Sweet Tess tries to add to owner's haul in La Pacifica Handicap
The Quarter Horse filly Sweet Tess has been part of a notable spring for Washington state owners Ed and Theresa DeNike.
Sweet Tess won her stakes debut in the $438,500 Los Alamitos Oaks at 400 yards on March 26. On April 30, their 3-year-old Thoroughbred Il Bellator won the $100,000 California Derby at Golden Gate Fields.
Sweet Tess runs in Saturday’s $35,000 La Pacifica Handicap at 350 yards for 3-year-old fillies at Los Alamitos. Even though Sweet Tess was 22-1 in the Los Alamitos Oaks, she rates at the top of a list of contenders in a competitive running of the La Pacifica, which drew a full field of 10.
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The La Pacifica is the last of 10 races at Los Alamitos on Saturday evening. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
Trained by Patricia Visscher, Sweet Tess has won 3 of 9 starts. While the Los Alamitos Oaks was the longest win for Sweet Tess, the filly did win races at 300 and 330 yards last year.
Jose Nicasio has the mount on Sweet Tess, who starts from post 5.
Sweet Dasha Fire, Call It Close and She Goes Up, fourth, eighth and ninth in the Los Alamitos Oaks, are part of the La Pacifica field. Sweet Dasha Fire is a full sister to 2014 Quarter Horse World Champion Heza Dasha Fire. This is her third stakes appearance for trainer Jose Flores.
She Goes Up won the Governor’s Cup Futurity last summer, but had no chance in the Los Alamitos Oaks after a poor start. She Goes Up races for Los Alamitos track owner Ed Allred, who also starts Up to Good and Call It Close.
Up to Good won the Sixy Chick Handicap at 350 yards on March 26 for trainer Scott Willoughby in her 14th start.