Dixie Dot Com Right on Line

For the second consecutive year, Jan. 16 brought out the best in Dixie Dot Com.

Twelve months to the day after his decisive win in the San Fernando Breeders’ Cup, the 5-year-old Dixie Brass horse won Sunday’s $200,000 San Paqual Handicap at Santa Anita.

It was his first victory in four starts since the San Fernando win.

Dixie Dot Com, the 9-2 fourth choice in the field of six, tracked the quick pace set by 2-1 second choice Six Below under jockey Pat Valenzuela, took over into the stretch and went on to beat 13-10 favorite Budroyale by 1 1/2 lengths.

Returned to the main track after two disappointing efforts on turf, Dixie Dot Com, sidelined by a fractured left cannon bone suffered in the San Fernando, won for the sixth time in 13 starts and pushed his career earnings to $617,775.

“Coming out of the far turn, I was right on top of [Six Below] and then my horse put him away,” said Valenzuela after his first graded stakes win since he took the 1996 Del Mar Handicap with Dernier Empereur.

Budroyale, making his first start since finishing second in the last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of Six Below.

Notes

Winless in two previous two-turn tries on the main track, Olympic Charmer won the $162,450 El Encino Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita, beating Her She Kisses by a length in 1:42 3/5 for the 1 1/16 miles. . . . Spanish Fern, who won the Yellow Ribbon Stakes the last time she ran at Santa Anita, is the 7-5 favorite against five other fillies and mares in today’s $150,000 San Gorgonio Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. . . . Jockey Brice Blanc escaped without serious injury when Biker Dude, his mount in Sunday’s fifth race, fell entering the stretch. Biker Dude, a 4-year-old gelding, was euthanized after suffering a compound fracture of his right front cannon bone.