LOS ALAMITOS, CA—SEPTEMBER 18, 2020—Dr. Steve Burns’ Tequila Sangria will look to become the first back-to-back winner of the Grade 1, $125,000 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap since Flare For Toby in 2000-2001 when she leads a field of seven in the meet’s richest race for fillies and mares on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

The winner of the Mildred Vessels will receive a provisional berth to the 2020 Champion of Champions and will join the likes of Bos Time Machine, Dexxter, Chocolatito and Gold Heart Eagle as part of the presumptive field for the prestigious $600,000 race.

Tequila Sangria will enter the Mildred Vessels after a sizzling victory in the Flight 109 Handicap where she crushed by ¾ lengths after taking the lead about 50 yards into the 350-yard dash.

In her only other start of the meet, Tequila Sangria won the Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap by a half-length. The 4-year-old gray mare by Favorite Cartel has won five of her last seven starts. To be ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala for trainer Mike Casselman, Tequila Sangria is hoping to become only the fifth mare to win consecutive runnings of the Millie Vessels.

In addition to Flare For Toby, the other mares to have successfully defended their title in this race are Dashing Folly (1996-97), Sound Dash (1994-95) and She’s Precious (1975-76). Michael Pohl and Stacy Martin’s Curls Happy Wagon will make Los Alamitos debut in the Mildred Vessels after racing in the spring at Remington Park.

The homebred mare by Pyc Paint Your Wagon won the Decketta Stakes on March 21, a race that she also won in 2019, and competed in the Easy Date Stakes and Junos Request Stakes.

Those three events are the top races for distaffers during the Remington Park meet. Curls Happy Wagon was second to champion Hotstepper in the 2018 Texas Classic Derby. Armando Cervantes will ride her for trainer Juan Aleman.

J. Garvan Kelly and J. Lloyd Yother’s Symbol Of Faith is among the classy mares also in this race. The 4-year-old by Tac It Like A Man has raced in seven stakes during her career and was second in the (G3) La Primera Del Año Derby and also qualified to the (G1) Los Alamitos Super Derby and (G2) Southern California Derby last year.

As a 2-year-old in 2018, she qualified to the (G1) Heritage Place Futurity and (G1) Golden State Million Futurity. Ed Allred’s Hot Little Kiddy, who finished strongly when running second to Tequila Sangria in the Flight 109, could be the surprise package in this race after finishing in the top three in her last four starts. Oscar Andrade Jr. will pilot the Kiddy Up filly for trainer James Glenn, Jr.

Ladys A Cartel, the winner of the 2019 Champagne Lane Stakes and 2018 Pot O’ Gold Futurity, One Hot Habit, an experienced stakes runner with appearances in four Grade 1 stakes races, Victorioso Dinastia, who has won her last two starts while taking on mid to high level claimers, will complete the field.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.