Under jockey Henry Lopez, Rockin With Energy (#1) holds off First Time For Wine (#3) and Curls Joyful Wagon (#4) in the Grade 1 $100,000 Charger Bar Handicap Sunday night at Los Alamitos Race Course.

© Amber Mendez

LOS ALAMITOS, CA–JANUARY 5, 2025–No one in history has had more success in the Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap for aged mares than AQHA Hall of Fame member Paul Jones.

The 14-time AQHA champion trainer came into the 2025 running of the $100,000 Charger Bar Handicap on Sunday night at Los Alamitos having already won the meet's first Grade 1 stakes race a record five times.

By the end of the night, Jones was a six-time winner of the Charger Bar after Parsons Family Limited Partnership's Rockin With Energy won the 400-yard dash in thrilling fashion, holding off big late runs with local newcomers First Time For Wine and Curls Joyful Wagon, both making their first local starts after arriving in Southern California with trainer John Stinebaugh.

With Henry Reynoso Lopez up, Rockin With Energy flew to the lead from along the rail in this field of 10, leading by neck early on and then holding off a strong finish from Pete Scarmardo's First Time For Wine by a nose.

In the process, Rockin With Energy became the second daughter of 2009 Charger Bar winner Terrific Energy to win this event. Rockin With Energy's half-sister Thermonuclear Energy won the 2019 Charger Bar while racing for the Parsons Family Limited Partnership. For the owners, this is also their third victory in the Charger Bar.

Roque Gonzalez, Paul Jones, Henry Lopez and Marian Jones accept the Charger Bar Handicap stakes trophy at Los Alamitos Race Course. © William Zuazo

Meanwhile, Rockin With Energy is quickly putting together an impressive racing career. The runner-up in the 2023 Grade 1 Ed Burke Million Futurity, the 4-year-old mare by Parsons Rock has won six of 14 career starts with earnings of $55,000 in the Charger Bar helping to take her lifetime bank account to $264,223.

During her sophomore campaign, Rockin With Energy won the Debutante Stakes for California-breds 3-year-old fillies and also defeated older foes in the Justanold Love Handicap. She also qualified to the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby and the Grade 2 Golden State Derby.

This win, however, is her crowning achievement so far in her career. In addition to holding the talented Stinebaugh-duo, Rockin With Energy also defeated a field that included Grade 1 Cox Ranch Distaff Challenge winner Streaks Of Power, multiple stakes winners AJ Born Runnin, Nymphette, and Jessica Cruz plus three other very talented mares.

"This mare, Rockin With Energy, whenever she gets out of the gate, they just don't beat her," Jones said. "She's just that good. She's just a nice mare. She has troubles sometimes. When she doesn't break, she runs a bad race, but whenever she gets out of the gate and gets a good, clean path, she really runs her race and does well. I'm really proud of her. She won two stakes races last year and was second in the Ed Burke as a 2-year-old. She's shown her talent from day one. She's just full of talent, a really nice horse. The Parsons are really proud of her and it's nice to get a good Grade 1 win for them."

Jones' success in the Charger Bar began in 2006 with William Orr, Jr.'s Texas Chatterbox before winning back-to-back runnings with Benny Rosset's Stylish Jess BR in 2010 and 2011.

Abigail Kawananakoa's Native Tea Rose gave him Charger Bar win number four before adding his fifth Cina and John Sperry's Jess Good Reason in 2017. Rockin With Energy's big victory here could now set her up for a strong aged mare campaign as she looks ahead at races like the Miss Princess Handicap, the Abigail Kawananakoa Handicap, the Rolling A Ranch Matron Stakes, and the Grade 1 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap.

With Edwin Escobedo up, First Time For Wine was a rocket in the second half of this race. The Texas-bred 5-year-old daughter of First Moonflash was fifth early on in the race before flying in the final 150 yards to earned second place money of $22,500.

The Scarmardo-bred First Moonflash mare has now earned $180,473 while finishing second or better in 13 of her 22 career starts. Escobedo also continues to enjoy success at Los Alamitos. Since December 15, the young rider has piloted Lethal Cowboy 123 to victory in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and ridden Train B Taka to victory in the Holiday Handicap here.

He won five Quarter Horse races from 12 mounts here last year.

Owned and bred by Martin Stacy, Curls Joyful Wagon earned $12,500 for her third place in the Charger Bar. The 5-year-old Oklahoma-bred by Pyc Paint Your Wagon was ninth at the start but also rocketed her way into contention, finishing third by about a head behind Rockin With Energy. Ali Rivera handled the reins aboard the seven-time winner.

P and J Racing Ltd's AJ Born Runnin was in contention the entire way and just missed a better finish. The gray mare still managed a solid fourth place in this event, earning $7,500 for effort with Eduardo Nicasio up for trainer Jaime Gomez.

Ed Allred's Nymphette, who made her usual late charge after being eighth at the start ended up in fifth place with Jesus Rios Ayala up.

Wise Lady Dawn came in sixth, followed by Jess Call Me Candy, Jessica Cruz, Streaks Of Power, and AJ Run For Cash.

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For more information, please get in touch with larace@losalamitos.com. You can also follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @losalracing or visit us online at www.losalamitos.com.