Vessels Maturity will run without its fastest qualifier

Forget It, the winner of three derbys at Los Alamitos in 2015, is among a field of nine in Sunday’s $152,000 Vessels Maturity for older Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos.

The race has a tremendous void following the death of the champion Moonist on June 21. Moonist was the fastest qualifier from the June 12 trials, and died from complications of exploratory surgery.

Without Moonist, the Grade 1 Vessels Maturity at 400 yards will have one fewer number of starters than qualifiers.

Forget It was fourth behind Moonist in a division of the trials after breaking through the gate before the start. The time trial was Forget It’s first start since a win in the Southern California Derby last December for trainer Jaime Gomez. Earlier this year, Forget It was acquired by owner Hector Villalobos and turned over to trainer Jose Moreno.

Last year, Forget It won the El Primero Del Ano and Governor’s Cup Derby when trained by Gomez. A gelding by Foose, Forget It has won 10 of 17 starts and has earned $575,724.

The Vessels Maturity is the leading summertime race for older horses at Los Alamitos. The winner will receive an automatic berth for the $600,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos on Dec. 10.

There were two trials for the Vessels Maturity, with the first five finishers of each race qualifying for the final. Moonist won the first trial, while Dutcher won the second. Trained by Juan Aleman, Dutcher was second in the Texas Classic Derby at Lone Star Park last November.

The second-place finishers in both trials should be formidable in the final. Moonist beat He Looks Hot, the winner of the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in 2014. He Looks Hot has career earnings of $896,145, the highest in the Vessels field.

Dutcher beat Walk the Catwalk, who was third in the Southern California Derby behind Forget It and third behind Moonist in the Los Alamitos Winter Championship in February.