Bred and raced by the Niarchos Family, Karakontie campaigned in France, where he won a pair of group races at 2-year-old, including the G1 Qatar Prix Jean Luc Lagardere Grand Criterium. The future sire trained on as a 3-year-old to capture the classic G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains-French 2000 Guineas before traveling to Santa Anita for that Breeders' Cup win.

Karakontie continues to serve as one of the best value sires in Kentucky with runners like She Feels Pretty, who won the GI Natalma S. and placed in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf; Foreign Relations, winner of the GIII Louisville S. at Churchill; and Princess Grace, a multiple Grade II winner and multiple Grade I performer of over $1.8 million.

Also of note, Spendarella, winner of last year's GI Del Mar Oaks, GII Appalachian S., GIII Herecomesthebride S., and runner-up in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot, was runner-up in this year's GI Just A Game S. and GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S.

In the sales ring this year, yearlings by Karakontie hammered down for upwards of $525,000.

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Drawn the fence and sent off the lukewarm $4.40 (17-5) favorite on the back of an outstanding third in the G2 Sapphire S. on her Australian debut at The Championships at Randwick two weeks back, the dark bay raced inside throughout beneath Nash Rawiller and traveled strongly from a joint fifth into the final quarter-mile. Opting to go for a run a few paths off the rail in the straight, Rawiller was forced to grab hold of Princess Grace for a stride or two when tight for running room, but she shouldered her way through and shot clear to win comfortably in the end.

“We were 50/50 whether we gave her a second run or waited for the Spring Carnival,” Charlie Duckworth, assistant to and racing manager for trainer Chris Waller, told SKY Racing. “When she drew well, we said, 'let's take our chances', especially when the track came up a 5 [soft side of good] rather than the heavy track. Nash gave her a beautiful ride, obviously it looked a bit dicey, but no better man to have than Nash on when you're stuck in a bit of a tight spot. Exciting horse.”

Racing as a homebred for the Moores, Princess Grace closed her 3-year-old season with a victory in the off-turf GIII Mrs. Revere S. and registered three wins at the graded level on the grass in succession in 2021–the GIII Dr. Penny Memorial S., the GII Yellow Ribbon H. and the GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf–before closing the campaign with a sound third to Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) in the GI Matriarch S.

After successfully defending her title in the Penny, Princess Grace was second to Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}) in the GI Beverly D. S. and again in the Ladies' Turf ahead of a third to In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Regal Glory in the GI First Lady S. China Horse Club acquired the mare for $1.7 million at last year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale and turned her over to Waller, most notably the trainer of the legendary Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}).

The Moores also race Princess Grace's 4-year-old gelded half-brother Catnip (Kitten's Joy), who broke his maiden at Colonial Downs like his half-sister, and who is entered for a first-level allowance on the turf at Keeneland Apr. 26. Masquerade is also the dam of the 2-year-old filly Mixologist (Frosted), a $175,000 Keeneland September purchase by Solis/Litt and, according to Cobra Farm manager Mike Owens, the Moores intend to race the mare's yearling filly by American Pharoah named Miss U. S. A. Owens said that Masquerade delivered a Gun Runner filly at Cobra Farm Mar. 20. Masquerade will be bred back to the China Horse Club part-owned Life Is Good.

Duckworth indicated that sex-restricted tests in Group 1 company loom as targets come the Australian springtime.

“Great ride from Nash.”

Former US mare Princess Grace gets a @nashhot special to take out the Group 3 @hawkesburyrc Crown for @cwallerracing, she defeated Expat with Dalchini charging home to snatch third. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/ANh1naKz1l

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) April 22, 2023

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After recently fielding three stakes winners in 48 hours, either side of the Atlantic, his first millionaire Princess Grace came close to adding a Grade I success when narrowly denied the Beverly D. on Aug, 13. But Antony Beck and his team at Gainesway only had to wait until the following weekend to redeem that frustration, with the homebred Spendarella winning the GI Del Mar Oaks in emphatic style.

Spendarella was actually put through the 2020 Keeneland September Sale as a $220,000 yearling, but fortunately for Beck ended up being restored to his racetrack division. If that sounds a fine price for Book 5, then it's worth remembering that this was the same session that Karakontie topped with a colt that made no less than $500,000. He also sold one at the same auction last year for $310,000. This is a stallion, then, that has shone in all departments from limited opportunity.

