Moonist heavy favorite for Vessels Maturity

CYPRESS, Calif. - Moonist is a bit behind schedule for the expectations in place at the start of the year.

The champion 3-year-old Quarter Horse of 2015, Moonist was second in the Los Alamitos Winter Championship on Feb. 15, a race with an automatic berth for the winner to the $600,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 12.

Another berth to the Champion of Champions is available in Sunday’s $145,500 Vessels Maturity for older horses at 400 yards at Los Alamitos. Moonist is the 2-5 favorite in a field of 10.

Owned by Ron Hartley and trained by John Cooper, Moonist has won 17 of 25 starts and earned $521,234. In 2014, Moonist set a single-season record with four wins in the El Primero Del Ano, Governor’s Cup, Golden State, and Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ derbies.

Moonist was beaten a head by the mare Matabari in the Winter Championship and has since won three races – the Katella Handicap, Kaweah Bar Handicap, and a division of the Vessels trials on June 14. Moonist set the fastest qualifying time of 19.55 seconds in the Vessels trials.

Sunday’s competition includes the last two winners of the Vessels – Last to Fire in 2013 and Far Niente last year.

Last to Fire, trained by Adriana Aceves, was eighth in the 2014 Vessels. A 6-year-old gelding, Last to Fire has won 8 of 24 starts and earned $1,137,344. He was a troubled fourth behind Far Niente in a division of the Vessels Maturity trials in his first start since October.

Far Niente, trained by Jose Hernandez, won the second of two time trials for the Vessels on June 14. A 5-year-old gelding, Far Niente has won 10 of 20 starts and earned $359,288. He won the Golden State Derby in 2013.