Matriarch S. | Horse Racing Free Tips

In ‘Closing’, Cal-Bred Mare Can Climb Grade I Hill in Matriarch

Stop us if you've heard this a time or a thousand. Horses trained by Chad Brown figure tough in the GI Matriarch S. on closing day of the Bing Crosby Meet at Del Mar. Undisputable though that is–he has, after all, sent out the winner all but once since 2017–Harris Farms homebred Closing Remarks (Vronsky) will look to have the final say Sunday afternoon.

The chestnut has yet to strike in three tries at the top level, though she was runner-up in the 2021 Del Mar Oaks while finishing just ahead of one of the Brown representatives she'll be facing here. Closing Remarks is, however, a three-time graded winner over the one-mile distance of the Matriarch and has recorded two of her four victories at the graded level over the Jimmy Durante turf course, including this year's GII Yellow Ribbon S. and GII John C. Mabee S. going slightly farther. Fourth in the GII Rodeo Drive S. over a 10-furlong journey that likely finds her out, she bounced back to defeat Queen Goddess (Empire Maker) and Hamwood Flier (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in Santa Anita's one-mile GII Goldikiova S. Nov. 5. Juan Hernandez will need to work out a trip from the widest gate, but there is plenty of speed on paper and she should be coming at them late.

The Brown-trained Fluffy Socks (Slumber {GB}) was third in that aforementioned Del Mar Oaks, having won the local GIII Jimmy Durante S. at two. The Head of Plains homebred won the GII Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill on seasonal debut May 6, but has since dropped three straight, including a third in the Listed Athenia S. at Aqueduct Oct. 27.

Whitebeam (GB) (Caravaggio) is the likely Matriarch favorite after downing stablemate In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the GI Diana S. going nine furlongs July 15. The Juddmonte homebred has revenge on her mind, having finished an alibi-free fourth to stable companion Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) in the GI First Lady S. at Keeneland Oct. 7.

Sunday's co-featured GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. lacks a marquee horse, and its winner could also come from a high draw. Unplaced behind Mission Beach (Curlin) and Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso) in a pair of main-track sprints, Stay Hot (Summer Front) looked like a new horse when graduating first time turf and first time long at Santa Anita Oct. 7 and exits a 10th in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Lord Bullingdon (Lord Nelson) maps to have a sweet run behind what should be a generous tempo as he looks to add to his victory in the Qatar Gold Mile Nov. 4, while D J Stable's Deadpan (Distorted Humor) looks to build on a neck maiden victory over the Keeneland turf course Oct. 28.

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Blea on Del Mar’s Churchill Shippers, Wakanaka Scratched from Matriarch

In the midst of the Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1) outbreak at Churchill Downs, Del Mar had accepted three shippers from the Louisville track Tuesday, Nov. 29, the same day a horse at Churchill first showed symptoms of the contagious disease. One of the horses, Bill Mott's MGSW Wakanaka (Ire) (Power {GB}), had a suspicious test and will not be permitted to start in Sunday's GI Matriarch S. She was 5-1 on the morning line.

Dr. Jeff Blea, the equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), released the following statement Saturday:

“Three horses arrived at the Del Mar Race Track from Churchill Downs on Tuesday, Nov. 29. Due to the recent EHV-1 issue identified at Churchill Downs, the horses were placed in a quarantine barn with biosecurity measures implemented upon arrival, which continue to remain in place. Since their arrival, all three horses remain healthy and show no clinical signs of illness. Furthermore, bloodwork has been and continues to remain normal.

“The horses were tested for EHV-1 at UC Davis and all horses were negative for EHV-1 in blood. However, one horse, Wakanaka, was mildly positive on a nasal swab sample with a very low viral load. The viral load was too weak to differentiate between neuropathogenic and non-neuropathogenic EHV-1. This is only one test at a single time point, so we will continue to monitor the situation. Out an abundance of caution, Wakanaka will not be allowed to compete in the Dec. 4 Matriarch S. as planned.”

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Viadera Attempts to Defend Matriarch Title

Juddmonte's Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) captured the 2020 GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar and looks to defend her title in Sunday's renewal. Last year's victory was her third straight and she kicked off this term with a fourth in Saratoga's De La Rose S. Aug. 8, an event she won last year. Scoring by a nose in Saratoga's GII Ballston Spa S. Aug. 28, the bay could only manage sixth last time in Keeneland's GI First Lady S. Oct. 9.

Trainer Chad Brown, who saddled three of the last four winners of this event, also sends out Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom). A seven-time stakes winner, the Peter Brant runner's resume is missing just one thing, a Grade I victory and she will likely be favored to get it in this six-horse event. Kicking off this term with a win in Aqueduct's Plenty of Grace S. Apr. 11, the chestnut was fourth in Belmont's GI Just a Game S. June 5 and captured the De La Rose. She enters this off a half-length second to her stablemate in the First Lady.

Mike Stidham is also represented by an accomplished runner here in Princess Grace (Karakontie {Jpn}). Closing 2020 with a win in the GII Mrs. Revere S., the Susan and John Moore homebred opened her 2021 account with a win in the GIII Dr. James Penny Memorial S. July 6 at Parx. She followed suit with wins in the Aug. 7 GII Yellow Ribbon H. and Sept. 11 GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf S. Princess Grace led every step of the way in Del Mar's GII Goldikova S. Nov. 6, but yielded late to be third.

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Tamahere Gets Tested For Class in Matriarch

Tamahere (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) looks to become the first 3-year-old filly since Better Lucy (Ghostzapper) in 2012 to defeat older turf distaffers in what appears to be a loaded renewal of the GI Matriarch S. Sunday at Del Mar.

One of three in the race for trainer Chad Brown–who won this in 2017 and 2018–the bay filly was twice a winner in seven French runs for Francois Rohaut, including a listed event at La Teste in June. She made an enormous impression when making her stateside debut in the GII Sands Point S. at Belmont Oct. 10, lagging well off a modest tempo before rocketing home to score by a two-length margin that belies the ease with which it was accomplished. She gets three pounds from her elders and could get the race run to suit her closing style.

Sharing (Speightstown) also represent the sophomore set and trainer Graham Motion, successful in this event with Miss Temple City (Temple City) in 2016. The 2019 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf victress, the $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad won the Tepin S. first off the layoff in May, then was a very game second to the talented Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot June 20. Returned to the States, she proved too classy for her peers in the GII Edgewood S. on the Kentucky Oaks undercard, but faces her stiffest test to date against horses that are significantly faster on paper.

Joel Rosario is a four-time Matriarch winner-including the Brown aforementioned Brown gallopers-and he has the call aboard the tepid 7-2 morning-line favorite Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}). A stakes winner in Ireland under the care of Ger Lyons, the 4-year-old was fourth to stablemate Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the GIII Intercontinental S. in June, but has since bounced back to take the restricted De La Rose S. at Saratoga and comes off a neck defeat of stable companion Blowout (GB) (Dansili {GB}) in Belmont’s GIII Noble Damsel S. Sept. 26.

Juliet Foxtrot (GB) (Dansili {GB}) led into the final furlong of last year’s Matriarch, but was run down and forced to settle for third to Got Stormy (Get Stormy). The 5-year-old looks to follow up on a one-length tally in the GIII Gallorette S. at Pimlico Oct. 3 over yielding turf she never looked comfortable on.

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