Among fourth-crop sires, indeed, only Constitution (a freakish 7.8 percent) can beat his strike-rate of stakes winners. From just 122 career starters to date, Karakontie already has nine (five at graded/group level) at bang on five percent of named foals. That's the same as American Pharoah, and clear of Liam's Map (3.8 percent) and Daredevil (3.6 percent): comparisons, in each case, intended only to elevate Karakontie, rather than demean their right to stand at much higher fees.

But you could tell something was brewing right from the outset, with two members of his debut crop making the gate respectively in the GI Kentucky Derby and G1 2,000 Guineas–despite each having changed hands for as little as $6,000.

“Yes, we allowed ourselves some delusions of grandeur that weekend!” jokes Beck. “That was phenomenal, absolutely. And he has continued to do really, really well from the chances he has had. He gets a very high percentage of high-class runners, unfortunately without ever being given sufficient chance. So many of his matings have either been Niarchos family or Gainesway mares. Of course, we've both been very well rewarded. But what a fantastic opportunity he does present, with those good [grass] sires no longer around–especially as he can get very good runners on dirt as well.”

It was specifically with the imminent launch of Karakontie in mind that Beck went to look at an Unusual Heat mare named Spanish Bunny at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale. She had needed 14 starts to break her maiden, finally doing so over a mile of turf at Del Mar, but her first foal by Tribal Rule had proved highly talented out at Santa Anita earlier that year: Spanish Queen won three of her first four, including the GII Honeymoon S. and GI American Oaks, before unfortunately derailing on her next start.

Spanish Bunny arrived in Lexington after a couple of coverings by Sundarban, a son of A.P. Indy standing in California. It is safe to record that this boon was not what had spiked Beck's interest. What did resonate was the fourth dam.

“I believe the mare was literally discovered in someone's backyard, somewhere in Los Angeles,” Beck says. “They tracked her down after the American Oaks and brought her to the sale as the dam of a Grade I winner. She did have several blank dams but did then trace to Sunday Purchase (T.V. Lark), the dam of Bates Motel (Sir Ivor)–who had been a stallion at Gainesway, a horse I knew very well. And I also liked that she was inbred 3 x 3 to Northern Dancer, which I felt sure had contributed to her success with that first foal.”

Indeed, her sire Unusual Heat was by one son of Northern Dancer, Nureyev; and her dam was by another, El Gran Senor, highly esteemed by Beck not least as a broodmare sire. In terms of his sire-line, of course, Karakontie would reinforce that Northern Dancer branding.

Spanish Bunny has since been given serial trysts with the son of Bernstein. The first could not be counted a success, but the second produced Spanish Loveaffair, picked up for $35,000 by Delray Investments at the 2019 September Sale before achieving a spectacular yield when sold to Lael Stable in the same ring last November for $775,000. In between she had won a couple of stakes and placed in multiple graded stakes.

And in the meantime here was Spendarella–remembered by Beck as “an absolutely beautiful yearling, with the most beautiful hind leg and an incredible action.” After a debut success at Gulfstream, Graham Motion saddled her to win the GIII Herecomesthebride S. and GII Appalachian S. before rolling the dice at Royal Ascot. There she beat all bar Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who has since beaten the colts at Deauville, in the G1 Coronation S. That was Beck's first visit to the royal meeting since he was a teenager, and he was rightly proud of her effort.

“She has this phenomenal fight,” Beck observes. “She was only beaten by a marvel of a filly that day, and had three Guineas winners behind her plus another Group 1 winner who came third. And Graham's being quite smart, not squeezing the lemon dry but really thinking about the future and all the Grade 1s she might be able to go for next year.

“She was right there while they went a half in :47 flat at Del Mar, but was still accelerating right away from them at the end. She ran the last furlong in 12 seconds: pretty impressive, for any horse, let alone in a Grade I. So she's super-talented, with a lot of smarts to her, and mentally strong.”

That's a valid claim about a filly that didn't even run before February but has already shipped to Europe and California to finish second and first at the highest level. It would be intriguing to see her also try dirt at some stage–one of Karakontie's other graded stakes winners has scored on turf, dirt and synthetics–though Beck stresses he would never interfere with whatever his trainer might have in mind.

