Marr scores big on New Mexico Cup card

The $2 million New Mexico Cup card at Zia Park is an annual objective for the stable of trainer Joel Marr, and he celebrated a memorable renewal of the series Sunday when he won four stakes on the 12-race program for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses.

Marr’s streak started in the sixth race, when Attitude E Racer ($6.80) won the $170,000 Sprint for the third year in a row. The trainer returned to capture the seventh race, the $170,000 Peppers Pride, named for his former trainee, with Zasha ($7). Marr’s other winners were Proceed ($3.40) in the $140,000 Colts and Geldings Championship and That’s Who ($5.20) in the $180,000 Rocky Gulch.

Marr has now won 21 stakes in the New Mexico Cup series since it debuted 10 years ago, more than any other trainer. The series is important for his stable, and the training schedule for some of the horses in his care is planned around the program, he said.

“It’s something you have to plan for, not just for the last month, but basically for the whole year,” he said. “You’re kind of looking at a few [major] races, and this [series] is one of them.”

Proceed remained undefeated in four starts when he closed for a 2 1/2-length win in the Colts and Geldings. He covered six furlongs in 1:09.55 in what was his first outing since February, when he won the Mine That Bird Derby over open company at Sunland Park. Marr said the horse, who races for Michael Stinson, is a candidate for next month’s $200,000 Zia Park Derby.

Alfredo Juarez Jr. was aboard Proceed, one of four stakes winners he had on the card Sunday.

Juarez guided the Marr-trained That’s Who to a three-quarter-length victory over Atomic Echo in the Rocky Gulch. On Down the Road, also trained by Marr, finished third. That’s Who covered the mile in 1:36.92. He races for Sam and Latane Stevens.

Attitude E Racer was a neck winner over Devons Ca Ching in the Sprint, covering six furlongs in 1:09.63. Ken Tohill was aboard the winner, who races for Stinson.

Tohill also rode Marr’s winner in the Peppers Pride, Zasha. She was a front-running, three-quarter-length winner over Soaring Dea and covered the mile for fillies and mares in 1:38.94. Donnell Echols owns Zasha, a daughter of Desert God, the same sire as Peppers Pride.

Marr said Peppers Pride, the retired, undefeated millionaire, is in foal to Malibu Moon.

• In other New Mexico Cup stakes, Liberty Lover ($8.20) withstood a lengthy rider’s objection into the stretch run of the $140,000 Juvenile before the claim lodged by Glide Path’s jockey was disallowed by stewards. Liberty Lover won by a neck over Caliente Carson, who ended up being disqualified and declared unplaced in a separate incident.

Zia officials announced that Caliente Carson carried less than the assigned weight in the Juvenile. The action moved Lux into second and Glide Path into third. Ry Eikleberry rode Liberty Lover for breeders J. Kirk and Judy Robison and trainer Henry Dominguez.

The Robisons on Saturday will be represented by Mico Margarita in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

• Juarez took the $130,000 Filly and Mare Sprint aboard Little Vidalia ($3.80). His other winner on the card came with Twixy Roll in the $140,000 Juvenile Fillies.

• Renewed Vows ($9.80) captured the $140,000 Fillies Championship under Irwin Rosendo.

• Foxy Moonflash ($9) defeated All American Derby winner Too Flash For You and last year’s All American Futurity winner, Handsome Jack Flash, in the $207,482 New Mexico Derby for Quarter Horses.