James Dreyer Charger Bar Handicap

Parsons Family Limited Partnership’s Rockin With Energy became only the fourth mare to win consecutive runnings of the Grade 1, $100,000 James Dreyer Charger Bar Handicap after taking command late in the 400 yard race and then pulling away to a decisive ½ length victory on Sunday at Los Alamitos.

With this victory, Rockin With Energy joins AQHA champion mares Stylish Jess BR, Quirky and Kiss Thru Fire as the only ones to successfully defend their title in the 25-year history of this race. Ridden by Henry Reynoso Lopez for trainer Paul Jones, Rockin With Energy’s second victory in this race was very different than her first.

In the 2025 running, the sorrel mare by Parsons Rock out of 2009 Charger Bar winner Terrific Energy was first right from the start, had a narrow lead at the midway point and just held on to win by a nose over the fast closing First Time For Wine. This time around, Rockin With Energy was sixth at the start and third at the midway point but from there, she imposed her will en route to posting her eight victory in 19 starts while scoring her fifth stakes win. Reynoso Lopez piloted Rockin With Energy to both of her victories in this race.

“Last year, I feel she broke a lot faster and stronger and just held on,” said Lopez, the leading Quarter Horse rider at Los Alamitos in 2025. “This year, she didn’t break as fast as she did last year but they gave her room to run and she prevailed. Usually if they give her room to run she can run down the track pretty good. She finished very strong. I didn’t know who was in front, but they left me room to run, and we just got it done.

Bred in California by her owners, Rockin With Energy earned $55,000 for the win to take her career earnings to $356,598. Jones, who has trained Rockin With Energy for her entire career, has won a record seven Charger Bars, including two wins with Stylish Jess BR in 2010 and 2011. 

“We bred her last year, and we’ll do that again this year,” Jones said. “The Denim N Diamonds is a possibility (on February 21). You hate to stop them when they’re doing so well, but we’ll definitely get some embryos out of her this year.”

Rockin With Energy, who covered the 400 yards in :19.841, was also picking up back-to-back stakes wins, as she entered the James Dreyer Charger Bar fresh off a ¾ length win in the Grade 2 Las Damas Handicap on November 22.  

“You just have to have the quality,” Jones said about repeating in this race for the second time. “When you have one that has talent and you take good care of them, the talent will come out.”

For Jones, it was a stakes winning double on Sunday, after winning the $20,000 Dashingly Handicap with Parsons Ranch’s Phoebes Baby Girl. The two stakes win are a great way for the veteran trainer to begin 2026, as he’s also nearing a historic number of wins at the Orange County oval.

Jones has won 3,947 Quarter Horse races in his Los Alamitos career, which is 35 wins shy from tying the late Blane Schvaneveldt’s track record of 3,982 Quarter Horse victories. A winner of 20 training titles at Los Alamitos, Jones has won a total of 4,596 Quarter Horse races at all racetracks during his training career. With his Sunday night winnings, he’s also about $100,000 shy of $92 million in earnings.

“I didn’t know I was that close to Blane’s record,” Jones added. “My goal was to get to $100 million in earnings. That’s going to be hard because I’m not running at other places.”  

Jones is certainly looking forward to 2026 at Los Alamitos, as his barn features recent First Down Dash Handicap winner Kevins Wise Corona, also owned by the Parsons, and Los Alamitos Winter Derby contenders The Lady Is A Vamp and Doodah Cartel, who the trainer co-owns with Thompson Racing and Alexis Andrade. 

“Hopefully, we also come up with some good 2-year-olds,” Jones added. “Kevins Wise Corona is sharp right now. The Parsons own some nice horses. That’s the key. They have a great breeding program. I got 13 2-year-olds here right now and have more coming in. I have Connie Rosenthal’s horses, which include the high seller at Los Alamitos Equine Sale, Sixth Sense. That’s going to be exciting to have him here. He’ll come in a couple of weeks. We’ll take it slow with him.

Steve Burns, Mark and Marta Winslow and Jose Flores’ Silver Bac ran a terrific race from the outside post number 10 to finish second. The mare by Seperate Interest earned $22,500 for her runner-up effort while hitting the wire a nose in front of recent A Ransom Handicap winner Eyesa Wagon My Tale with Sound Dash Handicap winner I Am Candy running fourth. Cruz Mendez piloted the 5-year-old mare Silver Bac to the best result of her career. She’s also finished second in the Sound Dash and has been a part of several other stakes races during her 15-race career.

Leto Land and Cattle LLC’s Eyesa Wagon My Tale earned $12,500 for running third. Edwin Escobedo piloted him for trainer Marc Jungers. The complete order of finish is as follows: Rockin With Energy, Silver Bac, Eyesa Wagon My Tale, I Am Candy, Beach Walk, Bold N Beautiful, O Seeyalater, Ohana Spirit, Jessesflyincowgirl and AJ Born Runnin.

PHOEBES BABY GIRL OUTDUELS RACY FAVORITE IN DASHINGLY
Parsons Ranch’s Phoebes Baby Girl enjoyed her first stakes victory after holding off Johnny Trotter’s Racy Favorite by a head to win the $20,000 Dashingly Handicap.

Ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala for trainer Paul Jones, Phoebes Baby Girl had a good start, was second early on, third at around the midway point of the 350-yard race, before hitting her top gear and flying to the wire in a time of :17.787. Sent off at 8-1 odds, the 6-year-old mare by Favorite Cartel out of A Political Lady was picking up her fourth win in 28 starts. 

“She ran a really nice race,” Jones said. “She’s starting to get sharp again. She showed a lot of talent as a 3-year-old, then we had a little trouble in the beginning of her 4-year-old year. She just wasn’t getting out of the gate. We put her in a flipping halter and she’s learned how to break with it. Since then, she’s doing great. Ayala fits her well and does a great job with her. We’re proud of her. She’s got the talent and she did it tonight. We’re happy.”

Phoebes Baby Girl’s dam was named the 2018 AQHA champion 3-year-old filly. In three consecutive starts, A Political Lady won the La Primera Del Ano Derby, the La Pacifica Handicap and the Vandy’s Flash Handicap. She would later run third in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby for the Parsons.

“Their breeding program is phenomenal,” Jones said. “The mares that they have are just tremendous. I’m just happy to have their horses in my barn.”

Phoebes Baby Girl earned $11,000 for the win, while Racy Favorite banked $4,500. Cruz Mendez piloted for trainer Jose Flores. David Hinkins’ VGK Zigfield Follies finished third with Flying Gold Digger, Terra Fina and Kissin Perfect completing the field.

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