Certainly the genes are in place for Karakontie to prove the kind of crossover influence that has historically been so crucial to the mutual regeneration of the transatlantic gene pools. With the legend Miesque (Nureyev) as third dam, in his second generation Karakontie places a Woodman three-parts sister to one profound international influence, Kingmambo, right against another in grandsire Storm Cat. Karakontie's dam is by Japan's game-changer Sunday Silence, while his sire Bernstein results from the Busanda (dam of Buckpasser etc.) branch of the La Troienne (Fr) dynasty.

“Though an extremely well-bred horse, I always thought of Bernstein as a horse who had come up the hard way,” Beck reasons of Tepin's sire. “He had great talent but could never really demonstrate it on the track. But from humble beginnings [stood at Buck Pond for just $7,500] he showed himself to be a very good stallion before his untimely demise.

“So to have his own, excellent blood coupled with that outstanding Niarchos family, with Miesque as the gift that just keeps on giving, makes for just an extraordinary global pedigree. And of course, Karakontie showed his talent against global competition. For me, I've always liked a 3-year-old that performs at the Breeders' Cup–and he had the highest rating of any turf race run that year in the U.S. He ran the mile in 1:32, and you see that very seldom. Don't forget he was a Group 1 winner at two, and then a Classic winner as well.”

Spendarella's rise is particularly helpful to Karakontie in that she belongs to much his smallest book, following the customary slide from a three-figure debut to one of just 43 mares in his third season. He has since consolidated in heartening fashion, however, with his latest yearlings graduating from a book of 88.

Beck first wagered on Gainesway's champion Tapit because he seeks prospects from families that have already produced stallions. And while Miesque's family has been notably prolific in top-class fillies, it could offer no better model than Kingmambo as an international influence, capable of transcending different environments.

“He was probably the last really great one like that,” Beck says. “Every surface, every country. Even in Japan, where he had King Kamehameha. And it's fascinating that some of Karakontie's best runners have been inbred to Miesque, being out of mares by Kingmambo or [his son] Lemon Drop Kid.”

That's true of both the Classic protagonists in his first crop, for instance, and also of recent Irish stakes winner Cigamia. Incidentally Beck also notes a close duplication in Karakontie's leading earner Princess Grace, who carries Sunday Silence 3 x 3.

At the helm of a farm like Gainesway, an equally powerful force in different dimensions of the industry, Beck is never short of action and right now the whole team is abuzz, ahead of the September Sale and an exciting fall on the track. The sales division has already consigned the $2.3 million sale-topper at Saratoga and, while sensational Spa maiden winner Prank (Into Mischief) has required a minor surgery, she is confidently expected to add fresh distinction to her page (half-sister to Mo Donegal {Uncle Mo}) on her return.

“She got a 91 Beyer for her debut so we're really excited,” Beck says. “As we are about the September Sale. We've got some really lovely stock going there so we're hoping things will go pretty well.”

He also hopes that the extra furlong in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic will play to the strengths of Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), who ran his usual no-quit race when just missing second in the GI Whitney S. Such an animal can hardly fail to transmit his pluck at stud, and will hopefully contribute to Gainesway's next chapter as a long-term heir is sought for Tapit–whose books are being managed with due consideration as he enters the evening of his career.

In the meantime, with Spendarella's dam having delivered a colt by Uncle Mo this spring and now carrying her latest foal by Karakontie, Beck feels fully invested in the reinvigoration of grass blood in Kentucky. He has been prepared, for instance, to go to market with Raging Bull (Fr), a son of one of Europe's most remarkable success stories of recent years in Dark Angel (Ire).     But that's just one measure of a heartfelt optimism that American grass racing is embarking on fresh growth.

“We've been very lucky with Spanish Bunny,” Beck admits. “When I bought her, I thought she might breed a nice foal but little did I know that Spendarella would end up the way she has. But just look at how many graded races in the U.S. are getting upgraded on turf, and downgraded on dirt. Look at how these grass races are filling. There were 13 runners in the Del Mar Oaks, and it's seldom that you see a field like that in California these days. I think turf racing is going to catch on here, more and more. It has definite legs.”

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Ten–and possibly 11–of the 16 horses that won stakes at Kentucky Downs last year are scheduled to return for the upcoming meet, which runs seven days between Sept. 1-14.

