Pattys Saint aims at big payday in Mildred Vessels

A three-race winning streak from January to June has left Pattys Saint as the nation’s leading Quarter Horse older filly or mare. She can all but clinch the title of 2024 champion aged mare with a win in the $125,000 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap on Saturday evening at Los Alamitos.

There are three six-figure stakes for older fillies and mares at Los Alamitos each year, and the 6-year-old Pattys Saint has won the first two – the $100,000 Charger Bar Handicap at 400 yards in January, and the $100,000 Abigail Kawananakoa Stakes at 350 yards on June 15. In between, Pattys Saint won the $60,000 Miss Princess Stakes at 350 yards in May.

Aside from racing for a solid purse, the winner of the Mildred Vessels Handicap receives a berth to the $600,000 Champion of Champions at 440 yards on Dec. 14 at Los Alamitos, a race that annually brings together many of the nation’s leading 3-year-olds and older horses.

The Mildred Vessels Handicap is the only race for fillies and mares with a berth for the Champion of Champions.

Pattys Saint was seventh by four lengths in the 2022 Champion of Champions when trained by Heath Hillman. She did not race at Los Alamitos in 2023, but was back at the Southern California track last winter after being acquired privately by Matt and Bendi Dunn and transferred to current trainer Monty Arrossa.

Pattys Saint, who will be ridden by Eduardo Nicasio, starts from post 5 in a field of 10 on Saturday. Fearless Moon and Nymphette, who were second and third in the Charger Bar, start from post 2 and 8. Both are recent winners.

Fearless Moon, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2023 despite not winning a stakes, won an allowance race in July. She was named champion last year after leading candidate Ezee Monee was deemed ineligible for consideration because of a medication positive.

Nymphette was third in the Kawananakoa Stakes and won the minor Matron Stakes on July 27.

The Mildred Vessels Handicap is the California debut for Jes An Angel, a two-time stakes winner who won her 2024 debut in a 400-yard allowance race Aug. 3 at The Downs at Albuquerque as the 9-10 favorite. Last year, Jes An Angel was fourth in three major stakes – the Rainbow Oaks and All American Oaks at Ruidoso Downs in the summer, and the Texas Classic Derby against males at Lone Star Park in November.

Jes an Angel, a winner of 12 of 20 starts, is currently trained by Marc Jungers. Earlier in her career, when trained by Lance Moore, Jes an Angel was scratched from the $3 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs after she was treated with a nebulizer on the morning of the race.