Sunland: Forest Mouse packs 127 pounds in Handicap

Forest Mouse will be spotting his rivals a notable amount of weight on Sunday when he returns to New Mexico for the $75,000 Sunland Park Handicap. He is the 127-pound highweight in the 1 1/8-mile race and will be giving his five rivals between seven and 10 pounds. Others set to start include Red Lead, a winner of his last two starts, and Tiz Gianni, who made his most recent start at Santa Anita.

Forest Mouse, a six-time stakes winner who has earned $449,879, has proven to be a dominant force in the New Mexico handicap ranks over the past several months. He won the $218,000 Zia Park Distance Championship in December, then came back one start later and captured the $50,000 Winsham Lad at Sunland.

Following that January race, Forest Mouse traveled to Santa Anita and moved back to turf, a surface over which he is a four-time winner, for the first time in a long while. He ran in the Grade 2 Arcadia on Feb. 2 and finished sixth to Suggestive Boy, then came back and was fifth to that same rival in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile in his most recent start March 2.

The 5-year-old Forest Mouse has fired three consecutive bullets since returning home to Sunland, his latest five furlongs in 59.80 seconds April 6. Ry Eikleberry, who traveled to Santa Anita to ride Forest Mouse in the Kilroe, has the mount Sunday for trainer Henry Dominguez.

Red Lead began his current streak in February at Sunland, when he drove to a 1 1/4-length win in the $50,000 Curribot. He then won an optional $75,000 claimer at the track, rolling home by three lengths in a dead heat with Tizpat, who also returns in the Sunland Park Handicap.

Red Lead is weighted at 120 pounds. Ken Tohill has the mount for trainer Chris Hartman.

Tiz Gianni, who will also carry 120 pounds, was sixth last out in the Grade 2 San Luis Rey at Santa Anita on March 16. Alfredo Juarez Jr., has the mount for trainer Todd Fincher.

◗ Dynasty Edition won her debut in a trial for the West Texas Futurity for Quarter Horses, and is the one to beat in the Grade 1, $284,130 finale. She is part of a 10-horse field for the 300-yard race, which goes as the fifth race.

Dynasty Edition rallied from off the pace to win her March 22 trial in 14.88 seconds. The second-fastest qualifier, Dashin Little Guy, won his trial by a length in 14.91.