Pattys Saint takes Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap, remains perfect in 2024

The Quarter Horse mare Pattys Saint extended her perfect record in 2024 to four victories, all in stakes, with an easy win in Saturday’s $125,000 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap for fillies and mares at Los Alamitos.

Sent off as a strong favorite, Pattys Saint performed as expected, winning the 400-yard race by 1 1/2 lengths over 9-1 Nymphette. Jessica Cruz (43-1) finished third, beaten two lengths in the field of 10.

Pattys Saint ($3.40) was timed in 19.59 seconds. Ridden by Eduardo Nicasio, Pattys Saint began well and led by three-quarters of a length after the first 100 yards. She widened her advantage to 1 3/4 lengths midway through the race.

The victory gives Pattys Saint a sweep of the track’s three six-figure stakes for fillies and mares this year. Owned by Matt and Bendi Dunn and trained by Monty Arrossa, Pattys Saint won the $100,000 Charger Bar Handicap in January and the $100,000 Abigail Kawananakoa Stakes in June. In addition, Pattys Saint won the $60,000 Miss Princess Handicap in May.

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The four stakes wins all but clinch the title of 2024 champion-aged mare for Pattys Saint, who has won 21 of 29 starts and earned $474,402 in her career. An Idaho-bred, Pattys Saint was raced extensively in the Northwest by her late breeder Robert Harrison and trainer Heath Hillman prior to this year.

Harrison died in June 2023. Pattys Saint was briefly raced by his family until she was sold privately to the Dunns late in 2023.

When trained by Hillman, Pattys Saint won the 2022 Mildred Vessels Handicap. With Saturday’s win, Pattys Saint is the first filly or mare to win the Mildred Vessels Handicap in non-consecutive years and the fifth to do so in the history of a race first run in 1974 as the Miss Princess Invitational and later as the Anne Burnett Invitational Handicap. The name of the race was changed to the Mildred Vessels Handicap in 1995.

Pattys Saint earned a provisional berth to the $600,000 Champion of Champions at 440 yards on Dec. 14 with Saturday’s win. She was seventh in the 2022 Champion of Champions.

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