Circle City ends losing streak with Vessels Maturity triumph
Circle City ended a six-race losing streak dating to last August's $204,100 Golden State Derby with a sharp win in Saturday’s $154,800 Vessels Maturity at Los Alamitos.
The win gave Circle City a provisional berth to the $600,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 11, a race that often plays a pivotal role in year-end voting for Quarter Horse champions.
Sent off favored in the Vessels, Circle City ($6) ran 400 yards in 19.60 seconds, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of 8-1 Made Over in the field of nine. Redneck Ryan (7-1) finished third, a nose behind Made Over.
Circle City was ridden by jockey Victor Salazar, the biggest career win for the 30-year-old jockey.
A 4-year-old gelding by Favorite Cartel, Circle City races for owner and breeder Ed Allred and trainer Scott Willoughby. Allred owns Los Alamitos.
Circle City has won 7 of 18 starts and has earned $373,081.
The Vessels Maturity is the leading summertime race for older horses at Los Alamitos and was the fourth start of the year for Circle City. In January, Circle City was sixth in a division of the Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship, a loss that led to a brief late winter vacation at a local farm.
Circle City returned to finish third in the $35,000 Kaweah Bar Handicap at 350 yards on May 1 and was second to Up Is Up in a division of the Vessels trials on June 12.
Up Is Up was expected to be a leading contender in the Vessels Maturity, but was withdrawn on Saturday by trainer James Glenn.
