nov. 26 win in the $159,000 Zia Park Distance Championship.

“He’d been off since Hobbs,” Dominguez said. “He never got a prep race and might have come up a little short. He’s on top of his game right now and I’m real optimistic on him running a big race.”

As for the turn-back in distance, Dominguez likes the potential setup nine-time stakes winner Isn’t He Clever might get Sunday. The field includes Omar, a front-running stakes winner at five furlongs Dec. 6 at Sunland; Unfettered, who was second by a neck in an 870-yard allowance against Quarter Horses last out at Sunland; Warren’s Knockout, the winner of last year’s Bill Thomas; and Saturday’s Charm, who last year was third in the Grade 3 Tom Fool at Aqueduct.

“It’s a real competitive race,” Dominguez said. “There’s a lot of speed in the race, which we were hopeful for because he can sit off of it. When he sprints, he can sit off of horses. That doesn’t phase him at all. He’s versatile. I think this race will really set up for him perfect.”

Luis Contreras has the mount for owners J. Kirk and Judy Robison.

◗ In the $100,000 Harry Henson Handicap for fillies and mares at a mile, Dominguez will send out No Tricks for Jack in search of her fourth straight win. She enters off a 3 1/2-length victory in an optional $15,000 claimer at 6 1/2 furlongs March 9 at Sunland.

“She’s an older mare, a hard-knocking mare who’s really stepped up the last couple of times that we’ve run her,” Dominguez said. “Her Beyers are getting better. She’s doing well, and we figured she deserved the opportunity to run against mares like these, for that amount of money, being at home.”

Contreras has the mount for the Robisons.

African Rose, a two-time winner of the Henson, also is entered Sunday. Ry Eikleberry has the mount for trainer Justin Evans.

◗ The first stakes on the card is the $100,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Oaks for statebred fillies at 1 1/16 miles (race 5). Dominguez will send out two-turn stakes winner Muy Rapido.

◗ Back Seat Roll, winner of the 2013 New Mexico Breeders’ Oaks, will represent Dominguez in the $85,000 La Coneja. The 5 1/2-furlong race is for fillies and mares bred in New Mexico.

◗ Liberty Lover, who went 5 for 6 last year, heads the $100,000 New Mexico Breeders’ Derby for the Robisons and Dominguez.

◗ A Friday flight from Southern California brought horses to New Mexico for the stakes, and the runners had a police escort to Sunland, according to Dix.