VESSELS MATURITY QUALIFIERS

COURTESY OF STALLIONESEARCH.COM AND LOS ALAMITOS




Speedsters Shine In Vessels Trials


LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, CYPRESS, CA—Prior to the trials to the Vessels Maturity, Go Love A Lark Go's most recent win at 400 yards occurred in the Elko City Fair in September of 2005, while Dutch Schultz's previous 400-yard score came in the El Primero Del Ano Derby at Los Alamitos in April of 2005.
It was like old times then for Go Love A Lark Go and Dutch Schultz, as they won their respective 400-yard trials to the Vessels Maturity on the way to recording the first and second fastest qualifying times to the $147,200 finale to be held here on June 22.

Racing for Erasmo Hernandez and trained by Hector Jaime Hernandez, Go Love A Lark Go's victory was the most surprising of the two, as the gelded son of Love A Lark defeated Los Alamitos Winter Championship winner Volcom by a nose and in the fastest time of :19.57. Go Love A Lark Go, who improved to 10 wins in 23 career starts, will lead a superior cast of older Quarter Horses in the Vessels final following his fast win in the second of two trials. The winner of the Vessels final will earn a berth to the prestigious $1 million Champion of Champions in December.

Ridden by Jeff Williams at 12-1 odds, Go Love A Lark Go was a half-length clear of Volcom at the start of the race and needed every bit of a strong finish to hold off the multiple Grade 1 winner. "I only ride for Hector when (jockey) Rodrigo Aceves takes off to ride something else, but whenever I get on something for Hector his horses run their hearts out for me," said Williams. "I know Hector's horses will fire every time."

Since arriving in Hernandez's Los Alamitos barn after campaigning in Nevada, Wyoming and Utah, Go Love A Lark Go has won six of 11 starts, including the Bellflower and A Ransom handicaps this year. The Gale Searle-Utah bred sprinter came into the trials after running third to Dutch Schultz in the Katella Handicap on March 16. All three of those stakes races were contested at his favorite 350 yards. He last effort at 400 yards was a fourth place finish to Gold Medal Jess in the 400-yard First Down Dash Handicap last October.

"Since the beginning of the year, everything that we've done with this horse has been with the 400-yard Vessels Maturity in mind," Hernandez said. "We've worked hard to prepare him for this distance. Our main objective is to now make sure he is sound and hopefully we'll have him just as ready to run in the Vessels final. There's a spot on the line for the Champion of Champions, so the stakes are high."

P.K. Thomas' Volcom, who earned a berth to the Champion of Champions after winning the Winter Championship, was making his first start since his moment of glory in the aforementioned race on February 24. The stallion by First Down Dash out of Runaway Vike should be one of the favorites in the Vessels final, as he is a 400-yard specialist having won eight of 15 starts at that distance. Trainer Paul Jones expects Volcom to deliver a much sharper performance in the final.

"He had not run in a while, so he should be better in the final," said trainer Paul Jones. "I thought he ran a pretty good race tonight considering he'd been off (since February). He broke nicely out of the gate and I was happy to see that."

The first trial went to J. Garvan Kelly and Nancy Yearsley's Dutch Schultz, who held off Ed Allred's He Storms by a nose to post a time of :19.61. A winner of eight of 31 starts, Dutch Schultz has been third or better in five of six starts this year. Eddie Garcia piloted the Holland Ease gelding for Jones.

"The key to this horse is to handle him correctly during his first two jumps in a race," Garcia said. "The reason for that is that he breaks so hard, so strong and so fast, that if you don't break smoothly with him, you could be in trouble. He bobbled a little bit tonight and that's because he breaks as hard as any horse that I've ever ridden. He reminds me a lot of (Champion) Separatist in that way. Separatist would also break like a rocket.

"The one thing that impressed me tonight about this horse is that he did not break on top tonight and still won," Garcia added. "This horse is usually about a half-length or a length in front right away, so it was nice to see him win despite not having the lead. He'll be on the lead most of the time. I would take him against anybody if he stands in the gate and breaks like he can."

"I'm really happy to see him do so well at 400 yards," Kelly added. "He's my sentimental favorite because he's given us so much for so long. He's a warrior. Eddie picked him up and got him going after the break. He'll have to use his early speed to his advantage in the Vessels final but no matter what happens then, he showed tonight what he can do at 400 yards."

Trained by Scott Willoughby, He Storms, a four-year-old Separatist gelding, posted a solid second place finish in what was only his third start of the year. Willoughby and Allred have had some photo finish decisions go against them this year. Their runner Daddy Dasher was second by a neck in the Kindergarten Futurity on May 19 and He Storms was only a nose behind Dutch Schultz at the end of this race.

"He qualified and that was the main objective," Willoughby explained. "He stood in gates nicely tonight and he broke great. Sometimes he can get himself beat in the gate."




Vessels Maturity-G1 (06/22/2007)



Race: VESSELS MATURITY-G1
Track: LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE
Trials: JUNE 2, 2007
Final: JUNE 22, 2007
Purse: $125,000-GUARANTEED
Age: 4-YEAR-OLDS & UP
Distance: 400 YARDS

Horse Sex Sire-Dam, Dam Sire Time Owner Breeder Trainer Jockey

Go Love A Lark g. Love A Lark--Picture Me Gone, by Deregulate :19.570 Erasmo Hernandez Gale E. Searle (UT) Hector Jaime Hernandez Jeff Williams

Volcom c. First Down Dash--Runaway Vike, by Runaway Winner :19.575 P.K. Thomas John Andreini (CA) Paul C. Jones Cody Jensen

Dutch Schultz g. Holland Ease--Sky Chicks, by Chicks Beduino :19.610 J. Garvan Kelly & Nancy Yearsley J. Garvan Kelly & Nancy Yearsley (OK) Paul C. Jones Eddie Garcia

He Storms g. Separatist--Mega Storm, by First Down Dash :19.620 Edward C. Allred Edward C. Allred (CA) Lloyd S. Willoughby Raul Ramirez, Jr.

Tinys Lil Sis f. Okey Dokey Dale--Threepeat, by Merridoc :19.630 Randy Treadaway Randy Treadaway (CA) Vince Smith Joel Cruz

Five Bar Molly m. Dash Ta Fame--Five Bar Ebony, by Streakin Dash :19.640 A Regal Choice, Inc. The Five Barkers, Inc. (UT) Adan Farias Juan Andrade

First Wicked Lady f. First Down Dash--Wicked Winner, by Runaway Winner :19.655 E.D. Calvert Henry E. Brown (CA) Paul C. Jones Ramon Sanchez

Work Up An Attitude g. Make It Anywhere--Petite Lane, by Lanes Leinster :19.660 Jesus Avila & Jesus Cuevas J. Garvan Kelly (OK) Adan Farias Rodrigo Aceves

Strength In Numbers f. Strawfly Special--Strength Of Heart, by Heza Fast Man :19.680 Benny Rosset Double Bar S Ranch LLC Paul C. Jones Cody Jensen

Dicey Dee g. Pritzi Dash--Band Of Dice, by Band Of Azure :19.750 Juan D. Gomez Edward C. Allred (CA) Paul C. Jones Ramon Sanchez

Trial Notes: Go Love A Lark won the second of two trials by a nose over Volcom to post the fastest qualifying time.