FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       
           SEPTEMBER 19, 2009

CONTACT LOS ALAMITOS PUBLICITY
714-820-2690

TERRIFIC PERFORMANCE GIVES HER A SPOT IN CHAMPION OF
CHAMPIONS

LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA.... Terrific Energy is
putting together a resume worthy of a year-end championship
title. Owned by Parsons Family Racing and trained by Chris
O'Dell, Terrific Energy won the Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap,
Los Alamitos' top winter race for distaffers, in January. She
then finished second in the Merial California Distaff
Challenge last month, but the cherry on the sundae came on
Saturday night at Los Alamitos, as the daughter of Mr Jess
Perry crushed the year's best field of distaffers in the
Grade 1 $150,000 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap.

Ridden by Eddie Garcia, the all-time leading jockey in terms
of victories and stakes wins at Los Alamitos, Terrific Energy
covered the 400 yards in a stakes record time of :19.286. Her
winning clocking bettered the previous stakes record of
:19.30 set by Blues Girl Too during her world champion year
in 2007.The Mildred Vessels, which is rightfully considered
the premier race for fillies and mares in the nation, also
offers its winner a guaranteed starting berth into this
year's $750,000 Champion of Champions to be held on December
12. 

With her victory, Terrific Energy joins an outstanding field
to this year's Champion of Champions that also features last
year's winner Jess You And I, the nation's current no. 1
ranked older Quarter Horse Freaky, All American Derby winner
Inseperable, and Remington Park Championship winner Separate
Bet. The winners of the following five races will also earn
berths to the Champion of Champions: the Robert Boniface Los
Alamitos Invitational Championship, Los Alamitos Super Derby,
Bank of America Challenge Championship, Refrigerator
Handicap, and the fastest qualifier in the Z. Wayne Griffin
Directors Trials.      

The running of the Mildred Vessels was reduced to a
nine-horse field when it was announced earlier on the day
that Stylish Jess Br, who won this race last year, was
scratched. The talented runner, who was the 7-2 second choice
in the morning line, had a bout with colic earlier in the
day.

"She's doing fine right now but she had to be medicated,"
trainer Paul Jones said. "We could not run her once she was
treated."

Stylish Jess Br had defeated Terrific Energy in the Merial 
California on August 21, but it would have taken a mighty
effort for any horse to defeat the O'Dell trainee on this
night. Sent off as the public's third choice at odds of 4-1,
Terrific Energy broke second behind My Lady First but then
picked up speed and accelerated in the second half of the
race on the way to a 1 1/4 length victory. She earned $67,475
for the win to take her career bankroll to $147,881. With
Terrific Energy earnings all but $19,405 of that amount this
season, and with a pair of Grade 1 victories against top
distaffers in her pocket, one would be hard pressed to find a
mare with a better list of accomplishments this year. 

"She is doing great coming into this race," O'Dell said
prior to the start of this race. "I really expect a big race
from her."

O'Dell was right on the money with his prediction. Once the
field raced past the 1/8th pole, the outcome was never in
doubt. Terrific Energy has now won six of 11 career starts.
Garcia's winning ride gives the veteran jockey another nice
Grade 1 victory this year. He also rode Streakin Laquinta to
a dead-heat win in the Ed Burke Million Futurity earlier this
season. Garcia also rides Tres Passes, who will be going
after a qualifying spot to the Los Alamitos Super Derby later
this year.

Rancho El Alacran's My Lady First, the 2-1 favorite,
finished 3/4 lengths ahead of third place finisher Alice K
White. With Rodrigo Aceves in the irons, My Lady First earned
$22,941 for her runner-up effort. The First Down Dash mare
was also second to Jess You And I in the Los Alamitos Winter
Championship earlier this season and most recently was a
dominant winner in the California Breeders Matron Stakes.
Alice K White, who pulled a super victory over the boys in
the Grade 1 Golden State Derby in her previous start, bumped
at the start and had to alter her course slightly when
running third. She earned $13,495 for her effort. Forgive
Him, Strength In Numbers, Look Her Over, Clydette Mia,
Spanish Cartel, and Answer The Dream completed the field.

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