A Special Sno Flo starts year in Sand Dollar

California Challenge Derby winner A Special Sno Flo makes her first start since finishing third in the Grade 1 Challenge Derby Championship Nov. 1, in Saturday nights $18,000 Sand Dollar Beach Handicap for 4-year-old fillies Saturday night at Los Alamitos.

In the Challenge Derby Championship, A Special Sno Flo ran a strong race but could not contend with the fast 19.62-second time recorded by winner Prima LD. A Special Sno Flo finished three-quarters of a length behind.

In her two other derby appearances last year, A Special Sno Flo was third in the Grade 1 Golden State Derby and fourth in the Grade 2 La Primera Del Ano Derby.

Shawnee Slade, making her first stakes appearance, should like the 300-yard Sand Dollar Beach distance. In her last five starts, against high-priced claiming and allowance company, she scored two wins and and three seconds. In her most recent start, Nov. 15, she was just a neck behind With Reflections's quick 17.50-second time for 350 yards in an allowance race.

While A Special Sno Flo and Shawnee Slade are coming off rests, Royalclassic Express is race-fit. He finished third in a Dec. 28 allowance race at 350 yards after being bumped at the start and was third behind the solid stakes horses First Rate Choice and Enjoy the Moment in the Pocahontas Handicap on Nov. 14.

In Saturday's eighth race, a $16,850 allowance event at 220 yards, 2000 champion 3-year-old gelding Chicks First Policy makes his 2004 debut. Last year, Chicks First Policy was second in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Championship and second in the Grade 1 Go Man Go Invitational.

Kendall Jackson goes after three-peat

On Sunday at Sunland Park, Kendall Jackson tries to win the Grade 3, $54,300 Sunland Express Handicap for the third straight year. He totes co-high weight of 125 pounds

Kendall Jackson's two previous wins in the Express have been dominant performances over the stake's distance of 300 yards. In 2002, he drew away to a one-length win in 15.02 seconds for his seventh win in a 10-race winning streak. Last year, he used a quick start to grab a daylight lead and then cruised under the wire to win by three-quarters of a length in 15.07 seconds.

Kendall Jackson has always thrived at Sunland Park. Each of his five career stakes wins have come at the New Mexico track, and he set world records at 440 yards (20.733 seconds) and 400 yards (19.073 seconds) at Sunland Park

In his most recent start, Kendall Jackson was unable to hold on at 440 yards against championship-caliber competition in the Grade 1, $400,000 The Championship at Sunland Park, and finished fourth.

Push the Pace, the other 125-pound highweight, will be making his first start since last summer, when he concluded his Ruidoso Downs season with back-to-back wins in the Higheasterjet Handicap and the Mr Jet Moore Stakes.

Hall of fame trainer Jack Brooks has two horses entered - Special Task Force and Special Red Warrior. Special Task Force has been in peak form, winning the Grade 1 Refrigerator Handicap at Lone Star Park. He then finished ninth in The Championship at Sunland Park after a horrid trip, an effort that should be discounted.

Special Red Warrior last year qualified for the finals of the Grade 1 All American Derby and the Grade 1 Texas Classic Derby.