Cm Jessa Blue Monday winning her trial for the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Oaks

© William Zuazo

By Orlando Gutierrez

CYPRESS, CA—JULY 30, 2026—Grade 1-placed CM Jessa Blue Monday headlines a talented field of nine fillies and mares set to clash in the $30,000 Cox Ranch California Regional Distaff Challenge at 400 yards. The winner of the California regional earns an automatic berth to the Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge Championship at The Downs at Albuquerque this October.

Owned by Randy Dickerson and trained by Luke Lindsey, CM Jessa Blue Monday enters off a third-place finish in the Adequan California Derby Challenge, where she overcame a pre-race gate incident as the heavy favorite. The filly broke through the front of her stall prior to the start. After being safely unloaded, examined, and reloaded into the outside post, she still turned in a resilient effort to finish a solid third.

Earlier this season, the Cyber Monday filly nearly pulled off a monster upset in the Grade 1, $415,500 Los Alamitos Oaks, finishing just a head short of victory under Jesus Rios Ayala to earn $70,635. She will break from post six under regular rider Ruben Lozano, seeking her third career victory.

Dickerson and Lindsey will also send out CM Cowgirls Are Cool from post three. The four-year-old Flying Cowboy 123 filly enters off a solid third-place effort behind One Sweet Duck in the Virginia Hyland Stakes. Henry Reynoso Lopez gets the call.

Larry and Bobbie Rice’s AJ Flawless poses a major threat from post seven under Edwin Escobedo for trainer Marc E. Jungers. The four-year-old mare arrived at Los Alamitos Race Course earlier this season following a victory in the $40,000 Lobo Derby at Albuquerque. At the Orange County oval, she has proven her class by placing in back-to-back Grade 2 stakes, finishing second to champion Shaken Goin On in the Miss Princess Handicap and third in the $75,000 Abigail Kawananakoa Stakes.

Gentry Farms’ Ohana Spirit brings proven back-class to post two for trainer Juan G. Aleman. A earner of $244,130 in her career, the daughter of Favorite Cartel hit the board in both the Justanold Love Stakes (second) and the Grade 2 Southern California Derby (fourth) during a strong campaign last season.

The field will also include a pair of top mares owned by David Hinkins in Budder Off Friends and VGK Zigfield Follies. Budder Off Friends will start from along the rail and is a winner of over $131,000. She’s hit the board in 20 of 43 starts and most recently posted an allowance win. VGK Zigfield Follies will start from post five and is one of the most hard knocking distaffers on the grounds. She’s nearing $50,000 in career earnings and was third in the Miss Princess earlier this season. The field will also include Jessesflyingcowgirl (post four), winner of the Adequan Sam Houston Regional Derby in May of 2025; Racy Favorite (post eight), who was second in the Dashingly Stakes earlier this season; and Naive (post nine), a Grade 2 finalist last year.

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