Sunland Park, N.M. - In a race that Sunland Park officials hope was a prevue of the inaugural $500,000 WinStar Derby, Mr. Decatur battled Excessivepleasure through the stretch before taking a slim advantage near the wire to win Sunday's $104,100 . Mr. Decatur, owned by Heiligbrodt Racing Stables and trained by Steve Asmussen, stalked Excessivepleasure under Sal Gonzalez Jr. through a 45.14 half mile before bidding two wide. Excessivepleasure, with Ricardo Jaime up, dug in gamely to set up an exciting stretch duel.

ARCADIA, Calif. - After a month of riding Aldebaran in workouts and begging trainer Bobby Frankel for the mount, jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr. made the most of the opportunity in Sunday's $200,000 at Santa Anita.

With a perfect trip, Aldebaran scored a convincing five-length win, his first success at the Grade 1 level.

"He kept training like a monster," Valdivia said. "I wanted to ride him so bad."

Making his first start since finishing second in the Cigar Mile last November at Aqueduct, Aldebaran ($6.80) ran seven furlongs in 1:21.53.

NEW ORLEANS - Badge of Silver turned in another brilliant work on Sunday at Fair Grounds and is on target for his scheduled start Sunday in the Louisiana Derby.

Working alone with jockey Robby Albarado up, Badge of Silver posted splits of 12.20 seconds, 25, 37.60, 49.40 and 1:00.80 on his way to a final six-furlong time of 1:12.60, an extremely fast work for this racetrack. Badge of Silver was timed galloping out seven furlongs in 1:27. Badge of Silver ran his final furlong in less than 12 seconds and final quarter in less than 24 seconds.

NEW ORLEANS - Three months ago, Mineshaft won a first-level allowance race at Churchill Downs. Four starts later, he won the Grade 2, $500,000 on Sunday at Fair Grounds.

Ridden by Robby Albarado, Mineshaft pressed Bonapaw's moderate early pace, took the lead mid-way on the far turn and easily beat a strong field of 10 rivals. Mineshaft pulled away in the stretch to beat Olmodavor by thee-and-a-half lengths, with Strive another two-and-a-half lengths back in third. Mineshaft, who paid $12 to win, ran one and an eighth miles in a strong 1:48.92.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Kelly Phillips of Memphis, Tennissee won the $100,000 grand prize in Gulfstream Park's second annual Turf Vivor Handicapping contest.

Phillips, one of four women entered among the 107 contestants which started on Friday, defeated Lojuis Filoso of Ocean, New Jersey in the final round. Filoso took home the $10,000 second place check.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Amonita took advantage of a slow pace and a perfectly judged ride by Jean Luc Samyn to post an easy 2 1-2 length victory over What A Price and seven other filly and mare turf specialists in Sunday's $100,000 .

Trainer Christophe Clement brought Samyn up from New York to ride Amonita when unable to obtain the services of his first call riders Jerry Bailey and Jose Santos for the Grade 3 Suwannee River. Bailey was at the Fair Grounds on Sunday to ride Strive in the New Orleans Handicap while Santos was committed to Stay Forever in the Suwannee River.

NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans is one bustling city on Mardi Gras day. The parade routes are jammed, the French Quarter is a madhouse - and the Fair Grounds turf course will be packed with stakes horses.

A full field of 12 was entered for Tuesday's $75,000 Mardi Gras Handicap, a grass race contested at about 7 1/2 furlongs. With a short run to the first turn, this elongated sprint race could get as crazy as the local revelers if the big field stays intact.

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - Whosleavingwho, the co-World Champion Quarter Horse of 2002, won his 2003 stakes debut in Saturday's $206,000 Los Alamitos Winter Championship for older Quarter Horses.

Ridden by Joe Badilla, Jr., the 5-year-old Whosleavingwho ($2.80) ran 400 yards in 19.483 seconds, scoring by a length over Agouti, a stakes winner in December.

Trained by Paul Jones, Whosleavingwho did not have an ideal start, but quickly recovered and led by three-quarters of a length midway through the race.

Despite turning back from a mile and a sixteenth to five furlongs on turf, Sound of Gold was prominent throughout for a neck win over Raymond's Dream in the $35,000 Willowbrook for fillies and mares Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park.

It was another length back in third to Cinnful Bride.

Sound Of Gold($12) covered five furlongs over firm turf in 58.96 seconds. John Jacinto rode the winner for River Ridge Ranch and Paul Pearson.

Fuse It won her second straight stakes Saturday night when she drove to a two and a half length win over even-money favorite Prized Amperbro in the $100,000 Marshland for statebred fillies and mares at Delta Downs in Vinton, La.

It was another four and a quarter lengths back in third to Light Fling.