Sweet Tess (#7) gets up over Hot Girl Summer B (#6) and Mperative (#4) in the $25,000 Justanold Love Handicap Saturday night at Los Alamitos Race Course.

© Amber Mendez

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—NOVEMBER 4, 2022–Edward and Theresa DeNike’s homebred filly Sweet Tess, the winner of the $438,000 Los Alamitos Oaks for fillies earlier this year, scored her second stakes victory against divisional rivals thanks to a strong finish to win the $25,000 Justanold Love Stakes on Saturday at Los Alamitos.

This was Sweet Tess’ first victory since the Oaks following a string of good performances that included a second-place finish in the La Pacific Handicap at 350 yards and a fourth-place finish in the PCQHRA Breeders Derby on October 1. In winning the Justanold Love at 350 yards, Sweet Tess also avenged her loss to She Goes Up in the La Pacifica.

 "I didn’t think we could beat She Goes Up," trainer Patricia Visscher said. "(She Goes Up) got us easily in the La Pacifica. Sweet Tess got a much better start this time around. She broke better. From where I was seeing her, she got a little excited, but they all do that when they get close to going in the starting gate (before the race). I was tickled with her."

Trainer Patricia Visscher and jockey Eduardo Nicasio accept the Justanold Love Handicap stakes trophy Saturday at Los Alamitos Race Course. © Amber Mendez

Known for her strong finishing kick, Sweet Tess was second leaving the gate and third after the first 150 yards. She hit a higher after the midway point and was able to outduel the newcomer Hot Girl Summer B, who arrived at Los Alamitos after a several good performances at Arizona Downs.

Ridden by Eduardo Nicasio, Sweet Tess earned $13,750 for finishing first to take her career earnings to $234,485. The daughter of Apollitical Jess and out of the multiple graded stakes placed mare Separate Thoughts, Sweet Tess has won four of 14 career starts.

 "We’ll probably go in the trials to the Southern California Derby next," Visscher said.

Owned by Highland Park Racing Partners and trained by Havid Canez, Hot Girl Summer B earned $5,625 for her second-place finish in the Justanold Love. She came into this race after running second in the $54,000 Arizona Derby while also picking up a pair of wins at the Prescott Valley track. Bielau Oaks bred the filly by Jess Louisiana Blue from the FDD Dynasty mare Greystone Girl. Oscar Peinado piloted the Louisiana-bred filly.

Jeffrey Scott Brooks’ Mperativ earned $3,125 for running third for trainer Chris O’Dell. Jose Nicasio was aboard the filly by Apollitical Jess out of Miss Guilar by Tres Seis. Two races back she was a fourth in the Grade 1 All American Oaks at Ruidoso Downs.

She Goes Up, Majority Interest, Need A Favor, and The Streakin Dream completed the field.

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