Los Alamitos: Nellie Delaney easily wins Los Alamitos Winter Championship

CYPRESS, Calif. – Nellie Delaney scored a convincing win in Sunday’s $156,250 Los Alamitos Winter Championship for older Quarter Horses, earning the first automatic berth to the $750,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos on Dec. 13.

The only female in a field of nine, Nellie Delaney, 4, led throughout the 400-yard Winter Championship, winning by 1 1/2 lengths over 21-1 shot Eye on Corona. Ridden by Raul Valenzuela, Nellie Delaney ($5.20) was timed in 19.48 seconds, winning her fourth consecutive start. Nellie Delaney was favored.

Rylees Boy, the winner of the 2013 Winter Championship, finished third, beaten two lengths.

Nellie Delaney races for breeders Garvan Kelly and Nancy Yearsley and is trained by Juan Aleman. Kelly and Aleman said Nellie Delaney will be rested until the end of the summer, with a late-season campaign geared toward the Champion of Champions.

Nine of the 10 berths for the Champion of Champions will be available to the winners of major stakes throughout the season.

Nellie Delaney’s win in the Winter Championship was her second stakes victory. She finished first in the Southern California Derby, in a dead-heat with Jabuti Eagle Sa, on Dec. 22. Nellie Delaney has won 5 of 15 starts and earned $168,683.

Viva Mi Corazon wins Winter Derby

Viva Mi Corazon, second in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity on Dec. 15, won the second stakes of his career in Saturday’s $196,600 Los Alamitos Winter Derby.

Ridden by Cody Jensen, Viva Mi Corazon ($5.80) led throughout the 400-yard Winter Derby, winning by 1 1/4 lengths over 9-1 Spirit Leader. SS Paydirt, the fastest qualifier, finished third in the field of 10 as the 7-5 favorite. Viva Mi Corazon was sent off as the second choice and was timed in 19.46 seconds.

Owned by Burnett Ranches and Johnny Trotter, Viva Mi Corazon has won 7 of 11 starts and $601,241. Trained by Trey Wood, Viva Mi Corazon won the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Breeders Association Futurity at Los Alamitos last October.