Aj Born Runnin gets top billing to win the $40,000 Virginia Hyland Stakes for fillies and mares on Saturday night at Los Alamitos.

© Los Alamitos

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–APRIL 11, 2024–P & J Racing Ltd’s AJ Born Runnin and Parsons Ranch’s Tena Rena, who won stakes races in the distaff division on the same night on February 24 will now head the running of the $40,000 Virginia Hyland Stakes for fillies and mares on Saturday night at Los Alamitos.

Seven distaffers will be in action in the 350-yard dash which will be contested as the ninth and final race on the card.

Trained by Jaime Gomez, AJ Born Runnin gets top billing following her solid victory in the Denim N Diamonds Stakes on February 24. The Denim N Diamonds was the first stakes win of AJ Born Runnin’s career, but the filly by Apollitical Jess has long been a top performer at the Orange County track.

Her record includes four appearances in Grade 1 finals and one appearance in a Grade 2 final. The now 4-year-old mare was fourth in the Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap earlier this year and also posted a similar finish in both Grade 2 Golden State Derby and the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Oaks last year. In her career, the homebred filly has won four of 17 starts with earnings of $228,988.

“This filly has been good since her (juvenile) year,” Gomez said. “She’s made all the big races and she’s been unlucky not to win something until the Denim N Diamonds.”

Eduardo Nicasio will be back aboard AJ Born Runnin after piloting her in the Denim N Diamonds. That win gave Nicasio his 100th career stakes win at Los Alamitos.

Trained by Paul Jones and to be ridden by Victor Salazar, Tena Rena won the Connie Hall Stakes just a race prior to AJ Born Runnin’s victory in the Denim N Diamonds. A 4-year-old year old mare by FDD Dynasty, Tena Rena faced AJ Born Runnin in the Golden State final, running sixth just behind AJ Born Runnin. Tena Rena has won four of 12 career starts for earnings of $47,306.

Ed Allred’s Nymphette is another top contender in this event. A sister to Grade 1 stakes winner Sicario V, Nymphette won the California Breeders Debutante Stakes and was also the runner-up in the Grade 1 Mildred Vessels Memorial Stakes in 2022. After running just twice last year, Nymphette posted a pair of strong outings this year. She was third in the Grade 1 Charger Bar and finished second to AJ Born Runnin in the Denim N Diamonds. James Glenn, Jr. trains Nymphette.

The field will also feature David Hinkins’ Budder Off Friends, who was voted the PCQHRA champion 3-year-old filly last year. She won the Go Josie Go Handicap and was second in the Check Her Twice last year. Other stakes winners in this race include Manuel Alvarez’s Gotta Corona Jess and Jeryl Hartley’s Forever Dynasty, while Parsons Ranch’s Favorite Lady Cartel is the only one searching for a stakes victory. To her credit, Tena Rena’s stablemate enters after scoring a head victory on March 24.