Trainer Mike Stidham said both 2021 GIII Ladies Turf winner Princess Grace (Karakontie {Jpn}) and GIII WinStar Mint Million victor Pixelate (City Zip) will shoot for repeat stakes triumphs at the all-turf FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs. The $1-million GIII Mint Million S. is Sept. 3 and the $750,000 GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf is Sept. 10, which features five graded stakes.

“Kentucky Downs has always been on our schedule as long as the horses are doing well,” Stidham said. “We know they run well over that track, and that's a lot of money to turn down taking a shot at. Kentucky Downs is a meet we always look at hard, the money is so good. We target trying to run as many as we can there.”

Owned by Susan and John Moore, Princess Grace most recently was second by a half-length in the GI Beverly D. S. at Churchill Downs won by Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}). Princess Grace edged that mare by the same margin in last year's $750,000 Ladies Turf at a mile. Stidham said he's hoping Dalika also shows back up at Kentucky Downs, given the provision that the purse jumps to $1 million for registered Kentucky-breds if a Grade I winner runs in the race. (The base purse increases from $300,000 to $550,000 for non-Kentucky-breds such as the German-born Dalika.)

“We're rooting for her to come,” Stidham said, adding, “Princess Grace ran a great race in the Beverly D. like she generally does when things set up properly. She took the lead inside the eighth pole. It looked like we were going to be the winner, and Al Stall's mare came back on the inside. Not taking anything away from Dalika, but our filly had never been a mile and an eighth. It looked to me like the mile and an eighth is what got her more than the competition got her. And the distance was probably the difference-maker at Kentucky Downs.”

Stall confirmed that the tentative plan is in fact to run Dalika at Kentucky Downs.

Pixelate, owned by 2021 Kentucky Downs leading owner Godolphin, was third in Laurel's Prince George's County S. on July 16 in his only start of 2022. He won last year's $1-million Mint Million by 2 1/2 lengths over Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown).

“We got the one race off the layoff; he ran really well,” Stidham said. “We're hoping that race sets him up for a really big effort in his second start of the year. ”

Trainer Brad Cox also plans to bring back both of his 2021 Kentucky Downs stakes winners: Adventuring (Pioneerof the Nile) and Turnerloose (Nyquist).

Adventuring, also owned by Godolphin, won the $500,000 Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Oaks and is being pointed for the $550,000 AGS Ladies Marathon, which was elevated to Grade III status for 2022. In her only start as a 4-year-old, Adventuring won Mountaineer's West Virginia Senate President's Cup on Aug. 6. Cox said he isn't yet sure which race Turnerloose will go in. Turnerloose won last year's $500,000 Aristocrat Juvenile Fillies for owners Ike and Dawn Thrash. She was second by a half-length in Ellis Park's Centennial Distaff Mile against older fillies in her last start.

Other 2021 stakes-winners coming back include:

• Stall said that In Good Spirits (Ghostzapper), who like Dalika is owned by Louisvillian Paul Varga's Bal Mar Equine, will shoot for back-to-back wins in the $600,000 GIII The Mint Ladies Sprint, most recently having finished fourth in Saratoga's restricted De La Rose at a mile.
• Koala Princess (More Than Ready), winner of last year's $500,000 Ainsworth Stakes, was scratched out of Saturday's $200,000 GII Lake Placid S. at Saratoga to run in the $500,000 Nelson's Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey Music City for 3-year-old fillies Sept. 11 at Kentucky Downs, trainer Arnaud Delacour said in a text.
• Tobys Heart (Jack Milton), last year's Music City winner, is targeting the Sept. 10 Ladies Sprint after finishing third in Ellis Park's 5 1/2-furlong Laguna Distaff Turf Sprint. Trainer Brian Lynch said he believes Kentucky Downs' 6 1/2-furlong distance will better suit the 4-year-old filly.
• Trainer Paulo Lobo said the Brazilian-bred In Love (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) could go in either the Mint Million or the stakes he won in 2021: the $400,000 FanDuel Tapit S. restricted to horses that have not won a stakes this year. In Love used last year's Tapit as a springboard to taking Keeneland's GI Keeneland Turf Mile (now the Coolmore Turf Mile) in his next start. Lobo and owner Bonne Chance Farm also won last year's $1-million GII Kentucky Turf Cup with Imperador (Arg) (Treasure Beach {GB}), but that horse has been retired to stud in his native Argentina.
• Family Way (Uncle Mo), winner of the 2021 Ladies Marathon, will attempt the repeat in that 1 5/16-mile race after finishing third in the Beverly D., trainer Brendan Walsh said.
• Hendy Woods (Uncle Mo), winner of Kentucky Downs' restricted $400,000 One Dreamer last year, is targeting the Ladies Turf, said David Carroll, who runs Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse's Churchill Downs division.

