STYLISH JESS BR RAISES THE BAR WITH CHARGER BAR VICTORY
LOS ALAMITOS, CA — JANUARY 3, 2010 — Benny Rosset's Stylish Jess Br became the first mare to win the three most important races currently offered for distaffers in the nation following her win in the Grade 1 $100,000 Charger Bar Handicap at Los Alamitos.
The 5-year-old daughter of FEATURE MR JESS added the Charger Bar to a lifetime record that already included wins in the Grade 1 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap and Grade 1 Merial Distaff Challenge.
The talented mare won the Mildred Vessels during her sophomore season in 2008 and the Merial Distaff last year at Los Alamitos. She completed this unique hat trick as the 1-2 favorite in the 400-yard Charger Bar, which also serves as the nation's first Grade 1 race of the year.
There have been several mares to post wins in two of these three races. The list is headed by 2009 Charger Bar and Mildred Vessels winner Terrific Energy. Others to have scored a double have been Texas Chatterbox, Flare For Toby, AB What A Runner and Mini Rock. However, Stylish Jess Br's unique accomplishment will give the nation's outstanding mares something to aim for in future years.
"Sorry I could not be there to get the trophy tonight," said agent Vince Genco via e-mail on Saturday night. "I guess I need a clone. I'm leaving for Brazil on Monday. Our little mare continues to amaze me, after she ran her guts out for us three weeks ago (in the $750,000 Champion of Champions) she comes back with a great win tonight. We are so proud of her. Jess will get a well deserved rest, we will try for some embryos, and hopefully she will be back for the later races in 2010."
With Genco preparing for his South American trip and trainer Paul Jones enjoying rare time off while enjoying a cruise with his family, the duties of handling Stylish Jess Br fell on the capable hands of Jones' assistant trainer Roque Gonzalez. "(Roque) is as good an assistant trainer as there is," Genco added.
Stylish Jess Br will be bred to Rosset and Vessels Stallion Farm's No Secrets Here and perhaps another stallion or two during this year's breeding season added Genco. The mare will arrive at Vessels Stallion Farms as a career winner of nine of 22 starts. She earned $50,000 for her Charger Bar win to take her career earnings to $690,384.
Ridden by Cesar De Alba, Stylish Jess Br finished 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Hemerio Hernandez's 17-1 longshot Bills Glamour. She covered the distance in :19.564. The James Burgess-bred three-time Grade 1 winning mare would certainly be close to $1 million in earnings had she enjoyed a little better luck in her aforementioned Champion of Champions outing. In that race, Stylish Jess Br crossed the wire as the runner-up behind the fabulous Freaky, only to be disqualified from second place status to seventh.
"She was running great on her left lead in that race," De Alba explained. "We were going super and then she switched to her right lead and I guess she got to close to one of the other horses in the race. It was unfortunate because she was making up ground."
Outside of that bit of disappointment, De Alba and Stylish Jess Br have been lucky together. De Alba had previously piloted her to victory in the Merial California Distaff Challenge.
"People get lucky together," De Alba said. "I get along great with Stylish Jess Br and I just try to keep her relax. I think I get along well with fillies and mares. I definitely appreciate the opportunity of riding a mare of her great quality.
"She ran awesome tonight. She wanted to lug out a little bit, but not too bad. When she broke right along (Bills Glamour) I felt like we had it won. Her best lick comes at about 330 to 350 yards, so I knew when we were right there with the leader that I was in a great spot."
De Alba was recognized as California's top up and coming young rider in 2007, but a wrist injury slowed his business down in 2008. The injury is a thing of the past for the young pilot, as he has now been winning big stakes race with regularity starting with the second half of 2009. His wins have included the PCQHRA Breeders' Futurity, Corona Chick Handicap, and Sgt Pepper Feature Handicap.
"I think I'll be better as the year continues," he added. "Things started picking up for me in the second half of the year. I got days after the Champion of Champions but hopefully this win will give me a boost. I'm going to keep working hard and hopefully good things will happen."
De Alba is still riding with a metal pin inserted in his wrist, a pin he was scheduled to have removed via surgery a few days ago. However, the surgery was postponed and in retrospect it was a good thing for the pilot considering his Charger Bar victory.
"The pin doesn't bother him," said De Alba's agent, Neil Bricks. "It was just a little surgery to have it remove because he's had it in there for a while. Maybe he'll keep in there for good luck."
Ridden by Santiago Mendez, Bills Glamour won $17,000 for her second place finish in the Charger Bar. Another longshot, the 38-1 Short Czech crossed the wire third and earned $10,000.
Look Her Over, A Real Wonder Woman, Answer The Dream, Fredaville, Forgive Him and Strength In Numbers completed the field.
