STYLISH JESS BR WINS MILDRED VESSELS EARNS CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS INVITATION
LOS ALAMITOS, CA—SEPTEMBER 21, 2008—It appears that Benny Rosset will be part of the $1 million Champion of Champions after all. The Brazilian-based Quarter Horse owner was unlucky when he missed taking part in last year's Champion of Champions after his two qualifiers, Strength In Numbers and No Secrets Here, had to withdraw from the prestigious race because of injuries.
Rosset now looks forward to seeing his 3-year-old filly Stylish Jess Br race in this year's Champion of Champions after defeating a strong field of fillies and mares in Saturday's $250,000 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap at Los Alamitos plus her win earned the James Burgess-bred daughter of FEATURE MR JESS an automatic berth to the Champion of Champions.
With Cody Jensen aboard for trainer Paul Jones, Stylish Jess Br broke nicely from post three and then cruised home on the way to a 3/4-length victory over Ed Allred's 4-year-old mare Look Her Over.
"I hope this filly gets a chance to compete in the Champion of Champions and I hope No Secrets Here (who is co-owned by Rosset) also makes it to the race," said Vince Genco, who manages Rosset's horses in the U.S. "I don't want to be greedy but I hope that Benny gets what's coming to him. Benny has made a great investment in the sport and it's not just those horses. He has a lot of others that have not made it. He has paid his dues and I hope he gets whatever is coming to him, whatever that is. Last year, it wasn't meant for him to be in the Champion of Champions but maybe this year it'll be different. He's in Sao Paulo, Brazil right. I can't wait to call him tomorrow morning to talk to him about this win."
One of the favorites in the Mildred Vessels, Clydette Mia caused a long delay to this race when she refused to stand in the starting gate. Her unruly behavior forced the Los Alamitos gate crew to walk her out of the gate in order to reload her. That did not help her behavior as she continued to act up in the gate. She was eventually scratched. The gate crew then unloaded the rest of the field because they had been waiting for Clydette Mia to settle down and then loaded them back in the gate. The whole process helped Stylish Jess Br.
"It was the best thing for us," said jockey Cody Jensen. "(Stylish Jess Br) was very antsy when they first loaded her in the gate. She wanted to run up her head into the door. After having to wait and having to get reloaded she calmed down. It benefited her a great deal because it helped her relax. She then had a monster of a start, a really good start. She's just so fast in the first 100 yards that gives her a big advantage."
Stylish Jess Br earned $125,000 to take her career earnings to $346,762. The brown filly has now won five of 10 starts while finishing in the top three in every one of her outings. The talented sprinter won her first four career starts, including the Ed Burke Memorial Juvenile Stakes, and her record also including a third place finish in last year's Golden State Million Futurity and a second place finish in last month's Golden State Derby won by One Famous Eagle. Jensen had to make a difficult decision in the Mildred Vessels, as the talented rider had ridden Stylish Jess Br, champion aged mare Blazin Fire and multiple stakes winner Forgive Him in each of their last starts.
"It was a really tough," he said when asked to about his decision. "I rode Stylish Jess Br in her three workouts and she was impressive. She just looked like she had so much potential and she came into this race off a very good race. She's such a beast. You have to give credit to One Famous Eagle in the Golden State Derby. He ran a great race when he beat us because we also ran a super race."
Stylish Jess Br and One Famous Eagle could meet again in the Los Alamitos Super Derby trials on October 17 or perhaps in the final on November 8. "One Famous Eagle is tough but she'll get better too," trainer Paul Jones said. "She'll probably hook him in the Super Derby again. There's three weeks between the trials and the final and that's important. She'll benefit from the extra week off. She tries so hard that she runs off her feet for four or five days. After the trials to the Golden State Derby she was dead tired. That raced knocked her out so much that I was surprised that she ran so well in the final. Three weeks between races in the Super Derby, that's important for us." Jones described Stylish Jess Br's effort in the Mildred Vessels as perfect. "She broke straight and ran hard. I couldn't have asked for a better effort. We were high on her from the first time we worked her and it's really nice to see what we have in her."
Stylish Jess Br joins a cast of outstanding runners in this year's field to the Champion of Champions. The lineup features A Stoli Mate (Los Alamitos Winter Championship), Chances Are I Wil (Remington Park Championship), Frankie Shoots (Vessels Maturity) and Noconi (All American Derby).
Automatic starting berths to the Champion of Champions will also be awarded in the Los Alamitos Championship, Refrigerator Handicap, Los Alamitos Super Derby, Bank of America Challenge Championship and Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials.
Trained by Scott Willoughby, Allred's Look Her Over earned $42,500 for finishing second in the Mildred Vessels under jockey Jeff Jerman. Look Her Over has now earned $119,844 in her career.
Allred's Forgive Him, winner of the La Primera Del Ano Derby and Debutante Stakes, earned $25,000 for running third in this race. Multiple Grade 1 winner Blazin Fire went over the $300,000 mark in career earnings with the money she made for running fourth in the Mildred Vessels. She is a daughter of THIS SNOW IS ROYAL.
Dimples First Dash, Go Girl Gone, What A Performance, Fly Bar Special and Single Sadie completed the field.
