Sunland: Marr, Dominguez have numbers stacked in their favor

Trainers Joel Marr and Henry Dominguez are attacking Sunday’s $110,000 New Mexico State University Handicap at Sunland Park. Between them, the men will have five starters in the field of 10. The mile-and-70-yard race is for 4-year-olds and up bred in New Mexico.

Marr’s trio of starters includes Attitude E Racer, a multiple stakes winner who will be making his third start off a layoff Sunday. He returned from a two-month freshening on Jan. 1, and finished fourth in the $110,000 Dominguez Memorial at Sunland. Attitude E Racer then cut back to one turn for an optional $40,000 claiming sprint on Feb. 11, and finished fourth again, beaten a length in the 6 1/2-furlong race at Sunland. Ry Eikleberry will be aboard for Michael Stinson, who is also the owner of the Marr-trained Desert Gamble.

Desert Gamble, the winner of the Dominguez Memorial last year at Sunland, is returning to stakes competition Sunday. Marr’s final starter is On Down the Road, who is making his third start off the layoff. In his last out, he was third in an optional $25,000 claiming route March 4.

Dominguez’s runners are multiple stakes winner Lesters Secret, who is returning to the stakes ranks, and Nuggets Please, winner of an optional $40,000 claimer at Sunland in his last start Feb. 11. Nuggets Please and the Marr-trained Attitude E Racer, are co-highweighted at 120 pounds for the New Mexico State University Handicap.

All of the horses start as separate betting interests Sunday.