Empressum will be hard to beat in Vessels Maturity
Empressum won four major Quarter Horse derbys at Remington Park, Ruidoso Downs, and Lone Star Park in 2021 and was honored as champion 3-year-old gelding and overall champion 3-year-old.
This season, Empressum has been moved to Los Alamitos with the goal of winning the track’s major races for older horses in the second half of the year. Another successful campaign could result in another championship.
On Sunday, Empressum will be heavily favored to win his California stakes debut in the $150,000 Vessels Maturity at 400 yards. Empressum is the fastest qualifier for the Vessels Maturity after winning a division of three time trials in a rapid 19.44 seconds on June 11.
Circle City, who won the 2021 Vessels Maturity, won a trial in 19.64 seconds, while former Ruidoso runner Valiantt won a trial in 19.73 seconds.
The Vessels Maturity is the summertime championship for older horses at Los Alamitos and has long-range implications. The winner receives a berth to the Champion of Champions at 440 yards on Dec. 10.
On Sunday, Empressum, trained by Heath Taylor for owners Steve Holt and Jeff Jones, drew the outside post in a field of 10, another plus. The outside post means Empressum does not have a rival to his right, reducing the chance for a troubled start.
There were certainly no incidents of trouble in the trial race win. A winner of 14 of 19 starts and $1,104,129, Empressum was away quickly to win by 2 1/4 lengths over Monopolist, a stakes winner who is part of Sunday’s field.
Rodrigo Vallejo rode Empressum in the trials and has the mount in the final. Vallejo is riding primarily at Ruidoso Downs this summer.
Circle City, trained by Scott Willoughby, was sixth in the Champion of Champions last December. The Vessels Maturity trial was Circle City’s second consecutive win this year, preceded by a fourth career stakes win in the Kaweah Bar Handicap at 350 yards on April 30.
Earlier this year, Circle City was third in the Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship behind Apollitical Pence, who won the Champion of Champions last December.
Valiantt would be a surprise winner on Sunday. Trained by Valentin Zamudio, Valiantt was sixth in the Texas Classic Derby behind Empressum last November and third in the Kaweah Bar Handicap.