Rockin With Energy needs another clean break in Charger Bar Handicap
Rockin With Energy has won or lost several stakes for fillies and mares in the first two or three seconds in the last year.
Quick starts led to wins in the Charger Bar and Las Damas handicaps at Los Alamitos in 2025. Poor starts led to comprehensive losses in the Denim N Diamonds Stakes and Mildred Vessels Handicap at the same venue.
Rockin With Energy had a clean getaway in her last start, in the Las Damas Handicap on Nov. 22, leading to hopes she can do the same in Sunday’s $100,000 Charger Bar Handicap at 400 yards.
Owned by Jay and Char Parsons and trained by Paul Jones, Rockin With Energy is part of a field of 10 in the Charger Bar, Quarter Horse racing’s leading wintertime race for fillies and mares. Regular rider Henry Lopez has the mount.
A 5-year-old mare, Rockin With Energy has raced only at Los Alamitos, winning 7 of 18 starts. Four of those wins have been at 400 yards, including the recent Las Damas Handicap.
Rockin With Energy is one of six 2025 stakes winners in the Charger Bar lineup, along with Aj Born Runnin, Eyesa Wagon My Tale, I Am Candy, Jessesflyincowgirl, and O Seeyalater. The other runners are Beach Walk, Bold N Beautiful, Ohana Spirit, and Silver Bac.
I Am Candy, who won the Sound Dash Handicap at 350 yards on Oct. 11 in her first start in more than two months, and Aj Born Runnin were third and fourth in the Las Damas. Eyesa Wagon My Tale won the minor A Ransom Handicap at 350 yards on Dec. 20 in her first start at Los Alamitos.
Of the runners who did not win a stakes in 2025, Bold N Beautiful has kept the best company. Trained by Juan Aleman, Bold N Beautiful was third in the $247,588 Texas Classic Oaks at 400 yards at Lone Star Park on Nov. 15, finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind Karmalites, one of the nation’s leading 3-year-old fillies of 2025.
Bold N Beautiful was eighth in the $702,907 All American Oaks at 440 yards at the Downs at Albuquerque behind Karmalites on Sept. 1.
In the Charger Bar, Bold N Beautiful has an advantageous post on the outside of the field. In 2025, there were 19 races run at 400 yards with 10-horse fields. Runners in post 10 won four of them.
Aleman also starts Beach Walk and Ohana Spirit. Beach Walk was third in the $430,000 Los Alamitos Oaks last March and fifth by 1 1/4 lengths at 38-1 in the Southern California Derby on Dec. 21. Ohana Spirit was fourth by a length in the Southern California Derby.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.