LOS ALAMITOS, CA—OCTOBER 26, 2019— Larry Stark’s Jess A Cowboy scored his 10th career stakes victory after scoring a half-length victory in the $16,000 John Ward Handicap for 3-year-olds and upward at 400 yards on Saturday at Los Alamitos.

Ridden by Oscar Andrade Jr. for trainer Matt Fales, Jess A Cowboy led from start to finish on the way to record his fourth stakes win at Los Alamitos. He’s won six other stakes races during his great career that now features 13 wins in 39 career starts. The 7-year-old homebred gelding by Dejon earned $8,800 for this win to take his career earnings to $245,697.

"We don’t run him that often," Fales said. "This is only his fourth out this year. I think that helps save him in the long run. Then again, you’ve got to have a good horse. He makes me look really good. We’re going to take it day by day, possibly the Z. Wayne Griffin Directors Trials (in three weeks) coming up. I might take him to Phoenix for another stakes. I’ll have to talk to Larry about it and have Oscar give him a little exercise to see how he feels."

Jess A Cowboy, who won the Blane Schvaneveldt Handicap in his previous start, covered the 400 yards in :19.845. He was the 4-5 favorite in this race.

Nick Lowe and Chris Sutton’s CM Boom Shakalaka earned $3,600 for finishing second. He entered this race after finishing third in the Emerald Downs Bank of America Championship in his previous start. He won a pair of stakes races here last year – the James Smith Memorial and Dillingham Handicap.

Sweet Baby James, Time For Jesse Lee, and Mick Lovin completed the field.

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Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.