Marr has dozen ready for New Mexico Cup stakes
Joel Marr has accounted for more New Mexico Cup races than any other trainer with 21 wins, and when the $2 million program is renewed Sunday at Zia Park, he will attempt to add to his stats with a dozen starters. The New Mexico Cup is comprised of 12 stakes, with eight for Thoroughbreds and four for Quarter Horses. All of the races are restricted to horses bred in New Mexico.
Marr, who trained the undefeated New Mexico-bred millionaire Peppers Pride, won four Thoroughbred stakes on this program a year ago, including the main event, the $180,000 Rocky Gulch Championship. That’s Who prevailed in the one-mile feature for 3-year-olds and up, but this year, he will go in the $170,000 Sprint, while Marr will send out four of his stablemates to attack the Rocky Gulch, including 2011 winner Cross Chris Run.
“We really point for this day,” Marr said. “It’s the largest purses throughout the year for New Mexico-breds. It’s something we all look forward to.”
Cross Chris Run, 8, has won three of his last four starts. He will break from post 10 under jockey Ken Tohill.
“He’ll be coming from way off the pace,” Marr said. “It just depends on how the race sets up, whether he has a chance or not. He’ll be trying at the end. He tries hard.”
Vic Tories will break from the rail off a third-place finish in the New Mexico Thoroughbred Handicap at The Downs at Albuquerque. One start prior, he won the Land of Enchantment at Ruidoso.
“He’s been training really well, seems to like it here,” Marr said. “Hopefully, he’ll have pace to run at.”
The other Marr trainees in the Rocky Gulch are E Bar Way, who enters off a 10-length allowance win at Ruidoso, and Desert Mystery, who gets the services of jockey Glen Murphy, who through Thursday was 10 wins from career Thoroughbred victory No. 3,000.
The chief threats to the Marr quartet appear to be the multiple stakes winner Mr. Wizard and the Del Mar claim Santiago’s Home, who has since won a maiden and an allowance race by a combined 21 lengths at Zia.
That’s Who is going for his third career New Mexico Cup win and will be cutting back in distance off a third-place finish in the Land of Enchantment in July at Ruidoso Downs.
“We’re going to sprint this time and see how that goes,” Marr said. “He’s pretty fresh, and we sprinted seven furlongs at Albuquerque, and he did well.”
That’s Who won the University of New Mexico Handicap in June at Albuquerque. He will be seeking his 10th stakes win Sunday. He’s an earner of $770,142 for breeder and owners Sam and Latane Stevens.
“He just loves what he’s doing, and he wants to give you everything he’s got every time,” Marr said of 16-time winner That’s Who.
Marr’s other starters on the card include Zasha, who will be out to defend her title in the $170,000 Peppers Pride Championship.
◗ Diabolical Dame will attempt to win her sixth straight race when she runs in the $140,000 Oaks. The six-furlong stakes drew a field of 11. Diabolical Dame is returning to the statebred ranks after defeating open company in the $55,000 Casino Downs Handicap on Sept. 12 at Albuquerque. Aldo Arboleda has the mount for trainer Todd Fincher.
◗ Twixy Roll, a winner of six of eight starts, is a candidate to control the pace in the $140,000 Filly and Mare Sprint. A winner of her last three starts, she will again be taking on older rivals for Fincher.
◗ Fincher is also well represented in the $140,000 Derby at six furlongs with Lux, Song of Laura, and Attillas Gift.
◗ Stormin the Jewels, who won his maiden in the $205,000 Camino Real Futurity last out at Albuquerque, will add blinkers for the $140,000 Juvenile. Alfredo Juarez Jr. has the mount for trainer Fred Danley.
◗ Indian Tiva is moving back into the statebred ranks for the $140,000 Lassie after defeating open company in the $55,000 Permian Basin at Zia.
◗ Sarah Donaldson will see a pair of runners she bred face off in the $170,000 Quarter Horse Classic Championship at 440 yards. Too Flash For You, one of just three New Mexico-breds to earn more than $1 million, will meet Mad About the Moon, the runner-up in last year’s All American Futurity. Donaldson is the co-breeder on Mad About the Moon.
◗ Jess Cruzin On By starts as the fastest qualifier in the $280,081 Futurity, and Major Moonflash will do the same in the $177,934 Derby for Quarter Horses.
◗ Coronas Bay is the defending champ in the 870-yard Championship for Quarter Horses, worth $140,000.