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Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1
REMEMBERING SPENCE
by Tracy Gantz
Arnoldo Pulido’s training business at Los Alamitos is going so well that he may
soon have to make a difficult decision. Usually, he only spends part of the year in California because his wife, children, and ranch are in North Carolina. But if his horses continue to perform like Remembering Spence and Perrys Affair, who finished one-two in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby-G1, the Pulidos could find them- selves more often in Southern California.
“My daughter is at the university in North Carolina,” said Pulido, “and my wife doesn’t want to leave North Carolina.”
Unfortunately, North Carolina doesn’t have a thriving Quarter Horse racing circuit, unlike Los Alamitos. Pulido said he currently has about 16 horses in training with 20 2-year-olds coming this year.
“So far it looks good,” Pulido said. “I’ve had calls from trainers since this race who want to send me horses.”
It makes sense. Only a nose separated Pulido’s two runners in the rich Winter Derby, and the beaten field included three trained by perennial champion trainer Paul Jones.
From the outset, the Winter Derby came
down to Pulido’s two run- ners. Perrys Affair, break- ing from post eight, got
the jump on Remembering Spence, who had drawn the rail. Jockey Francisco Rubio quickly sent Remembering Spence to challenge his stablemate, and they battled throughout the 400 yards. Remembering Spence,
sent off as the even-money
favorite, edged Perrys Affair in :19.587. Jones- trained Creole Williams finished third.
“Remembering Spence had been working very good, and I expected him to run a big race,” said Pulido.
Pulido began training Remembering Spence this year for owner Francisco Guzman. Last year at 2, Remembering Spence won two of five races, including the Ed Burke Memorial Juvenile Stakes, and finished third in the Governor’s Cup Futurity-RG2.
After Remembering Spence’s 2-year-old season, a friend of Guzman’s recommended that he geld the colt.
“I listened to the advice and it worked,” Guzman said.
Pulido agreed that Remembering Spence is more focused now.
“The owner’s friend
said that it would help him concentrate more, and so far he’s done good,” Pulido said. “We’ll give him a little break now and see how he’s feeling. We have several races that we
can try to qualify him in.”
The Winter Derby is one of Pulido’s biggest
victories. He also won the 2012 Spencer L. Childers California Breeders Championship Handicap-RG1 with Twelve Stepper. Earlier in his career, Pulido worked as a groom for Brian Koriner before that trainer switched from Quarter Horses to Thoroughbreds, and he also helped his brother, Ramon, train in Northern California.
Ed Allred bred Remembering Spence in California, and the youngster sold for $16,000 at the 2011 Los Alamitos Equine Sale to Pedro Daniel Cervantes. Guzman has raced Remembering Spence his entire career.
Los Alamitos

First Down Dash
TR Dasher
Tylers Cutie
REMEMBERING SPENCE, ’10-g.
Bono Jazz
Sables Bono
Sables Secret
Remembering Spence scores a nose win under Francisco Rubio in the $231,650 Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby.
70 SPEEDHORSE, March 8, 2013
RACING NEWS
Los Alamitos