Jackpot Farms’ Curl Happy Wagon drew away to a dominant 1½-length victory over in the $25,000 Florentine Stakes on Sunday night at Los Alamitos.

© William Zuazo

By Orlando Gutierrez

CYPRESS, CA–AUGUST 9, 2026–Jackpot Farms’ Curl Happy Wagon made her highly anticipated 2026 debut a winning one, drawing away to a dominant 1½-length victory over Fairlea Flyin in the $25,000 Florentine Stakes for fillies and mares on Sunday night at Los Alamitos.

After building a stellar resume over the past two seasons — winning trials to the Golden State Million Futurity, Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, and Grade 1 All American Oaks — the 4-year-old mare secured her first career stakes victory in impressive fashion in this 350-yard race.

Breaking from post position 1 under jockey Rodrigo Sigala Vallejo at 2-1 odds, Curl Happy Wagon was bumped at the start. She quickly recovered, spurted away from her rivals, and avoided further trouble down the 350-yard stretch. Holding a narrow head lead at the stretch call, she pulled away with every stride to cross the wire as the easiest of winners in a time of :17.651.

The sensational performance sets Curl Happy Wagon up for a showdown in the upcoming Grade 1 Mildred Vessels Memorial Handicap on September 12, which is shaping up as one of the most exciting distaff races of the year in Quarter Horse racing. The prospective field for the 400-yard test will likely feature 2025 AQHA champion filly Shaken Goin On alongside recent AQHA Racing Challenge Championship winner Bold N Beautiful.

A victory in the Mildred Vessels would see Curl Happy Wagon duplicate the accomplishments of her dam, the great Curls Happy Wagon, who won the 2020 running of the race for trainer Juan Aleman. The elder Curls Happy Wagon also captured the Grade 2 Las Damas Handicap, competed in the 2020 Champion of Champions, and placed third in the 2021 Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap. Her daughter certainly did her part to make herself a possible top contender for the Mildred Vessels.

Kristen Watanabe, Chris Wade and Sigala Vallejo.
© William Zuazo

"This mare did everything right, from the start she was very professional," winning jockey Rodrigo Sigala Vallejo said. "She's one of those that does things on her own during races. Her confidence grew during the race. She felt very comfortable and she ran a beautiful, clean race. With experience you have the knowledge of having a feel for each horse. You feel that some horses have more power than others."

Trained by Kristen Watanabe, Curl Happy Wagon collected $13,750 for the victory, boosting her career total to $128,510. Bred in Oklahoma by Herd Ranch and Michael Herd, the brown mare by Favorite Cartel out of Curls Happy Wagon earned her fifth win from 12 lifetime starts.

Edward B. Melzer Revocable Trust’s Fairlea Flyin, trained by Eddie D. Willis and ridden by Justine Klaiber, broke inward and bumped at the start before drifting in, but rallied gamely to secure second place by a nose at 5-1 odds. Ramiro Guerrero and Adolfo Perez’s Jo Lee, under Rodrigo Aceves, enjoyed a clean trip from the outside post to finish third, just a nose behind the runner-up. Val Baby finished fourth, followed in order by Mumbal, Powerful Wise Lady, Sheza Chilitos, Terra Fina, and Competent.

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