Nellie Delaney begins title drive in Vessels

Nellie Delaney beat males in the Los Alamitos Winter Championship in February, a victory that secured a berth to the Champion of Champions on Dec. 13 for the 4-year-old filly.

Quarter Horse racing’s leading older female, Nellie Delaney makes her second start since then in Sunday’s $100,000 Mildred Vessels Handicap for fillies and mares at Los Alamitos. The winner of the Grade 1 Vessels Handicap also receives an automatic berth to the Champion of Champions.

Since Nellie Delaney won the Winter Championship, the purse of the Champion of Champions has been slashed. The race was advertised for most of the year at $750,000, but was cut earlier this week to $600,000. Track officials said the money will be directed to overnight races.

Nellie Delaney races for Garvan Kelly and Nancy Yearsley, who also won the Go Man Go Handicap on Sept. 20 with Bon Accord, another qualifier for the Champion of Champions.

Kelly said in the winner’s circle on Sept. 20 that Nellie Delaney is capable of beating Bon Accord at 400 yards.

“I think she’s the only horse in the country that can give him a race,” Kelly said.

KEY CONTENDERS

Nellie Delaney

◗ Trained by Juan Aleman, Nellie Delaney was rested after the Winter Championship.

◗ In her one subsequent start, she won the California Distaff Challenge at 400 yards on Aug. 16, her fifth consecutive win.

◗ Last fall, Nellie Delaney beat 3-year-old males in the Southern California Derby.

Native Tea Rose

◗ One of six in the field of 10 trained by Paul Jones, Native Tea Rose won the Charger Bar Handicap in January and the California Matron Stakes in July.

◗ A 4-year-old, Native Tea Rose was fourth in the 2012 All American Futurity.

Matabari

◗ The Mildred Vessels will be the first start of 2014 for Matabari, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2013.

◗ She ended her championship season by beating males in the Los Alamitos Super Derby and finishing third in the Champion of Champions.

Check N Fetch

◗ Trained by Jones, the 6-year-old Check N Fetch won the 2013 Mildred Vessels and was fifth in the Champion of Champions last December.

◗ She was second to Native Tea Rose in the Charger Bar in January and second to Nellie Delaney in the California Distaff Challenge in August, her only starts this year.