Intercontinental victorious in
Matriarch
Juddmonte Farms’ homebred INTERCONTINENTAL (GB) (Danehill)
earned her third graded victory Sunday when she beat out
stablemate Etoile Montante (Miswaki) for the $500,000 Matriarch
S. (G1)
trophy at Hollywood Park.
The four-year-old filly sat back in the heart of the pack
under jockey Jerry Bailey while Etoile Montante set the pace,
clocking easy fractions of :24, :47 3/5, 1:11 2/5 and 1:23 3/5,
eventually hanging on to second, giving Bobby Frankel the 1-2
finish. As the field hit midstretch, Intercontinental gained
the lead three deep and won under urging in 1:35
4/5 for the one-mile firm turf event.
Intercontinental returned $11.20, $6.20 and $4.80 to her
supporters at 9-2. Etoile Montante was two lengths back in second, giving $12.40 and $9 at
12-1 and ending the $88.20 exacta ($1). Just a nose behind was Ticker Tape (GB) (Royal
Applause), who left the gate at nearly 7-1 and paid her backers $5.40
for the show. The $1 trifecta was worth $552.60. Island Fashion (Petionville)
completed the 4-9-6-8 superfecta ($1), which paid $4,936.40.
Hoh Buzzard (Ire) (Alhaarth), Musical Chimes (In Excess [Ire]),
Ocean Drive (Belong to Me), Denebola (Storm Cat) and Quero Quero
(Royal Academy) rounded out the field.
The victory increases Intercontinental’s record to 15-8-2-3 with earnings of
$781,182. It is her
first Grade 1 score, with the other marks on her resume including the Just A Game
Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) and Jenny Wiley S. (G3).
Bred in England, Intercontinental is out of
the stakes-winning mare Hasili (Kahyasi), who has set herself apart in the
breeders’ shed. The 13-year-old mare is responsible for Dansili (GB) (Danehill), the 2000 co-highweight older horse
in England and 2000 highweight older horse in France; Banks Hill (GB)
(Danehill),
champion turf mare, champion three-year-old filly in Europe and
winner of the 2001 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1); and Cacique
(Danehill), a Group 2 and 3 winner in France. Hasili is also the dam of Heat Haze (GB) (Green Desert), who was
victorious in last year’s edition of the Matriarch as well as
winner of the Beverly D. S. (G1).