LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA… The Los Alamitos Oaks has a long-standing tradition of making top fillies into princess of the Quarter Horse racing world, often serving as a definitive stage for the sport’s most elite three-year-old fillies. Past renewals have been dominated by superstars like Asscher, who would go on to be named the 2024 AQHA World Champion, Shaken Goin, last year’s AQHA champion 3-year-old filly and PCQHRA Horse of the Year, and formidable fillies like Dreams Divine, Cartel Kisses, Apollitical Patty and Sweet Tess.
Since its first running in 2020, the Los Alamitos Oaks has become of the nation’s most important races for sophomore fillies and has become synonymous with excellence at the Orange County track. The top fillies on the grounds will now look to join the Oaks honor roll when a field of ten finalists competes in the Grade 1, $415,500 feature here on Saturday night.
Leading the charge is Keith Nellesen’s Beuteeful, a dashing gray princess who enters the final with the fastest qualifying time of :19.787. Though her trial victory was perhaps not her “prettiest” performance, it was undeniably extremely effective. Breaking from the rail, Beuteeful angled out across the gap but established enough of a daylight lead to hold off a late surge to win by a neck.
The victory improved her local record to an impressive six wins in eight starts. Ridden by Rodrigo Sigala Vallejo for trainer Kristen Watanabe, the daughter of KVN Corona had to overcome the challenge of a delay caused by a late scratch in her heat.
“She broke a little slow, perhaps because of the scratch of the other horse,” Sigala Vallejo noted. “She’s a great filly and it wasn’t the most comfortable win, but to qualify the way she did, it was a very good race. She may have also been a little confused because we had to take her out of the gate and the time that she waited behind the gate; perhaps that confused her. Fortunately, she ran a good race and she enjoyed another triumph, and now we move to the final.”
Despite the gate delays and the less than perfect start, Beuteeful’s class shone through as she eventually opened a solid lead on her rivals, and held off a late charge to secure another win here and the fastest time. Already the winner of last year’s Grade 2 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity and a finalist in both the Grade 1 Golden State Million and Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million, she remains the definitive benchmark for the field. For the fourth time in a major race, Beuteeful has drawn post number one. She also draw the rail for the Kindergarten win and for her Oaks trial. She also had the number one post in the Two Million.
While Beuteeful holds the timer’s edge, Mi Serenity’s Ruse Ticle Knockout brought the fireworks. Making her Los Alamitos debut for trainer Eddie Willis—who won this race last year with Shaken Goin—the Apollitical Jess filly showed immense professionalism. Making her first-ever start at Los Alamitos, the $210,000 purchase lived up to her blue-blood pedigree by taking an early half-length lead and cruising to a one-length win in :19.810—the second-fastest time of the night.
Jockey Edwin Escobedo, who guided her to her fifth career win, was impressed by her composure. “She’s so professional,” Escobedo said. “She just goes in the gate and is ready to run. She just does it on her own. I just don’t want to mess it up and we just try to get there first. The races before that I’ve ridden her, she really likes to close down at the end, especially at Ruidoso. She really liked 440 as well.”
Ruse Ticle Knockout will start from post number eight in the Oaks.
Shaken Goin On won the Oaks last year after racing in the Grade 3 Black Gold Fillies Futurity in Oklahoma last year. Bred by Five Puig Racing LLC, Ruse Ticle Knockout has the look of another powerhouse filly from the Black And Gold where she ran third. The talented newcomer also placed in the Grade 2 Southwest Juvenile Invitational.
Another major contender is Shiny New, who finished a narrow second to Beuteeful in the trials. A progeny of the up-and-coming stallion Mpshinning, the daughter of the champion Quirky bumped early from the six-post but finished with a flourish to clock :19.812. Trained by Valentin Zamudio, Shiny New has never finished out of the money in five career starts and will look to improve upon her third-place finish in last year’s Ed Burke Million Futurity. Shiny New will right new to Beuteeful in post number two.
The final also features the surprise package of CM Jessa Blue Monday, who provided the upset of the trials at 15-1 odds. After struggling with her footing in the opening jumps, she rallied fiercely to win her heat. Trainer Luke Lindsey credited her late speed: “Ruben (Lozano) said she was struggling early getting away from there for the first five jumps. Then she came flying.”
Randy Dickerson, a horseman with longtime ties to the Northwest, owns CM Jessa Blue Monday. Dickerson and Lindsey have enjoyed many victories together at Los Alamitos over the years, but none would be bigger the Los Alamitos Oaks.
“(Randy) is like family,” Lindsey said. “We’re down here, we’re trying this out. I’ve trained for him for eight years. We have some good horses right now.”
CM Jessa Blue Monday has drawn the outside post number 10. She won her Oaks trial post number one three weeks ago.
With a field that includes Grade 2 winner Beuteeful and battle-tested fillies like Ruse Ticle Knockout, Saturday’s Oaks promises to be a worthy addition to the race’s storied history. Other high-caliber qualifiers include Fancy Upp, French Valley, Diamond Cowgirl 123, and Walk When I Walk.
Here’s the field from the rail out: Beuteeful, Shiny New, Fancy Upp, Elemyntal, Diamond Cowgirl 123, Walk When I Walk, French Valley, You Are The Best, and CM Jessa Blue Monday.
Saturday night’s final represents a prize that is more than just a lofty purse of $415,000; it is a chance for these fillies to join the ranks of star performers like Asscher, Shaken Goin On and Apollitical Patty. Whether Beuteeful finds her best stride or a new “Queen” is crowned, the Los Alamitos Oaks figures to once again play a prominent role for year-end honors in Quarter Horse racing.
By Orlando Gutierrez via Media
