Los Alamitos: Remembering Spence's nose hits wire first in Los Alamitos Winter Derby

Remembering Spence justified his role as fastest qualifier and favorite for Saturday’s $231,650 Los Alamitos Winter Derby with a nose win over stablemate Perrys Affair in the 400-yard race at Los Alamitos.

Ridden by Francisco Rubio, Remembering Spence ($4) broke from the inside in a field of nine. He trailed Perrys Affair by three-quarters of a length midway through the race, but caught the leader in the final strides, finishing in 19.58 seconds.

Remembering Spence and Perrys Affair are trained by Arnoldo Pulido, who has a 16-horse stable. Creole Williams, trained by Paul Jones, finished third, a half-length behind Perrys Affair.

Remembering Spence, a gelding by Tr Dasher, has won 4 of 7 starts and$167,123 for owner Francisco Guzman. Remembering Spence was gelded last summer after a third in the Governor’s Cup Futurity, and rested for the remainder of 2012. He returned to racing in the Winter Derby trials on Jan. 26, winning a division by 1 1/2 lengths in 19.74 seconds.