An 11th stakes winner from last year is being pointed to the upcoming meet but faces a tight schedule. Trainer Pavel Matejka hopes to make a race to be determined with Accredit (Flatter), who paid $75 to win last year's $750,000 Big Ass Fans Dueling Grounds Derby. Accredit hasn't run since and has three timed workouts at The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington. However, Matejka also has a private half-mile turf training gallop that goes uphill and downhill, which could boost Accredit's fitness.

“We are hopeful that we can make it there,” Matejka said in a text. “He has been training very well and is pretty close being ready.”

Among other past Kentucky Downs stakes winners expected back: Donegal Racing's $3-million earner Arklow (Arch) will shoot for a record third victory in the $1-million GII Kentucky Turf Cup, whose winner gets a fees-paid berth in the $4-million GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 5. It will be Arklow's fifth appearance at Kentucky Downs, having finished second last year by a neck and in 2019 to go with victories in 2020 and 2018.

   Totally Boss (Street Boss), the 2019 FanDuel Turf Sprint winner for trainer Rusty Arnold, is on course for that $1-million Grade II race in his return from a year's retirement. Totally Boss finished fourth by 3/4 of a length in Ellis Park's Twin Spires Turf Sprint in the second start of his comeback.

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The field of six fillies and mares were all group or graded stakes winners, including Princess Grace, who was a last-out third in the G2 Goldikova on the Breeders' Cup undercard Nov. 6 at Del Mar, and Regal Glory, who shipped west from her last-out second-place finish in the First Lady at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. With no obvious early speed in the race, the field broke evenly, Jose Ortiz taking advantage of the absence of a clear pacesetter to send Regal Glory to the lead by 2 1/2 lengths. Zofelle was second and Viadera third as Regal Glory set fractions of :24.06 and :48.50, controlling the pace around the first turn and down the backstretch.

Into the far turn, Regal Glory held a two-length lead, as Zoffelle and Viadera started their closing moves. The daughter of Animal Kingdom was able to maintain her lead down the stretch, striding out to a three-length lead in the last sixteenth. Zofelle held on for second, with Princess Grace passing Viadera late to take third.

The final time for the one-mile Matriarch was 1:35.33. Find this race's chart here.

Regal Glory paid $5.20, $3.00, and $2.10. Zofelle paid $5.40 and $3.00. Princess Grace paid $2.40.

Bred in Kentucky by the late Paul Pompa, Regal Glory is out of the More Than Ready mare Mary's Follies, a graded stakes winner. She is owned by Peter Brant and trained by Chad Brown, who scores his second stakes win of the day after Juddmonte Farm's Verbal won the G3 Cecil B. DeMille earlier on Sunday's card. Consigned by Lane's End, the 5-year-old mare was sold to White Birch Farm for $925,000 at the January 2021 Keeneland Horses of All Ages Sale. With her win in the G1 Matriarch, Regal Glory has three wins in five starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 16-9-4-0 and career earnings of $1,244,884.

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Besides the filly and mare grass feature, there also will be the Grade 3, $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes for 2-year-olds. The Matriarch has lured seven for its mile journey, while the DeMille has brought out 11 for its eight furlongs on the green.

The 15-day Crosby Season at the seaside track north of San Diego, Calif., featured the 38th edition of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which established a new betting mark for the two-day, 14-race extravaganza. Additionally, the seaside track put on its own 13-day session climaxed by a seven-stakes, all on grass, four-day finish that puts a fine bow on a fine racing run.

Heading the 41st edition of the Matriarch – the last seven of which have been held at Del Mar – is Susan and John Moore's Princess Grace, a 4-year-old filly by the Japanese-bred stallion Karakontie who has won six of her eight lifetime starts, including a tally at Del Mar this past summer in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap. Trainer Michael Stidham sticks with Kent Desormeaux as her rider.

