Peter Brant's Regal Glory relaxed off the early pace, then uncoiled a torrid outside rally in the stretch for a repeat win in the $400,000 Matriarch Stakes (G1) Sunday at Del Mar.
Ridden by Flavien Prat for trainer Chad Brown, Regal Glory blew past pacesetter Hamwood Flier midway down the land and drew off, winning by 5 1/4 lengths and finishing the one-mile turf contest for fillies and mares in 1:33.60 on firm footing.
England's Rose was second, and nose in front of third-place finisher Pizza Bianco. Hamwood Flier held on for fourth in eight-horse field.
Regal Glory bided her time in fourth as Hamwood Flier sprinted clear to control the early pace and opened a long lead on the backstretch while setting quick fractions of :23.58 and :46.12 through a half mile. She clocked 1:09.81 for six furlongs but Regal Glory was ready to roll in upper stretch and quickly put the outcome out of question in the matter of few authoritative strides.
Regal Glory returned $3.20. Brown said prior to the Matriarch that Regal Glory would be retired afterward.
Winner of last year's edition of the Matriarch in a wire-to-wire romp, Regal Glory earned her fourth win from seven starts this year and posted her first victory in four starts since capturing the Just a Game (G1) June 11 at Belmont. Overall, her career line stands at 13-6-0 from 23 starts and earnings of $2,619,134. She tallied her fourth win at the highest level, including the 2021 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland.
Regal Glory, a Kentucky-bred 6-year-old Animal Kingdom mare produced by the More Than Ready mare Mary's Follies, earlier raced as a homebred for Paul P. Pompa, who died in 2020. She sold to Brant's White Birch Farm for $925,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, where Lane's End consigned.
The Matriarch win marked a Sunday graded stakes sweep for Prat, who guided Speed Boat Beach to victory in the Cecil B. DeMille (G3) two races earlier on the card.
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