LOS ALAMIOS RACE COURSE ,CYPRESS, CA…. The local distaff division will shine as bright as a gemstone as a star-studded cast heads the $35,000 Denim N Diamonds Handicap under the Saturday night lights at Los Alamitos Race Course. Contested at the 350-yard distance, this Grade 3 event features a deep field of 10 aged mares, including a trio of standout performers currently stabled at the Orange County oval: Rockin With Energy, Silver Bac, and Phoebes Baby Girl.
The Undisputed Queen: Rockin With Energy
All eyes will undoubtedly be on the Parsons Family Limited Partnership’s Rockin With Energy. The sorrel mare enters this Saturday fresh off a historic performance in the Grade 1, $100,000 James Dreyer Charger Bar Handicap on January 14. By winning that event for the second consecutive year, she joined an elite group of mares—Stylish Jess BR, Quirky, and Kiss Thru Fire—as the only ones to successfully defend a Charger Bar title in its 25-year history.
Her victory showed another dimension to her talent. While her 2025 win was a wire-to-wire, gritty nose victory, this year she proved she can overcome adversity. Trailing in sixth at the start, she methodically picked off rivals to win by a decisive 1/2 length.
“She didn’t break as fast as she did last year, but they gave her room to run and she prevailed,” noted her jockey, Henry Reynoso Lopez. For trainer Paul Jones, keeping her in training while she is “doing so well” was an easy decision, and the Denim N Diamonds serves as the perfect next step for a mare who has now earned over $356,000.
The Rivalry Rekindled: Silver Bac
The Denim N Diamonds will also provide a chance for redemption for Silver Bac. Owned by Steve Burns, Mark and Marta Winslow, and Jose Flores, Silver Bac ran a massive race from the outside post in the Charger Bar, ultimately finishing second to Rockin With Energy.
Silver Bac has been knocking on the door of a major stakes win all season, having also finished second in the Sound Dash Handicap. Her consistency makes her a dangerous threat in this shorter 350-yard sprint, where her sharp early speed could allow her to get the jump on her rivals.
The Jones Barn Double: Phoebes Baby Girl
Trainer Paul Jones isn’t just relying on Rockin With Energy; he also saddles Phoebes Baby Girl, who is coming off a career-best performance in the $20,000 Dashingly Handicap. After some gate issues earlier in her career, Jones utilized a flipping halter to settle the 6-year-old mare, and the results have been immediate.
Under jockey Jesus Rios Ayala, Phoebes Baby Girl displayed a devastating “top gear” in the Dashingly, flying late to hold off the talented Racy Favorite. Bred by the Parsons Ranch, she carries elite bloodlines as the daughter of the 2018 AQHA champion 3-year-old filly, A Political Lady. If she breaks cleanly, she is more than capable of outdueling this outstanding field.
The “Sweet” Threat: I Am Candy
Rounding out the primary contenders is the ultra-fast I Am Candy. The winner of the Sound Dash Handicap last October, she finished a solid fourth in the Charger Bar Handicap. She’ll be looking to “satisfy her sweet tooth” for another trophy by using her signature explosive break to clear the field early, and the 350-yard distance is right in her wheelhouse.
Historic Stakes for Paul Jones
Beyond the mares themselves, this race is another significant event for trainer Paul Jones. With his victories in the Charger Bar and Dashingly, plus Doodah Cartel’s win in the Los Alamitos Winter Derby last Saturday night, Jones moved his career total to 3,949 Quarter Horse wins at Los Alamitos. He now sits just 33 wins shy of tying the legendary Blane Schvaneveldt’s all-time track record of 3,982 victories. A win on Saturday night would bring him one step closer to one of the most prestigious milestones in the history of the sport.
The Field at a Glance
With 21 original nominations resulting in a full field, the competition was always going to be fierce. Other names entered in the Denim N Diamonds include Eyesa Wagon My Tale, who finished a game third in the Charger Bar after making a big statement in her Los Alamitos debut, where she showed her class by outkicking the males to win the A Ransom Handicap.
The rest of the field is led by Racy Favorite, who missed by just a head in the Dashingly; O Seeyalater, who, if she can clear the field early, might just be saying “see ya later” at the wire; Vgk Zigfield Follies, looking to play the role of spoiler; Terra Fina, a dependable runner seeking “solid ground” late in the lane; and Favorite Princess, who brings royal pedigree to this elite showdown. Her family traces back to the great Brazilian mare Dinastia Toll BRZ and is from the family of the outstanding sire and AQHA champion FDD Dynasty.
Saturday night’s Denim N Diamonds Handicap promises to be a 17-second blur of speed and class. Whether it’s the dominance of Rockin With Energy, the continued resurgence of Phoebes Baby Girl, or a “sweet” upset from I Am Candy, the Denim N Diamonds should be a treat for racing fans.
Orlando Gutierrez via Media
