Mister Appolitical favored in Vessels

On the strength of a five-race winning streak, and with his leading rival absent, Mister Appolitical will be a slight favorite in Sunday’s $157,400 Vessels Maturity at Los Alamitos.

Mister Appolitical inherited the role of fastest qualifier after Powerful Favorite was not entered in Sunday’s race. Powerful Favorite bled in the trials, in which he had the fastest qualifying time, and is on the California Horse Racing Board’s veterinarian’s list.

Trainer Chris O’Dell told Los Alamitos publicity that he opted to skip the Vessels Maturity with Powerful Favorite rather than give the 4-year-old gelding a qualifying workout earlier this week.

Horses are placed on the vet’s list for 14 days and then must have a workout, and pass a postworkout examination, to be removed from the list.

“We could have done it, but I didn’t want to rush the horse,” O’Dell said. “We’ll take our time.”

There were three time trials for the Vessels Maturity on June 14. Aside from Powerful Favorite, who was timed in 19.64 seconds for 400 yards. Mister Appolitical (19.69) and Cole Man 47 (19.74) won the other trials.

Mister Appolitical, a 4-yearold gelding owned by Legacy Ranch and trained by Terry Knight, was in outstanding form at the end of 2019, winning the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association Breeders’ Derby in October and the Southern California Derby in December as well as time trials prior to those races.

The Vessels Maturity trial was Mister Appolitical’s first start of 2020.

Cole Man 47 won the 2018 PCQHRA Breeders’ Futurity. The Vessels Maturity is his first appearance in a major stakes since a second to Powerful Favorite in the Governor’s Cup Derby last July.

In the Vessels trials, Cole Man 47 finished a neck in front of Chocolatito, who hopped in the air at the start and recovered to just miss winning.

Chocolatito has a history of trouble at the gate, which kept him from winning a major derby last year. Chocolatito was fifth in the Golden State Derby last August and second by a nose in the PCQHRA Breeders’ Derby after troubled starts. The issue resurfaced in the Southern California Derby when the gelding broke slowly and finished fourth to Mister Appolitical.

The Vessels Maturity is the final race on an eight-race program that begins at 5 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

The winner receives a berth in the $600,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 12, the nation’s leading race for older horses.