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RACING NEWS
Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap-G1
PATTYS SAINT
by Tracy Gantz
Pattys Saint has won at nearly every racetrack she has ever visited. Mostly, the Idaho-
bred filly has competed at tracks in her native
state, but she had also won at Albuquerque. In her first start at Los Alamitos, she added the $125,000 Mildred N. Vessels Memorial Handicap-G1 on Sept. 18.
Pattys Saint faced a field that included Champion Kiss Thru Fire, the even-money favorite, and also Reason To
Fly MV, the winner of last
years Mildred N. Vessels. Regular rider Jesus Virgen
came in to ride Pattys Saint,
it was also his first trip to Los Alamitos. They got away well in 4th, and pulled to the lead late in the 400-yard race, ultimately winning by 1/2-length, stopping the timer in :19.892 and posting an 88 speed index. The $62,500 winner’s share of the purse boosted her bankroll to $187,581.
Heath Hillman, who also works in his garage-door business in Idaho, trains the 4-year-old filly for owner/breeder Robert Harrison. This was Pattys Saint fourth consecutive win. She has won 13 races in 18 starts. Seven of those wins have come in stakes, including the 2021 AQHA Distaff Challenge Championship-G1.
Hillman had to return to Idaho to attend to his business. Trainer Monty
Arrossa will take over with Pattys Saint when Hillman is away from Los Alamitos.
Harrison bred Pattys Saint from SP Saint Patty, a lightly raced 2012 mare. She has produced two winners out of three starters. Her winner’s include stakes-placed RLH Fouronthefloor, a 2 year old who has won three and placed second once out of just five starts. Her foals have produced earnings of $200,656.
Dr. Ed Allred’s homebred Nymphette
(Fly Thru The Fire-Nymph) finished second under jockey Henry Lopez for trainer James Glenn Jr. Nymphette won her first two starts, which included this year’s California Breeders’ Debutante Stakes.
Following by just a nose, Leah Carroll (Hes Relentless-Viva La Blue) came in third place for owner/trainer Paul Jones. Adrian Loza rode the 4-year-old filly, who won the 2020 Last Chance Dash Stakes.
Completing the field were Kiss Thru Fire (Walk Thru Fire-Fredaville), La Estrella Corona (Corona Czech-Shadow Lake-TB), College Scandal (Coronas Leaving You-Fovee), All Pointz Bulletin (Tres Seis-All N The Jeans), Famous Shining Star (One Famous Eagle- Thewayouwantmetoo), Rite On Time (Favorite Cartel-A Regal Classic), and Reason To Fly MV (Good Reason SA-Take A Look).
Los Alamitos
$125,000 • 400 yards :19.892 • si 88
Feature Mr Jess
Jess Got Easier
Fashion Dashin
PATTYS SAINT, ‘18-f.
Saint Shackleton
SP Saint Patty
Private Hawkeye
Oklahoma Horsemens Association Mystery Futurity-RG2
ILLEGAL MOONFLASH
by Michael Cusortelli
Illegal Moonflash, a bay gelding campaigned by Jeff Carter and Justin Massey, rallied to win the Oklahoma Horsemen’s Association
Mystery Futurity-RG2 for state-bred 2-year- olds at Will Rogers Downs on Sept. 26.
Trained by Eddie Willis and ridden by Jimmy Brooks, Illegal Moonflash went 350 yards in :17.796, and his margin of victory was a neck over Whole Lota Blue. The gelding earned a 92 speed index while banking the
$72,458 winner’s share of a $179,896 purse.
Illegal Moonflash was bred by Reliance Ranches LLC, and he was the 2nd-fastest qualifier from 8 trials run on Sept. 12. A $45,000 purchase at last year’s Heritage Place Yearling Sale, he is out of Illegal Fireworks, winner of the 2011 Junos Request Stakes-G3.
Illegal Moonflash is a half brother to Conquering Marie,
a winner of two stakes at Los Alamitos in 2019, including the Golden State Derby-G2. His second dam, Totally Illegal, won two graded stakes during her 2-year-old season, including the $145,000 Governor’s Cup Futurity-RG2
for California-breds. A 1991 foal, Totally Illegal produced three other stakes winners, all of whom were half siblings to Illegal Fireworks, including Queen Of Appeals, a Grade 1-placed mare and
the dam of 2011 Champion Aged Horse Good Reason SA. Illegal Moonflash has won
three of eight starts while racing in two states, including in New Mexico, and the winner’s share of the purse from his first career stakes victory bumped his bankroll to $96,224.
Illegal Moonflash broke his maiden with a wire-to-wire, 1 1/2-length win in a Heritage Place Futurity-G1 trial on May 6, and his next win came in the trials to this race.
The eighth-fastest qualifier, Charles Horton’s Whole Lota Blue (Lota Pyc-Blue Ra Ra) earned the $33,081 runner-up share of the purse to bring her bankroll to $46,080 from six races, all in Oklahoma. Cody Smith rode the homebred sorrel filly for trainer Michelle Hurdle.
Sir James (Coronado Cartel-Simply An Angel) finished third, a half of a length behind Illegal Moonflash, for owner Ellen Kennedy Racing LLC. Roman Cruz rode the homebred colt for trainer Luis Villafranco.
Snow Cloud Cartel (Coronado Cartel-Snow Clouds), El Relentless Speed (Hes Relentless- Speed Squad), Davila (Hes Relentless-Itea), fastest qualifier Biden R Time (FDD Dynasty-Tel A Story), Bolt Of Action V (One Famous Eagle- Send Me This Wagon), Double Didget (The Fiscal Cliff-First Black Rose), and Pevs Cherokee Kid (Hes Relentless-Ima Lazie Too) completed the order of finish.
194 SPEEDHORSE October 2022
Will Rogers Downs
$179,896 • 350yards :17.798 • si 92
First To Flash
First Moonflash
Nagano Moon
ILLEGAL MOONFLASH, ‘20-g. Walk Thru Fire
Illegal Fireworks
Totally Illegal
Coady Photography Amber Mendez/Los Alamitos