FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       
         AUGUST 29, 2009

CONTACT LOS ALAMITOS PUBLICITY
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ALICE K WHITE SURPRISES THE BOYS IN GOLDEN STATE DERBY
FINAL

LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA... "Classically ripe,
full-bodied and with a finish that is crisp, clean and
refreshing." That's how one popular review website describes
a fine Alice K White wine. It also sounds like an accurate
way to describe Alice K White, the ultra talented filly who
on Saturday evening won the Grade 1 Golden State Derby at Los
Alamitos in surprising fashion against a field that including
millionaire boys Foose, last year's champion 2-year-old colt,
and Tres Passes, the winner of both the Los Alamitos Two
Million Futurity and Golden State Million Futurity in 2009.

Ridden by Cody Jensen, currently the nation's second leading
jockey with approximately $2.03 million in money earned,
Alice K White ran the race of the her life, leaving the gate
powerfully from post four before battling Foose every inch to
the wire of the 400-yard $250,000 derby. Trained by Mike
Joiner and cared locally by his son, Cody, Alice K White
crossed the money line a head in front of Foose, while
posting the second fastest time ever in this derby at this
distance of :19.34. Her winning time was only 4/100ths of a
second off the stakes record set by One Famous Eagle last
year. Fastest qualifier A Tempting Dash settled for third,
while Tres Passes finished fourth. 

Alice K White was sent off at 6.70 to 1 odds, the fourth
choice in the wagering behind the three big boys. Tres Passes
was the favorite at 2-1 odds. A Tempting Dash was the
2.20-to-1 second choice, while Foose was the 5-2 third
choice. While the wagering predicted a battle between the
three male stars, the gutsy daughter of First Down Dash,
owned and bred by Mac Murray and his wife, Janis Spencer
Murray's MJ Farms in Veguita, New Mexico, proved on the
racetrack that she plays for keeps. Alice K White added the
$105,000 first place share of the purse to a lifetime mark
that now stands at $263,342, while improving to three wins in
six starts this year. The winner of the La Primera Del Ano
Derby in April, Alice K White has clearly positioned herself
as one of the top sophomore fillies in the nation.  

In Thoroughbred racing, a filly defeating the boys in a
Grade 1 event, ala Rachel Alexandra, is a monumental event.
That's not necessarily the case in Quarter Horse racing, as
top fillies are often capable of competing against the top
boys right from the start. The Golden State Derby is a
perfect example of the female sprinters' abilities to match
up with the opposite sex. Alice K White is now the third
filly this decade to win the Golden State finale. In 2001, it
was Sharon Brandsness' Royal Dip who took home the gold,
while in 2007 the eventual World Champion Blues Girl Too was
the Golden State's big star after beating Sir Runaway Dash in
this race. Going further back in time, from 1995 to 1999, IBA
Dasher, Girl Secrets, Ah Sigh, Time For Royal Cash also
displayed girl power in this race. 

So Alice K White's victory came as no surprise right? Yes
and no.  

"I would say this is one of the biggest upsets that I've
ever had anything to do with," Mike Joiner said. "Maybe the
odds do not reflect that, but when you beat horses like Tres
Passes, Foose and A Tempting Dash, it is a nice surprise. I'm
happy for Mac and Janis. They are super people, good horse
people. I've trained for them for the last nine, 10 years.
They've bred and raised from great horses. I'm happy to see
them enjoy success with this filly."

Owner Mac Murray also considered it a surprise of the
highest quality. "I'm numb right now," said Murray in a phone
interview from his New Mexico ranch. "We hoped that she would
have a chance. She's a gutsy little thing. That was an
exciting finish. I was on the edge of my chair watching the
race. I wish I had been there to watch it live. The Ruidoso
Yearling Sale is just around the corner so we are getting
ready for it. We didn't think we could get away from the
ranch to go see the race. I wish I could have been there. It
was so exciting watching it (on TVG). All the credit goes to
Mike and Cody Joiner. They've done a great job with her."

With her value at an all-time high, Alice K White will be
sough after as a broodmare. Who will she be bred in 2010? "We
don't know yet," Murray added. "We're going to play it by
ear. We hope that she still has a few more race left."

Alice K White's racing schedule is also yet to be decided
according to her trainer.  

"We had her in the Golden State Derby and the PCQHRA
Breeders Derby," he said. "We'll probably skip the PCQHRA and
just wait until the Southern California Derby. There's also
the Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap (on September 19) to
consider. Even before we ran her in this derby we started
thinking about the Millie Vessels. It's a tough task to win
that race with a filly against older mares, but fillies have
won this race each of the last two years. Blues Girl Too won
it two years ago and Stylish Jess Br won it last year. It's
quite an accomplishment to win the Millie Vessels with a
young filly, but we also beat some good, tough horses
tonight. We are going to think about it."

"I think Cody deserves a lot of praise as well," the proud
father added. "He went out on his own as a trainer but he
still helps me a lot. I can't say enough about him because I
feel he is a super young man. He's going to be a great
trainer and I really believe that. It's just a matter of
time." 

 One person that predicted the outcome of this race to the
hundredths of a second was Les Onaka, TVG's outstanding
Quarter Horse expert. Onaka tabbed Alice K White as his top
choice in the race and even had her running the 400 yards in
:19.34.

"My numbers said that that was her trial time when you take
into account what happened during the race," Onaka explained.
"That made her my top selection. I felt that she had too much
speed out of the gate, and usually in big races speed wins."

Did Onaka think twice about going on national television to
predict a victory by Alice K White over Tres Passes, Foose
and A Tempting Dash?

"When I make a selection like this, I think it about all
time. I looked at my figures and I thought, 'are you crazy?
Is this right?' But the numbers told me that if Alice K White
ran a perfect race in the final that she could win. It's all
about speed and what the videotape shows and in this race I
felt that Alice K White had the speed to win." 

"She got an absolute perfect break," jockey Cody Jensen
added. "She got a jump on some of the boys and when you get a
jump like that you are going to be in the running. In the
trials she got a good start and almost held off Tres Passes.
He only beat her by 4 or 5 ticks of the clock. I felt that if
she could get just a little better start that she would be
right there."

Jensen picked up his first Golden State Derby win ever. He
ran second with the aforementioned filly Stylish Jess Br in
this race last year. "I have to tell that was a fun time
tonight. A really fun time," he said. 

Owned by Ed Allred and Paul Jones, Foose earned $42,500 for
his second place finish. He's made $1,095,478 in his career
now. Ramon Sanchez piloted the colt by Stel Corona. Giambi
Stables and Ron and Denise VanAmburgh's A Tempting Dash
earned $30,000 for finishing third. He's now hit the board in
all four derbies that he's participated this year. He won the
Los Alamitos Winter Derby in February and has since run
second in the El Primero Del Ano Derby, third in the
Governor's Cup Derby and now third in the Golden State Derby.
Janet McKinnerney's Tres Passes, who saw his four-race win
streak snapped here, earned $17,500.

"Tres Passes left the gate well and ran a good race," jockey
Eddie Garcia said. "It was not his day. That filly that beat
us is a good filly. My horse did not have that awesome late
kick tonight. He has spoiled me many times with that great
late kick. Tonight I was waiting for his big kick but it
never happened. He still ran a beautiful race. I'm sure
(trainer Blane Schvaneveldt) will have him ready and in
tiptop shape for his next start. We'll be back."

Louisiana Senator, Double Out, Fredaville, Miss Sissy Gray,
Zoomin Fool and Gentle Autumn Rain completed the field.

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