Grand Slam Andre overtook Lydia's Last Step in the stretch to give his trainer, Steve Asmussen, his third win in the Riley Allison Futurity at Sunland Park since 2001. He scored by three-quarters of a length in the $107,000 race run on Tuesday.
Grand Slam Andre ($4) settled off the pace in the early stages of the 6 1/2-furlong stakes, dueled with Lydia's Last Step in the lane, and went on to cover the distance on a track rated good in 1:18.59.
Will Farish and trainer Steve Asmussen have a promising Texas-bred sprinter on their hands in Valid Code, who earlier this month won the $50,000 Yellow Rose over such established female sprinters as Wrenice, Stealth Cat, and Annie Savoy. With the win, she improved her career record to 4 for 5. Valid Code came into the race off back-to-back allowance scores in Oklahoma.
"She ran two dynamite races at Remington, and we were excited about trying her with Texas-breds," Asmussen said. "Now she's a stakes winner."
Jockey Tim Doocy has set no timeframe for his return to riding after sustaining multiple fractures in a training accident earlier this month, but said there is a "pretty good chance" he will miss the Oaklawn Park meet that opens Jan. 15.
"I'm just going to take it a day at a time," he said Tuesday.
General Quarters did not win his comeback race on Saturday at Fair Grounds, but his return to the races following a long injury layoff could easily be called a success. Racing at a six-furlong distance shorter than his best, General Quarters finished second by a half-length to heavily favored Tempo Five, who in his most recent start had finished second to Euroears in the Thanksgiving Handicap.
Slew's Tiznow, a two-time stakes winner, has joined trainer Jamie Lloyd's stable.
The 4-year-old Slew's Tiznow has not started since finishing 10th of 11 in the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap last March, his final start for trainer Doug O'Neill. Owned by Joseph LaCombe, Slew's Tiznow has won 3 of 9 starts and $256,870 and two minor stakes - the El Cajon Stakes and War Chant Stakes.
He was second in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland in 2007.
Macias may have found a home on turf with a victory in his debut on that surface in Monday's $72,150 Eddie Logan Stakes.
Macias ($7.40) ran a mile on turf in 1:35.11, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of Alfarabi, the 3-2 favorite who rallied from last in the field of eight.
Trainer Bob Baffert worked Macias on turf in October but never found a suitable race for the colt, by Purge. With a strong group of 3-year-olds in his stable, Baffert is hoping that Macias can excel on turf.
Dream Empress, the winner of the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland in 2008, will need a sharp performance in her next start to continue her racing career.
After the filly finished third, beaten 2 1/4 lengths in Monday's third race, assistant trainer Jordan Blair said Dream Empress will start in another allowance race in January. The result of that race will determine whether she is sent to be bred or races as a 4-year-old.
"We'll make a career decision," Blair said. "We want to see if she wants to be a racehorse."
Caracortado will make his graded stakes debut in the Grade 2, $150,000 Robert Lewis Stakes on Feb. 6, a race that could draw division leader Lookin at Lucky.
Caracortado extended his unbeaten streak to four with a win in last Saturday's $100,000 California Breeders' Champion Stakes at Santa Anita for statebreds.
"I'll have to try one of the bigger races," said trainer and co-owner Mike Machowsky.
ARCADIA, Calif. - California Flag, the winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita in November, has returned to California following a fifth-place finish in the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint earlier this month, but will be back on the road in early 2010.
Trainer Brian Koriner is planning another international trip, to the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint on turf on the Dubai World Cup undercard on March 27.
