Page 207 - April2022

1/2-length to Jess Dream Of Me. Those two were the two fastest qualifiers.
Despite her quick qualifying time, Sweet Tess went off at 22-1 in the final, while Jess Dream Of Me was the 4-5 favorite. Sweet Tess got away quickly along the rail under jockey Eduardo Nicasio and vied with a couple of the rivals to her immediate outside. She began to pull away from them midway through the 400 yards, only to have to fight off hard closing Jess Dream Of Me and Fire Fast Honey. Sweet Tess held them at bay, winning by a head in :19.992.
“They worked hard with Sweet Tess at the gate, and both Nicasio and Pat did a great job,” said Edward. “She’s a high-strung horse.”
Visscher said that she had tried a flipping halter on Sweet Tess, but that the filly didn’t like it. “I took it off her and said, ‘That’s it— no halter on her.’ Nicasio has been working with her, and that’s the best thing that could have happened. When he galloped her in the morning, I could sit my granddaughter on her.”
Nicasio’s brother Jose had been riding Sweet Tess. Eduardo explained that Jose hurt his hand, which gave Eduardo the opportunity to ride Sweet Tess this year.
“She always finishes strong,” Eduardo said. “When we got the one (post position), I told Patty, ‘Don’t worry—I love the one. If she breaks, I don’t think they can beat me.’ She breaks and I was like, ‘C’mon, c’mon, you can do it.’ She finished strong.”
Edward DeNike’s responsibilities in management with SSA Marine, a privately held marine terminal operator, has kept him from being able to see his horses compete at Los Alamitos in person for several years. He was thrilled, then, to witness Sweet Tess’ victory.
“I just called my wife, and she was with the mother of Sweet Tess,” said Edward. “They watched it from the barn, and the guys were all kissing the mother after Sweet Tess won.”
Separate Thoughts is the dam of Sweet Tess, and the DeNikes also bred and raced her. Visscher trained Separate Thoughts, who spent her entire racing career at Los Alamitos. In 2012, Separate Thoughts won the La Pacifica Handicap, ran second in the PCQHRA Breeders’ Derby-G3, and ran third in the Las Damas Handicap-G3. Separate Thoughts has produced three winners from four starters.
Armando Cervantes rode Fire Fast Honey (Walk Thru Fire-Coronas Fast Honey) for owners Dennis Jensen and Randy Young
and trainer Monty Arrossa. Fire Fast Honey
won the 2021 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity-G2.
Jess Dream Of Me (Apollitical Jess-Valiant Jess), owned by Raymond Merrill and Gregory Cullum, finished third. Cruz Mendez was aboard for trainer Jose Flores. Last year the filly qualified for the All American Futurity-G1 and ran sixth.
Completing the field were Sweet Dasha Fire (Walk Thru Fire-Dasha Freda), Majority Interest (Seperate Interest- Remember Me Rose), Unavailable (Jess Good Candy-Shades Of Blues Girl), La Beverly Hills (Corona Czech-Jess Ravin), Call It Close (Kiddy Up-Escape The Fire), She Goes Up (Seperate Interest-Up For It), and Chrissy Ledoux (FDD Dynasty-Jess One Looke).
RACING NEWS
Mimi Wells presents Trainer Patricia Visscher and jockey Eduardo Nicasio with the trophy.
Pictured, from left, are jockey Eduardo Nicasio, trainer Patricia Visscher and owner Edward DeNike.
SPEEDHORSE April 2022 205
Los Alamitos Los Alamitos