Princess Grace will have to have her running shoes on tight Sunday, though, with trainer Chad Brown having entered two of his mares in the test, including last year's winner Viadera.

The Matriarch will be seventh race on the Sunday card.

In the Cecil B. DeMille, which goes as Race 3, the horse to beat appears to be another Brown runner in Verbal, who has only made one starts, but it was a goodie. He won easily over a field of straight maidens at Belmont Park on October 10 at a mile on the grass and will have Jose Ortiz back again on board on Sunday.

Here are the full fields for both races from the rail out with riders and morning line odds:

Matriarch Stakes:  Princess Grace (8/5); Calvin Nguyen's Bodhicitta (John Velazquez, 12-1); Juddmonte's Viadera (Flavien Prat, 5/2); Aoshiba Corporation's Fast Jet Court (Drayden Van Dyke, 20-1); Heider Family Stables' Zofelle (Umberto Rispoli, 5-1), and Peter Brant's Regal Glory (Jose Ortiz, 9/5).

Cecil B. DeMille Stakes:  Red Baron Barn or Rancho Temescal's Optimising (Umberto Rispoli, 3-1); Merecado Racing's Khantaro d'Oro (Juan Hernandez, 12-1); Alvarez Racing Stables' Groovy Huey (Edwin Maldonado, 30-1); West Point Thoroughbreds or Barker's Derecho Dandy (Joe Bravo, 5-1); Drakos or Hanson's Barsabas (Tyler Baze, 12-1); Homme or DeMaio's Il Capitano (John Velazquez, 20-1); Kretz Racing's Cabo Spirit (Victor Espinoza, 6-1); Featherston, Lambert or Underhill, et al's Stotland (Kent Desormeaux, 30-1); Glenn Sorgenstein WC Racing and Great Friends Stable, et al's Get Back Goldie (Kyle Frey, 6-1); Verbal (5/2), and Exline-Border Racing, Wilson, et al's Lottery Pick (Flavien Prat, 8-1).

First post for the Sunday finale will be 12:30 p.m.

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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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So begins the staging process for the four-day, seven-stakes Turf Festival that will wrap up the Bing Crosby Season at the track. And if the seven previous such closing stands of the fall meeting are any indication, the eager anticipation felt by horsemen and fans is more than justified.

A contingent of quality shippers from the east will arrive Monday or Tuesday in numbers that racing secretary David Jerkens expects will be similar to past years from the stables of trainers whose names top, or are highly stationed, on national lists.

Chad Brown has won nine Turf Festival races, with emphasis on the G1 events – Saturday's $400,000 Hollywood Derby and Sunday's $400,000 Matriarch – where he's notched three in each. He's expected to put seven or eight on the westbound plane, among them defending Matriarch champ Viadera. Brown has multiple graded stakes winner Public Sector and Sifting Sands nominated for the Hollywood Derby and Turf Cup nominee Rockemperor stabled at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., and available for the relatively short trip down the freeway.

Michael Stidham's Princess Grace, who shipped in to win the Yellow Ribbon in the summer and returned for a third-place finish as favorite in the G2 Goldikova during Breeders' Cup Week, has remained on the grounds and is nominated for the Matriarch. So has Goldikova runner-up Zofelle for trainer Brendan Walsh.

Trainer H. Graham Motion, who has notched Red Carpet, Jimmy Durante, and Seabiscuit Stakes wins in past Turf Festivals, has a handful of horses on-site and could bring in reinforcements considering his six stakes nominees. Ken McPeek has indicated he will be sending Camp Hope, a winner of two starts in October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., and Greg Sacco is sending It Can Be Done off a third-place finish, beaten two lengths by Public Sector in the Hill Prince on October 23 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

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Sitting midpack through six furlongs, Going Global and Flaiven Prat bided their time behind leader Princess Grace through early fractions of :23.22 for the first quarter and :47.55 for the half-mile. Around the final turn, Prat moved his filly out to the outside of Zofelle (IRE) and Princess Grace, and sprinted to the lead midstretch to take the Goldikova by 2 1/2 lengths. Zofelle was second and favorite Princess Grace hung on for third. Abscond, Bodhicitta, Constantia, Ippodamia's Girl, and Glesga Gal rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the one-mile G2 stakes was 1:34.57. Find this race's chart here.

