DENALI SALE GRAD GOES FOR MATRIARCH REPEAT
Trainer Graham Motion, fresh off a grade I win in the Hollywood Turf Cup, guns for another at Hollywood Park when he sends out three entrants in the $250,000 Matriarch Stakes on the turf Nov. 25, including defending champion Gypsy’s Warning.
Motion, who sent heavily favored Sanagas from his Maryland training base to grab the the Turf Cup Nov. 19, also entered grade I winner Summer Soiree and Unbridled Humor in the one-mile Matriarch. The Turf Festival race for fillies and mares attracted a field of nine, including Keeneland’s First Lady Stakes (gr. IT) winner Never Retreat.
The local hopes are led by All Star Heart, an impressive two-length winner of Santa Anita’s Las Palmas Stakes (gr. IIT) Nov. 6 for trainer Ron McAnally.
The Matriarch, the ninth on a 10-race program, is set to go off at 4:37 p.m. PST. It is one of two graded stakes events on the card along with the Miesque Stakes (gr. IIIT) for 2-year-old fillies at one mile on the turf, which is the fifth race.
The 6-year-old South African mare Gypsy’s Warning was sold by Denali at Keeneland November for $1,050,000. In last year’s Matriarch, whe won by 1 1/4 lengths over Wasted Tears. The daughter of Mogok, is now owned by Flaxman Holdings, in her last start she ran sixth in the First Lady at Keeneland, beaten by 3 1/4 lengths.
Motion has tabbed top Southern California rider Joel Rosario, who was aboard Gypsy’s Warning in last year’s Matriarch, for a return engagement.
The only one to win the Matriarch more than once is Flawlessly, who won three in succession (1991-1993) for Harbor View Farm, trainer Charlie Whittingham, and jockey Chris McCarron.
The speedy Summer Soiree, one of four 3-year-olds in the field, also came to Southern California to enjoy her finest moment, winning the Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT) Aug. 20 by a diminishing half-length over Matriarch opponent Star Billing.
Team Valor’s War Front filly has had one race since. She faded to fifth in Keeneland’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (gr. IT) Oct. 15 after setting a clear pace. This will be the first start against older horses for Summer Soiree, to be ridden from post 2 by regular pilot Gabriel Saez.
$250,000 Matriarch Stakes (gr. IT, Race 9, 4:37 p.m), Fillies & Mares 3 & Up, 1 Mile (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Unbridled Humor (FL), R A Dominguez, 123, H G Motion
2. Summer Soiree (KY), G Saez, 120, H G Motion
3. Quiet Oasis (IRE), L Medina, 120, B D Cecil
4. Madera Castana (CHI), H I Berrios, 123, R Cardenas
5. Gypsy’s Warning (SAF), J Rosario, 123, H G Motion
6. All Star Heart (ON), B Blanc, 123, R L McAnally
7. Star Billing (KY), V Espinoza, 120, J A Shirreffs
8. Never Retreat (KY), J R Leparoux, 123, C M Block
9. Up In Time (GB), M Garcia, 120, S Callaghan