By Steve Sherack
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It was a tale of two trips as Godolphin homebred Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile) delivered a one-length victory over Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) in Saturday's GI Derby City Distaff to kick off the graded action on Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs. Heavily favored champion female sprinter Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) was a very unlucky third.
Godolphin was victorious with the Brendan Walsh-trained Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) in Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks. Sheikh Mohammed's operation and Matareya's trainer Brad Cox finished fourth with the Oaks beaten favorite Wet Paint (Blame).
“It was a very big effort,” Cox said. “I'm very proud of her. Flavien (Prat) did a really good job of getting her into position. There were some really good fillies in there.”
Matareya, off at odds of 5-1 in the six-horse field, sat a dream trip beneath Flavien Prat stalking from second. She gained command at the top of the lane and took care of business from there to secure her second career Grade I victory. Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Goodnight Olive, meanwhile, found herself completely boxed in behind the winner while racing on the inside of Wicked Halo for the length of the stretch and never got a chance to run beneath jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr.
“I was stuck, the entire way,” Ortiz said. “I had no place to go. I couldn't get out of there. I had tons of horse, just no place to go.”
Matareya, winner of the GII Eight Belles S. on the Kentucky Oaks program last year, capped a four-race winning streak with her first win at the top level in the GI Acorn S. on Belmont Stakes day June 11. She concluded her sophomore campaign with a third-place finish as the big favorite over a good going in Saratoga's GI Test S. Aug. 6. She resurfaced to finish second to Wicked Halo after leading in the stretch over a muddy track last time in Oaklawn's Mar. 31 Matron S.
Pedigree Notes:
Matareya is one of four Grade I winners for her late sire Pioneerof the Nile. She is one 15 Grade I winners for broodmare sire Bernardini.
Matareya's Grade III-winning dam is a daughter of Golden Velvet, who was stakes-placed in France before adding a pair of graded victories and a runner-up effort in the 2008 GI Ogden Phipps H. Golden Velvet is a daughter of Harbor View Farm's outstanding turfer Caress, who was purchased by John Ferguson on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed's global operation for $3.1 million at the 2000 Keeneland November sale a handful of months after the mare foaled a Pulpit colt. That offspring, Sky Mesa ($750,000 KEESEP yearling), was raced by John Oxley to a victory in the GI Hopeful S. Caress is also the dam of Velvety (Bernardini), whose son MGISW Maxfield (Street Sense) closed out his career with a win in the GI Clark H. and now stands at Darley at Jonabell.
Innovative Idea is the dam of the unraced 3-year-old filly Methodology (Uncle Mo). She is also responsible for a yearling colt and a 2-year-old colt by the same stallion. She visited Curlin for 2023.
Saturday, Churchill Downs
DERBY CITY DISTAFF S. PRESENTED BY KENDALL-JACKSON WINERY-GI, $750,000, Churchill Downs, 5-6, 4yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:21.87, ft.
1–MATAREYA, 123, f, 4, by Pioneerof the Nile
1st Dam: Innovative Idea (GSW, $229,343),
by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Golden Velvet, by Seeking the Gold
3rd Dam: Caress, by Storm Cat
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $460,350.
Lifetime Record: 11-6-3-1, $1,517,217. Werk Nick Rating:
A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Wicked Halo, 123, f, 4, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Just Wicked (GSW, $208,460), by Tapit
2nd Dam: Wicked Deed, by Harlan's Holiday
3rd Dam: Marfa's Squall, by Marfa
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$148,500.
3–Goodnight Olive, 123, m, 5, by Ghostzapper
1st Dam: Salty Strike (MGSW, $485,266), by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Lake Huron, by Salt Lake
3rd Dam: My Rainbow, by Lyphard
($170,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT). O-First Row Partners and Team
Hanley; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Chad
Brown. $74,250.
Margins: 1, 1, 3 1/4. Odds: 5.06, 3.74, 0.57.
Also Ran: Hot and Sultry, My Destiny, Travel Column.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
