Leon's Bull, who has won 6 of 7 career starts, will return from a two-month layoff Saturday in the $132,450 Pepsi Cola Handicap at Sunland Park. The six-furlong race is restricted to 3-year-olds bred in New Mexico. Other top contenders in the 12-horse field include stakes winners Sandias Peppermint and Oso Tricky.

Leon's Bull suffered the first defeat of his career last out, a troubled sixth in the $92,000 Totah Futurity at SunRay Park on Oct. 26.

"Another horse tore his wraps off, and gashed him," said Leon Sutherland, who bred and owns Leon's Bull.

HOENIX - In the Nov. 27 Queen of the Green Handicap at Turf Paradise, a mere neck separated the winner, Very Vegas, and the runner-up, Muir Beach. That race was at a mile on the turf. Saturday's $40,000 Kachina Handicap, at a mile on the dirt, pits the two crack females against each other again in what figures to be a stirring renewal. A field of eight is slated to go in the feature, the fourth race on a nine-race card.

PORTLAND, Ore. - In Search of Fame, one of the most remarkable horses of any breed to race at Portland Meadows, has been retired by his owner, Larry Campbell.

A 9-year-old Quarter Horse, In Search of Fame goes to pasture with a record of 28 victories from 48 starts for $128,637 in earnings. At Portland Meadows, he won 25 races, including 13 stakes, from only 32 outings.

NEW ORLEANS - Storm Surge drew the outside post and was installed as the 8-5 favorite when a field of six was entered Wednesday for Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 at the Fair Grounds meet leading to the March 12 Louisiana Derby.

The Lecomte is the featured race on "Road to the Derby Kickoff Day," which also includes the Tiffany Lass stakes for 3-year-old fillies, the Col. Bradley Handicap for older horses at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, and the Dr. A.B. Leggio Memorial Handicap, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares. All carry $100,000 purses.

NEW ORLEANS - Trainer Steve Asmussen had a smile on his face at the stakes draw for the Road to the Derby Kickoff Day card at Fair Grounds. Asked how he was feeling that morning, he replied "fantastic!"

And why not? He had the overwhelming favorite, Punch Appeal, entered in the $100,000 Tiffany Lass, the fast-improving Smooth Bid entered in the Lecomte, and the dead game Black Escort in the Leggio.

is a little less than four months away, but the issue for the two best horses in the Lecomte Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds, the first stop for 3-year-old Triple Crown hopefuls in New Orleans, concerns distance, not time.

Storm Surge, a sharp winner of the six-furlong Sugar Bowl late last month, spent the only two-turn race of his career in retreat mode. He was second, then third, fifth, and finally sixth, beaten almost 10 lengths in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes last November.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - As so often happens during the Gulfstream Park winter meet it didn't take long for a new 3-year-old star to emerge and talk of Kentucky Derby aspirations to begin. And as was the case a year ago, the latest hot newcomer comes from just down the road at Calder Race Course.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - After setting a world record with the first horse he ran at the meet, what does trainer Angel Penna Jr. do for an encore?

As far as Penna is concerned, winning Friday's $35,000 allowance feature with Que Puntual would be encore enough. The Argentine-bred mare won her U.S. debut coming off a year layoff last month at Calder, and may be favored to keep her North American record unblemished when she faces 11 rivals in a 1 1/8-mile turf race.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Southern California horsemen are lining up to give calls to jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who will resume riding full time Saturday at Santa Anita after being issued a conditional license Wednesday by the California Horse Racing Board.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The Southern California jockey colony is about to get awfully crowded. Pat Valenzuela was issued a conditional license and is scheduled to resume riding Saturday, and Alex Solis and Corey Nakatani are also gearing up for comebacks.