 Joel
Marr and Peppers Pride
Sunland trainer passes half million in earnings
- By Ray Sanchez
Sunland Pk., NM - Feb. 6, 2012 - Joel Marr isn’t leading the trainer
standings in number of victories at Sunland Park Racetrack and
Casino at this point of the current live horse racing season. No,
but he’s on top in an even better category – money earned.
Through last Tuesday, Marr’s trainees had earned, almost incredibly,
more than half a million dollars. And the season at Sunland isn’t
even half over.
Most of the earnings come from his domination of Sunland’s richest
thoroughbred races. He’s won four of them and has done it with two
horses. Desert Hennessy won the $110,000 Johnie L. Jameson Stakes
and the $110,000 Albert Dominguez Memorial while That’s Who won the
$110,000 Red Hedeman Mile and the $110,000 Pepsi Cola Stakes.
Each victory was worth $66,000.
Not that success is anything new to Joel Marr. He was born into the
Sport of Kings. His father is Gerald Marr, a longtime and highly
successful trainer in New Mexico for many years.
Joel, 45, is in his 21st year of training and has compiled an
eye-opening lifetime record.
His career trainer record through last Tuesday stood at 4536 starts,
799 firsts, 692 seconds and 634 thirds for lifetime money earnings
of $14,113,172.
His record at Sunland this season reads 67 starts, 17 victories,
five seconds and six thirds for money earnings of $577,162.
Trainers, as racing fans know, get 10 percent of their horses’
earnings.
Joel’s 17 victories ranked him third through last Tuesday in the
current Sunland trainer victory standings, a mere three wins away
from perennial New Mexico trainer champion Henry Dominguez. Justin
Evans was second as of last Tuesday with 19 wins.
Joel Marr is taking his amazing success modestly. He makes no bones
about how much his father has helped him learn his trade. ”But,” he
adds, “you still have to have good horses. A trainer can only help
them run so fast and no faster.”
True, but he has certainly been getting the most out of his.
Live racing will continue at Sunland Racetrack and Casino on
Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays through April 17. First
post time is 12:25 p.m. |
