LOS ALAMITOS : 19 Veteran Sprinters to Vie for Invitations to June 9 Vessels Maturity

Nineteen veteran sprinters will match strides Wednesday night at Los Alamitos in two trial divisions for the prestigious Vessels Maturity.

The two quarter-mile heats are carded as the ninth and 10th races on an 11-race program.

The 10 horses posting the fastest times in the time trials, regardless of where they finish, will advance to the final of the estimated $150,000 Vessels Maturity to be run Saturday, June 9.

The Vessels Maturity is one of the most revered events for older horses in the sport of quarter horse racing. It carries with it a guaranteed starting position in the Champion of Champions--the proving ground for the best quarter horse in the world.

Wednesday night’s opening Vessels Maturity time trial (9th race) figures to produce several of the finalists in the 440-yard showdown.

Teller Queen, winner of the Grade I Anne Burnett Invitational Handicap and the Los Alamitos Derby last year, makes her first appearance of the year for trainer Bob Gilbert. Teller Queen holds career earnings of nearly $640,000, having won half of her 16 starts.

Facing the multiple stakes winner in the first Vessels Maturity division are Barbs Bounce, Griswold and Making Up.

Barbs Bounce is undefeated in three appearances this year--each of them stakes wins.

Griswold is another strong stakes performer with career earnings of $315,000.

Making Up, the daughter of Master Hand, was third in both the Ms Peninsula and Peninsula Championship before being nosed out by Barbs Bounce in the Miss Princess Handicap.

Rounding out the field are Slice, Bedadoc, Double The Effort, Called To Account and Free Special.

Sig Hanson, the 3-Year-Old National Champion in 1989 after winning the Dash For Cash Derby at Los Alamitos, takes his 1990 bow in the second Vessels Maturity trial division with Kenny Hart in the irons.