Fans of turf racing will savor a post-Thanksgiving feast as Hollywood Park
begins its three-day Autumn Turf Festival on Friday. The Grade 3, $100,000
Miesque
Stakes for juvenile fillies serves as an appetizer for the main course, the
Grade 1, $250,000
Matriarch Stakes, which has no shortage of intrigue. If Never Retreat can
garner her sixth stakes victory of 2011 in her Matriarch swan song, she might do
more than just go out on a high note: she could clinch an Eclipse Award as
champion turf female. First she must overcome a three-pronged assault from
trainer Graham Motion — Summer Soiree, Unbridled Humor and defending champion
Gypsy’s Warning, who hopes to become the first repeat winner since Hall of Famer
Flawlessly (1991-93).
Never Retreat has never been better at the age of six. On the go since early
January, the Chris Block mare has thrived during her busy 10-race campaign.
Since earning the first graded title of her career in the Grade 3 Honey Fox, she
has captured the Grade 2 Dance Smartly and the Grade 2 Canadian at Woodbine,
putting herself into Sovereign Award consideration, and scored a rare sweep of
Keeneland’s Grade 2 Jenny Wiley in the spring and the Grade 1 First Lady last
time out on October 8. The only other to turn that double in the same year was
Intercontinental (2005), after her success in the 2004 Matriarch.
Never Retreat’s form has been flattered since her stakes-record win in the
First Lady. Runner-up Together came back to take the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II
Challenge Cup, and Perfect Shirl, who was previously second to Never Retreat in
the Canadian, upset the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. That 1 3/8-mile affair
was never seriously entertained by Never Retreat’s connections, believing it was
too far for her. The Breeders’ Cup Mile was the right distance, but they were
not keen to venture outside of the distaff ranks, so the grassy mile of the
Matriarch shaped up as the ideal spot. Never Retreat is three-for-three with
Julien Leparoux in the saddle, and will try to cap their perfect partnership
here from post 8.
Gypsy’s Warning, who entered the 2010 Matriarch in much better form, has gone
winless since her triumph here a year ago. Her best result this season is a
troubled third versus lesser in the Miss Liberty at Monmouth, and she couldn’t
get close to Never Retreat in the Jenny Wiley or First Lady. Nevertheless, the
back class of the South African multiple Group 1 star merits respect. Formerly
campaigned by Team Valor International, Gypsy’s Warning was recently sold to the
Niarchos Family’s Flaxman Holdings for $1.05 million at Keeneland November.
Their willingness to let her mount a title defense could be a signal worth
noting. Joel Rosario, who masterminded her Matriarch score, is back aboard.
Team Valor will still have its colors flown courtesy of Summer Soiree.
Purchased privately following her 10 3/4-length romp in the Grade 3 Bourbonette
Oaks on Turfway’s Polytrack, she later found her true home on turf. Summer
Soiree demolished her foes by 8 1/2 lengths in the Grade 3 Boiling Springs at
Monmouth, then opened up a big lead in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks before holding
on by a half-length from Star Billing. She suffered her first loss on turf when
folding tamely in the Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland, but is eligible to
improve when reuniting with her former jockey Gabriel Saez. He figures to make
the most of her speed from post 2.
Tactics will be of interest, as her stablemate Unbridled Humor also has early
speed, and has drawn the rail with Ramon Dominguez. Unbridled Humor cannot be
dismissed as the third of the Motion trio. Highly regarded by her trainer, the
Live Oak Plantation homebred has won five of seven, including the Grade 3 Noble
Damsel two starts back. Her only losses have come on rain-affected ground, and
she was her own worst enemy when pulling too hard early in the Grade 1 Diana.
The Southern California home team is led by the improving All Star Heart, who
recovered from a frightening fall in a February allowance to win four of her
last five. The Ron McAnally filly comes off scores in the Swingtime and the
Grade 2 Las Palmas at Santa Anita, and will try to keep progressing in her first
Grade 1 attempt.
The sophomore Star Billing has hit the board in all three of her Hollywood
outings, landing the Grade 3 Senorita at this one-mile distance, finishing a
close second in the Grade 2 Honeymoon and missing by all of a head when third in
the Grade 1 American Oaks. A fast-closing second to Summer Soiree in the Del Mar
Oaks, she was uncharacteristically flat in the Queen Elizabeth II and wound up
sixth, but could rebound back on her home turf.
Up in Time was unplaced in both the Honeymoon and the Del Mar Oaks, but both
of those came over nine furlongs. The Simon Callaghan trainee has had a happier
time at a flat mile, taking both the Grade 2 San Clemente and the Grade 3 Harold
C. Ramser in her latest.
Ben Cecil sends out the well-bred Quiet Oasis, who just missed in the Grade 3
La Habra and recently returned from an eight-month layoff to dominate a Santa
Anita allowance. As with her fellow three-year-olds Summer Soiree, Star Billing
and Up in Time, she faces a class test versus her elders. Over the past 10
runnings of the Matriarch, only two sophomores have won — French Group 1
performer Price Tag (2006) and Dermot Weld’s Dress to Thrill (2002)
Rounding out the nine-strong field is Chilean Group 1 winner Madera Castana,
0-for-8 so far in the United States.
Like the Matriarch, the Miesque is a one-mile test with a strong East Coast
presence. Trainer Michael Matz dispatches Assateague, a front-running, 3
1/2-length maiden winner at Keeneland, while John Terranova II sends Belmont
maiden winner More Than Love. Coming from even further afield is English invader
Island Paradise, who has raced only on Polytrack and will ironically make her
turf debut here.
John Sadler has arguably the most compelling of the locals, Regal Betty and
Katie’s Ten. Regal Betty has been found wanting in the Grade 1 Oak Leaf and the
Sharp Cat, but the fact that Sadler even ran her in such races is notable.
Sadler’s other runner, Katie’s Ten, is bred to improve considerably on the
stretch-out and on turf. The Jim Cassidy-trained Your Special Day is two-for-two
on dirt in maiden claiming and starter allowance company, and takes a big class
hike while switching surfaces. Raesunbridledfaith was a distant third in a pair
of restricted stakes on dirt. Calder transplant Starship Flare was a
disappointment in her only turf attempt in a starter allowance on her old
circuit.