Going Global paid $7.60, $4.20, and $2.60. Zofelle paid $5.40 and $3.00. Princess Grade paid $2.20.

“We were running well all the way. She was comfortable. When I took her out she showed me a good turn of foot. When she finished she still had something in the tank,” Prat said after the Goldikova.

“I loved the position all the way around. And when Flavien (Prat) swung her outside in the stretch she really hit a great stride. This is a big step up, going against older fillies and mares, and she handled it beautifully,” trainer Phil D'Amato told the Del Mar Press Office after the race.

Bred in Ireland by N. Hartery, Going Global is by Mehmas (IRE) out of the Invasor (ARG) mare Wrood. The 3-year-old filly is owned by CYBT, Michael Dubb, Saul Gervetz, Michael Nentwig, and Ray Pagano. Consigned by The Castlebridge Consignment, Going Global was purchased by Pioneer Racing for $16,987 at the 2019 Goffs Sportsman's Yearling Sale. In 2021, the filly also has victories in the G1 Del Mark Oaks, the G2 Honeymoon, and the G3 Providencia for a record of six wins in seven starts and career earnings of $648.792.

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Scheduled as Saturday's eighth race at Keeneland with a 4:44 p.m. post time, the First Lady is a “Win and You're In” race for the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

Trained by Charles Appleby, Althiqa already was multiple group-placed in Europe as well as a Group 2 winner in the United Arab Emirates before coming to North America, where she took the Just a Game (G1) at Belmont in June and the Diana (G1) in July at Saratoga.

Althiqa will be ridden Saturday by Jamie Spencer and exit post three.

She will have to contend with another European invader in the Aidan O'Brien-trained Empress Josephine (IRE).

Owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Empress Josephine has made her past four starts in Group 1 company and won the Tattersalls Irish One Thousand Guineas. John Velazquez has the mount Saturday from post position two.

Heading the U.S. contingent are the Estate of Harvey Clarke and Paul Braverman's Harvey's Lil Goil and Susan and John Moore's homebred Princess Grace.

Trained by Bill Mott, Harvey's Lil Goil won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana here last fall and followed that with a third-place finish in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in which she was defeated by a neck.

A winner in one of four starts in 2021, Harvey's Lil Goil will be ridden by Junior Alvarado from post position eight.

Princess Grace, a four-time graded stakes winner, has won six of seven career starts for trainer Mike Stidham and enters the First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare off a victory in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf (G3) on Sept. 11.

Kent Desormeaux has the mount on Princess Grace, who will start from post position 10.

Trainer Chad Brown, who has saddled the past three First Lady winners and four overall, will be represented by three runners: Juddmonte's Viadera (GB) and Peter Brant's Regal Glory and Blowout (GB).

Viadera, a three-time graded stakes winner in the U.S., comes into Saturday's race off a victory in the Ballston Spa (G2) at Saratoga. Florent Geroux has the mount Saturday and will leave post position 13.

Regal Glory, a multiple graded stakes winner, captured the De La Rose at Saratoga in her most recent start. Jose Ortiz will ride Saturday and exit post position six.

Blowout, who figures to be the pacesetter, is one for two in 2021 with the victory coming in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) at Churchill on May 1. She was fourth in the Fourstardave (G1) against males at Saratoga. Blowout will start from post position nine and be ridden by Flavien Prat.

The field for the First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare, with riders and weights from the inside, is:

1. Abscond (Adam Beschizza, 124 pounds)
2. Empress Josephine (IRE) (Velazquez, 121)
3. Althiqa (GB) (Spencer, 124)
4. Star Command (Brian Hernandez Jr., 124)
5. Hendy Woods (Tyler Gaffalione, 124)
6. Regal Glory (Ortiz, 124)
7. Daddy Is a Legend (Julien Leparoux, 124)
8. Harvey's Lil Goil (Alvarado, 124)
9. Blowout (Prat, 124)
10. Princess Grace (Desormeaux, 124)
11. Dalika (GER) (Miguel Mena, 124)
12. La Signare (FR) (Ricardo Santana Jr., 124)
13. Viadera (GB) (Geroux, 124).

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