AJ Born Runnin, piloted by Eduardo Nicasio, wins the $40,000 Virginia Hyland Stakes by 1/2-length at Los Alamitos on Saturday.

© Los Alamitos

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–APRIL 13, 2024–P and J Racing Ltd’s homebred mare AJ Born Runnin has now won back-to-back stakes races in the filly and mare division after winning the $40,000 Virginia Hyland Stakes by a half-length on Saturday night at Los Alamitos.

A 4-year-old daughter of Apollitical Jess and out of the Tres Seis mare Runaway Trs, AJ Born Runnin entered this race having won the Denim N Diamonds Stakes on February 24. Freshened up for this event, AJ Born Runnin broke sharply from post number five and defeated a decorated field of distaffers in the 350-yard dash. Ridden by Eduardo Nicasio for trainer Jaime Gomez, the Texas-bred covered the distance in :17.445 while earning $22,000 for the win.

AJ Born Runnin will always be a special runner for Nicasio. The talented rider won his 100th career stakes win at Los Alamitos when piloting her to victory in the Denim N Diamonds. Nicasio earned his 101st stakes win here when he guided SC Time To Run to victory in the El Primero Del Ano Derby on March 24 before picking up his 102nd local stakes win thanks to AJ Born Runnin in the Ginger Hyland.

"She’s such an outstanding mare," Nicasio said. "She can be a little hot, but a lot of good mares are like that. As long as she doesn’t get nervous in the gate and breaks nicely, she’s very difficult to beat. She’s just so powerful at the end of races."

Los Alamitos Marketing and Publicity Director Orlando Gutierrez presents the Virginia Hyland Stakes winning trophy to jockey Edwardo Nicasio on Saturday at Los Alamitos. © Los Alamitos

AJ Born Runnin picked up her fourth in 18 career starts. Her earnings in this race pushed her career total over the quarter million-dollar mark. Her lifetime earnings now stand at $250,988. This was also her eighth start in a stakes race, a string of appearances that includes four different Grade 1 stakes events.

The Virginia Hyland featured a field of seven top fillies and mares that included six previous stakes winners.

Manuel Alvarez’s Gotta Corona Jess, who won the Dashing Folly Stakes last year, finished second in this race. Trained by Sergio Morfin and ridden by Cruz Mendez, the daughter of Apollitical Jess earned $9,000 for her runner-up to take her career earnings to $94,679. She’s now finished in the money in each of her last three stakes races.

Jeryl Hartley’s Forever Dynasty finished third. The daughter of Hes Relentless was ridden by Irving Lara and also trained by Morfin. Ed Allred’s Nymphette finished fourth and was followed by Favorite Lady Cartel, Budder Off Friends and Tena Rena.