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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Whitebeam Upsets In Italian In Diana; Chad Brown Goes 1-2

With four of the five runners, many figured Chad Brown would get a winner in the GI Diana S. Saturday but most assumed it would come via 1-5 favorite In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Instead, it was Juddmonte's Whitebeam (GB) (Carravagio) who just nosed out last year's winner to notch her first Grade I win in her third start stateside. Third best as In Italian handled the pace, Whitebeam raced outside of the Mark Casse-trained Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) through much of the early running. Inched up at the top of the stretch under the expert hands of Flavien Prat, Whitebeam needed the entire length of the lane to get by, just prevailing narrowly over In Italian with Fev Rover in third.

Saturday, Saratoga
DIANA S.-GI, $485,000, Saratoga, 7-15, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8mT, 1:48.33, fm.
1–WHITEBEAM (GB), 118, f, 4, by Caravaggio
                1st Dam: Sleep Walk (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
                2nd Dam: Scuffle (GB), by Daylami (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Tantina, by Distant View
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd. (GB); T-Chad C.
Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $275,000. Lifetime Record: SP-Eng,
9-5-2-1, $396,308. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–In Italian (GB), 124, m, 5, by Dubawi (Ire)
                1st Dam: Florentina (Aus) (GSW-Aus, $250,958),
                                by Redoute's Choice (Aus)
                2nd Dam: Celebria (Aus), by Peintre Celebre
                3rd Dam: Twyla (Aus), by Danehill
'TDN Rising Star'. (475,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Peter M.
Brant; B-Fairway Thoroughbreds (GB); T-Chad C. Brown.
$100,000.
3–Fev Rover (Ire), 122, m, 5, by Gutaifan (Ire)
                1st Dam: Laurelita (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Chervil (GB), by Dansili (GB)
                3rd Dam: Nashmeel, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
(£20,000 Ylg '19 GOFFPR; 695,000gns 3yo '21 TATMA). O-Tracy
Farmer; B-Manister House Stud (Ire); T-Mark E. Casse.
$60,000.
Margins: NO, HF, 5 1/4. Odds: 7.80, 0.35, 9.20.
Also Ran: Marketsegmentation, Fluffy Socks.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

https://twitter.com/TwinSpires/status/1680289956797861890?s=20

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