Aj Born Runner (#10), under jockey Eduardo Nicasio, holds off Nymphette (#1) in the $35,00 Denim N Diamonds Handicap (at Los Alamitos Saturday night.

© Amber Mendez

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–FEBRUARY 24, 2024–Eduardo Nicasio became only the 10th jockey in Los Alamitos history to reach 100 stakes wins here after piloting P and J Racing Ltd’s homebred mare AJ Born Runnin to her first career stakes win in the $35,000 Denim N Diamonds Handicap on Saturday night.

Nicasio is one of the big money riders in the industry. He’s won the Grade 1 Champion of Champions with Apollitical Jess, Last To Fire, and Good Reason SA and the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity with Cyber Attack and Bomb Cyclone.

He’s also ridden a slew of Grade 1 stakes winners including Powerful Favorite, Apollitical Blood, Runforyourlife, Turbulent Times, Thermonuclear Energy, Foose Cash Sr, Tell Cartel and Katies Easy Moves just to mention a few more.

The winning connections of AJ Born Runner join jockey Eduardo Nicasio who got his 100th stakes victory at Los Alamitos in the Denim N Diamonds Handicap.
© Orlando Gutierrez

His 100th stakes win ties him with Steve Treasure and Cody Jensen for 8th place in the all-time list of stakes winners at Los Alamitos. Nicasio is now four wins behind Rodrigo Aceves, who is in seventh place in the all-time standings.

"This means a lot to me," Nicasio said. "I’ve been trying to do the best - not for me - do the best for the owners and the trainers. I want to thank everybody for giving me the opportunity and thanks to Ed Allred for Los Alamitos because this is an amazing track. This is also for my new son, who is still six weeks away from being born. That’s for you buddy, my wife, my dad, and mom and all of my family. And to God, who is with me all the time."

Trained by Jaime Gomez, AJ Born Runnin broke sharply from the outside post 10 and held off Ed Allred’s talented mare Nymphette to win the Denim N Diamonds by head.

A gorgeous 4-year-old gray mare by leading sire Apollitical Jess and out of Tres Seis mare Runaway Tres Seis, AJ Born Runnin earned $19,250 for her fourth in 17 starts. This was her seventh start in a stakes races, a string of appearances that includes four different Grade 1 stakes races during her career.

"This filly has been good since she’s two," Gomez said. "She’s made all the big races and she’s been unlucky not to win something until now. This is the first stakes we win with her and I’m proud for her owners. They deserve the best. Great race, great runner, great owner, and great jockey. Great night for all of them."

AJ Born Running covered the 350 yards in :17.653 while improving her career earnings to $228,988.

Ridden by Jesus Rios Ayala for trainer James Glenn, Jr., Nymphette had a good break and was strong throughout to earned $7,875 for her second-place finish. The daughter of multiple stakes sire Fly Thru the Fire has been in the money in six of her eight career starts.

Manuel Alvarez’s Gotta Corona Jess, also by Apollitical Jess, earned $4,375 for running third under jockey Juan Pablo Leon and trainer Sergio Morfin.

The top three were followed by Favorite Lady Cartel, Budder Off Friends, She Goes Up, Frivolous, All Prettied Up, Cir Lady Moon, and Remember Her.

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For more info' please contact larace@losalamitos.com. Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @losalracing or visit us online at www.losalamitos.com.