Godolphin's Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile), bet hard throughout, ran to the money in Sunday's GIII Beaumont S. at Keeneland, picking up her first stakes win with a daylight romp against six overmatched rivals.
Debuting with a smooth 4 1/2-length wire-to-wire score while geared down late Aug. 20 at Ellis, the homebred disappointed a bit when flattening out to fifth in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. on this strip Oct. 8. Finishing second as the favorite in the Fern Creek S. Nov. 27 at Churchill, the bay was a distant runner-up to sensation Secret Oath (Arrogate) in an Oaklawn allowance on New Year's Eve before putting forth a career-best 91 Beyer when rolling home by 5 1/4 lengths over allowance company Feb. 26 at Fair Grounds.
Hammered down to a smidge above even-money returning to graded stakes waters here, Matareya broke sweetly from her outside draw under Flavien Prat and led in the opening strides before deferring to rail-drawn Lady Scarlet (Union Rags) leaving the chute and heading onto the backstretch. Settling off that rival through a reasonable :22.87 quarter, the chalk began to put more pressure on the pacesetter midway around the turn and neared the stretch menacingly as Prat looked behind him for late runners. Taking control shortly after straightening for home, Matareya drew off powerfully in the final furlong, cruising past the wire 8 1/2 lengths to the good of Radio Days (Gun Runner).
“She broke really well and rated nice,” said Prat. “I was on cruise control all the way around. [Trainer] Brad [Cox] told me this morning that he really liked her, and he was right.”
Asked the key to Matareya's blossoming as a 3-year-old, Cox said, “I'd have to say the cutback [in distance of her races]. We were hoping she'd go long. She trained like she would. Flavien made the comment that he didn't see why she wouldn't. But she's kind of shown us she enjoys the cutback, so we'll probably stick to one turn for now.”
“It's huge for the pedigree,” Cox added of the win. “And huge for the broodmare band at Godolphin, which is one of the best in the world. It was a big win, so we'll let the dust settle and see how she comes out of it, but [the GII Eight Belles S. and GI Test S.] are obviously races we'll look forward to and try to work back from, and–who knows?–maybe try to get her to the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint here at Keeneland this fall.”
Pedigree Notes:
With the victory, Matareya becomes the 43rd stakes winner and 20th graded stakes winner for star sire Pioneerof the Nile, who died at age 13 in 2019. From the final crop of that stallion, she is the second foal to race out of Godolphin's Grade III winner Innovative Idea, a half-sister to GSW Lucullan (Hard Spun) out of MGSW/GISP Golden Velvet (Seeking the Gold), herself a half-sister to GISW and sire Sky Mesa (Pulpit) out of MGSW Caress (Storm Cat). Innovative Idea is responsible for a juvenile Uncle Mo filly and foaled a colt by the same sire last season before returning to the Ashford superstar once more.
Sunday, Keeneland
BEAUMONT S. PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SELECT-GIII, $400,000, Keeneland, 4-10, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:27.55, ft.
1–MATAREYA, 118, f, 3, by Pioneerof the Nile
               1st Dam: Innovative Idea (GSW, $229,343), by Bernardini
               2nd Dam: Golden Velvet, by Seeking the Gold
               3rd Dam: Caress, by Storm Cat
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $241,800. Lifetime Record: 6-3-2-0, $374,267. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Radio Days, 118, f, 3, Gun Runner–Remembered, by Sky Mesa. ($750,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Joseph Allen LLC; B-Hinkle Farms (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $78,000.
3–Reagan's Decision, 118, f, 3, Unified–Twisted Decision, by Old Fashioned. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($25,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV). O-Lael Stables; B-Brandywine Farm (Jim & Pam Robinson) & Parker Place Breeding (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. $39,000.
Margins: 8HF, 1 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 1.10, 3.40, 16.00.
Also Ran: Lady Scarlet, Majestic d'Oro, Gina Romantica, Chi Town Lady.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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