Terry Mesu was sensational from the rail in the second of four trials for the $98,500 Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes posting the fastest qualifying time of :17.643 on Sunday night.

© William Zuazo

By Orlando Gutierrez

CYPRESS, CA–FEBRUARY 2, 2026– LA Racing Stables’ Terry Mesu was sensational from the rail in the second of four trials for the $98,500 Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes, winning the 350-yard dash by 1 ¾ lengths while posting the fastest qualifying time of :17.643 on Sunday night.

Ridden by Fernando Olague, Terry Mesu broke nicely but slightly behind an opponent; shortly after, he picked up speed and was in complete control by the midway point. The Texas-bred gelding by Favorite Cartel continued to dominate down the straightaway, leading by a length before extending his lead to an impressive final margin. Bred by Bobby Cox, Terry Mesu has formed a great team with his 23-year-old rider. Olague has ridden Terry Mesu in two of his seven starts, and both of the sorrel’s victories have come with the young pilot in the irons.

As the top qualifier, Terry Mesu will lead a solid field of sophomores in the Maiden Stakes final to be held on Sunday, February 22. Valeriano Racing Stables’ Hell On Wheels V finished with the second-fastest qualifying time of :17.687 following a gate-to-wire victory in the final trial, while Fulton Quien Sabe Ranches, LP’s Hot American Badazz provided some fireworks after scoring a 15-1 upset victory in the first trial. The Texas homebred finished the night with the sixth-fastest time of :17.845 following his ½-length victory.
Here are the 10 sophomores that qualified for the Maiden Stakes: Terry Mesu (:17.645), Hell On Wheels V (:17.687), Hassan PP (:17.810), Sentella Olimpia (:17.819), Cheap Bar (:17.841), Hot American Badazz (:17.845), Cmhowaboutthemcowboy (:17.886), Hardtoxplain (:17.914), Slatedtoshine (:17.921), and Favorite Mojo (:17.943). Every horse in the trials had to be a maiden as of November 1, 2025.
Terry Mesu was the star of the night, as his trial win was even more impressive than his maiden effort, where he overcame a rough start before Olague guided him to a come-from-behind victory on November 2.

“The horse is very noble, very calm,” said Olague of the son of the broodmare Jess A Sweetie. “There’s no excuses with this horse. He has class and he’s very good. It’s a blessing. I’ve been riding since I was a child but professionally for the past two years. I got my riding license in Texas before coming here.”

The Maiden Stakes final will be Terry Mesu’s second appearance in a stakes race. He was fourth in the Los Alamitos Two Million Juvenile Invitational following a runner-up effort in his trial to Hi Octane, who then finished third in the Two Million final before being named the PCQHRA champion 2-year-old gelding of 2025.

Ridden by Francisco Calderon for trainer Jesus Nunez, Hell On Wheels V was second to stablemate Jarvis V in the Two Million Invitational—one of seven times in his nine-race career that he has finished either second or third. Surprisingly, the $475,000 purchase at the 2024 Heritage Place September Yearling Sale entered the Maiden trials still a maiden despite all of his solid previous efforts.

That storyline can now be tossed away, as Calderon piloted him in expert fashion to victory from post six, defeating a tough field that included the third-fastest qualifier, Hassan PP. Hassan PP races for the Viramontes family: owner Efren Viramontes, trainer Rodolfo Viramontes, and jockey Armando Viramontes. Rodolfo is Armando’s father.

As for the McColee Land & Livestock LLC-bred Hell On Wheels V, he was at his hottest in the early going. Holding a one-length lead at the midway point, the gelding by Apollitical Jess out of Trendi cruised home to record a ¾-length victory.

“I was a little worried because he got in there first in the gate and he can be a little antsy,” Calderon said. “He did good today. He broke in front and stayed in front. His other rival in the (Two Million Invitational) was his partner Jarvis V, who was a little tougher. He ran a good race and fitted in this race pretty good. The time was pretty good. When they were breaking him, he was a little hectic but right now he’s been real professional. The only thing that concerns me is that when we go down the track, he wants to slow down. That’s why I tapped him once or twice. I think he’ll come back good for the final. You have to be on your toes with this one.”

Hassan PP, a Cyber Monday colt bred by his owner, will enter the Maiden final still a maiden after four starts. However, he has finished second twice and showed a solid finishing kick to rank among the top qualifiers.

Among other storylines, Enrique Gonzalez of EG High Desert Farms needed a wheelbarrow to carry all the trophies he received during the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Awards Banquet. His Sentella Olimpia gave EG High Desert one of their first top-three finishes in a stakes race last year when she ran third in the Grade 2 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity. The filly by A Mere Felix will now look to give Gonzalez his first big-money win of 2026 in the Maiden Stakes final.

Mark Smith and Shirley Schvaneveldt’s Slatedtoshine will look to become a three-time winner in the Maiden Stakes final, but more importantly, the Mpshinning filly hopes to take Schvaneveldt to the winner’s circle as an owner. Shirley’s late husband, the legendary Blane Schvaneveldt, remains the all-time leading trainer at Los Alamitos based on Quarter Horse wins.

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