The Matriarch (Grade 1)- $300.000 Purse
DMR- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Turf
December 2, 2018

This Sunday at DMR, the 16th running of the Grade 1 Matriarch will take place. It is a nine furlong race on the grass for females, and it has a pretty interesting history. Like other DMR stakes this time of year, the race debuted at HOL, and ran there through 2013 before becoming part of the DMR schedule. Purses of $500.000 were once seen for the race. What is somewhat interesting is that the race has had three two-time winners, starting with Darling Harbour in 2003 and 2005, which was followed up by Halfbaked in 2006 and 2007. More recently, Attraction accomplished the feat in 2014 and 2016. This won’t happen again this year, since we do not have any repeat winners. Last year’s winner, Rule Of Law, has not won since, and while still active, she has not been seen on the track since July. The starting gate will be full for this race, as eleven are entered, and a handful of them were seen at the BC last month,

#1- Noble Moment (Mb Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- After a disappointing start to her career, Noble Moment was moved to the grass this May, and things have paid off. It wasn’t an easy transition either, as he first turf race was the Grade 2 Nassau, and she won. Since then, she’s done well in a pair of Grade 1’s, such as a third in the BEL Oaks. Was dropped into an optional claimer last start, and came up flat with just a 90 SRF, though was second. Tough to pick her off of that race.

#2- Red Broom (Williams9, ridden by E Maldonado)- Purchased in the September auction for $30.010, this Western Red Cedar filly has performed nicely for Williams9, scoring two wins in three starts. Most recently, she won the $75.000 Kat Crosby right here at DMR last month. Her speed figures have improved since the purchase, entering the 90’s for the first time, including a 94 for the Kat Crosby. This is an additional jump forward for her for sure, but she has earned this chance and should not be ruled out.

#3- Alligator (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by T C Baze)- Had a great spring, winning three out of four races, including the Grade 2 Honeymoon at SA in June. Then she went a few races without a win, as she ran competitively still at the Grade 1 level. This would get her into the BC Fillies and Mares Turf last month, and she would finish third in that race, a length behind the winner. Alligator is the highest earner in this field for her career, just barely so over Killer Angels, and she always represents herself well. She will be one of the favorites here, and it would be a surprise if she did not get a piece of the purse.

#4- Commanding Faith (Crocker Ggs, ridden by E A Roman)- This filly has been hit and miss over the course of the year, either ending up in the winners circle, or not hitting the board at all. Early in the year, she had a great stretch with three wins in four starts, and at the time she was seen as one of the top fillies in this division. After winning the Grade 1 Gamely in May, she has not been bad, but simply has not been good enough. She was a non-factor in a disappointing BC Fillies and Mares Turf appearance. She is still capable, and may be due.

#5- Killer Angels (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by R Bejarano)- She wowed many in September as she thoroughly romped in a four length win at the KD Ladies Turf (Grade 3). That came after three finishes in the back, and she changed up her tactics to run at the front on soft turf that day. The rains came for her next start, too, the Grade 1 First Lady, and she faded greatly in the stretch that day, running the same distance as she had in the big win. If the trainer knows why that bad result happened, then expect her to run well here again.

#6- Wednesday (Fractious, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- Picked up a big win in September as she captured the Grade 3 Noble Damsel Handicap at BEL, one of two graded wins for her this year. She was also impressive in a second place finish, that being in the Grade 1 Taylor three weeks later at WO. This got her into the BC Fillies and Mares Turf, but three races in six weeks proved to get the best of her, and she was a non factor. She’s had a little more time to rest now, but considering that last race was the BC, the question isn’t her ability, it’s whether or not she needs more rest.

#7- Trump Princess (Winning Link Stables, ridden by F Geroux)- There was a time when this filly seemed like one of the best in the division as well, running off a stretch of three wins in four starts, which included the Grade 2 Royal Heroine at SA in April. Since that streak, she has not hit the board again, but has still been competitive. She ran third in the Grade 1Rodeo Drive at SA in September, and would finish 7th in the BC Fillies and Mares Turf. It may have just been 7th, but other then Alligator, it was better then the others that here and coming from that race.

#8- Moonlight Bliss (Fractious, ridden by L H Colon)- The great L H Colon will look to pick up yet another big graded win on the turf. This will be the first time that the jockey has been aboard Moonlight Bliss, so right away we know that we should expect her to run well. Overall she has had an excellent season with five wins and three third place finishes in nine starts. Until her last race, none of them were graded, but while many others were at the BC, Moonlight Bliss was winning the Grade 2 Goldikova at SA on that same day. Anything with Colon on it on the grass must be feared.

#9- Rain Down (John Henry, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- After a disappointing race about six weeks ago in the Grade 3 Valley View at KEE, Rain Down has been allowed to rest. Her form was great heading into that race, with two wins and four second place runs in six starts, and then a respectable fourth place finish at the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive. Then came the Valley View, and you have to wonder if that was simply the case of not getting enough rest, since there was only three a three week layoff between the two of them. Rain Down will not have any excuses here, and if rest was the only issue before, then she may be overlooked here as a contender and may come up big.

#10- Nancy Broom Moytoy (Team 7 Illusions, ridden by A Beschizza)- This filly was going to run in the Mrs Revere last week, but would eventually scratch out of it. Here, she will run for a greater purse, and a slightly shorter distance. She enters the race having won four out of five, which includes the Grade 1 DMR Oaks and Grade 2 San Clemente right here at DMR. This will be the largest field she has run against in her career, so she might not be used to starting all the way to the outside of so many. That said, I like her form, and think the switch to this race from the Mrs Revere means the trainer is very confident with her right now. She is one of the favorites.

#11- Diminuendo (Blushing Meadows, ridden by F Pennington)- The bright spot for this one is having F Pennington in the saddle. That should cancel out any negative factors from starting on the outside. She’s winless this year, and I feel I have covered at least half of those races. Diminuendo is a good horse able to run near the leaders, but she has lacked stretch desire. Blushing Meadows will be hoping a switch to the grass will make a big difference here. She has no public turf works, so impossible to predict how she will fare in her turf debut.

Prediction: 3-10-8-4

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES