Saratoga Stakes Previews: Matareya looks to continue upward trajectory in G1 Longines Test

Posted On 04 Aug 2022

Matareya looks to continue upward trajectory in G1 Longines Test

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Godolphin homebred Matareya has answered every question asked of her with aplomb this year, finding her best stride around one turn and posting a perfect 4-for-4 record that she will put on the line against six rivals in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

The Test is one of three Grade 1 events on Saturday, led by the nine-furlong $1 million Whitney for older horses over the main track and the 1 3/16-mile $1 million Caesars Saratoga Derby for sophomores on the Mellon turf. The lucrative card also features the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls for older fillies and mares over the lawn; and the $135,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure, a restricted stakes for older horses travelling 1 1/16 miles over the turf.

Matareya has flourished this year under the care of conditioner Brad Cox after going 1-for-4 in her juvenile campaign. The bay daughter of the late Pioneerof the Nile has won her four outings this season by a combined 22 1/4 lengths, most recently scoring her first Grade 1 victory in the $500,000 Acorn on June 11 at Belmont Park.

“She’s doing really good,” said Cox. “She’s had four works here and she’s moving great. She’s happy. She’s a very low-maintenance filly to be honest. She’s quiet and really easy to train. She’s been very consistent this year, so I’m looking forward to the race on Saturday.”

Matareya flashed her talents around one turn early on, graduating on debut in August at Ellis Park in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden by 4 1/2 lengths. The rest of the year saw her unable to find the winner’s circle again, stretching out to 1 1/16 miles in the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland and finishing an even fifth behind stablemate Juju’s Map. She closed out the year with a pair of runner-up finishes in the Fern Creek in November at Churchill Downs and a one-mile allowance in December at Oaklawn Park.

“We really liked her last year. We thought she was one of our better fillies,” said Cox. “I thought originally she would maybe stretch [out] just based off pedigree and how she trained, but we kind of see in her races that she wasn’t finishing up quite like we were hoping around two turns. We did ask her to run around two turns in two very good races with the Alciabiades and the allowance race at Oaklawn, which had [Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks winner] Secret Oath in it. So, it was quality fields, but once we cut her back to one turn, she seemed to be a different horse.”

This year has been a turning point for Matareya, who commenced her season with a strong 5 1/4-length win in a second-level allowance in February at Fair Grounds Race Course. She made the grade in her next outing with an 8 1/2-length romp in the Grade 3 Beaumont where she stalked a length off the pace and took command at the stretch call to draw away to her powerful score under Flavien Prat and earn a career-high 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

Each start in 2022 has been a step up from the last for Matareya, who reached Grade 2 success in her third start of the year over stakes winner Pretty Birdie and graded stakes-winner Wicked Halo in the Eight Belles on May 6 at Churchill Downs. The bay filly reached the pinnacle of success in her most recent outing, proving much the best in the Acorn and dazzling with a 6 1/4-length advantage over subsequent stakes winner Divine Huntress over a fast Big Sandy.

“It was huge,” Cox said of the Acorn effort. “Godolphin will add her to their broodmare band and that’s very powerful. It’s big for us and them to have these fillies with big pedigrees to perform in the afternoon at the graded stakes level.”

Flavien Prat, who has piloted Matareya to each of her three graded wins this year, retains the mount from the inside post.

“She’s very quick from the gate. She could break and show the way or she could break and sit off,” said Cox. “She’s very versatile and listens to exactly what the rider wants from her. Flavien has done a good job on her in the last three starts and we’re looking for more this time.”

The Rudy Rodriguez-trained Hot Peppers is also enjoying a steadier ascent to the top after showing a great step up in form since joining Rodriguez this spring. The daughter of Khozan is 2-for-2 for her new conditioner, with both wins coming in stakes company, and will look to give Rodriguez a repeat victory in this event after he took last year’s edition with Bella Sofia.

“She’s doing good. She’s doing everything that was asked of her here at Saratoga,” said Rodriguez. “She’s comfortable and eating good, so that’s a plus. The competition will be tough – in a Grade 1 it’s not easy. But she seems like she can make the next step.”

Owned by Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso, Hot Peppers was purchased privately from trainer Ronald Spatz after her second-out graduation at second asking in January at Gulfstream Park. Spatz continued to train the filly through her next three outings, picking up an allowance against fellow Florida-breds and an optional-claiming score against open company before completing her tenure with Spatz with an off-the-board finish in the Sophomore Fillies in March at Tampa Bay Downs for her stakes debut.

The consistent Hot Peppers would not be denied in her next try at the stakes level, coasting to a facile score in the Jersey Girl on June 12 at Belmont in her first outing for Rodriguez.

She made the grade in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 2 over Big Sandy, fighting each step of the way to hold onto a slim lead and ultimately prevailing by three-quarters of a length over Half Is Enough in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies.

“When I got her and she started working, I always thought she could step up to the plate, and so far, she has not disappointed us,” Rodriguez said. “She’s been doing everything that we ask and we just are happy for [the owners] to let her be in the barn.”

Rodriguez said he has full confidence in jockey Luis Saez to engineer another winning ride aboard Hot Peppers from post 6.

“I’m not going to change tactics. We know she wants to be in control, and she’s been doing that since Day One, so I’m not ready to change it,” Rodriguez said. “If something happens in the race, I’ll let Luis decide what to do. I don’t want to get in her way. We’re going to have a good idea of what we need to do.”

Castleton Lyons homebred Chi Town Lady will look to strike in stakes company again at Saratoga after taking last year’s Bolton Landing over the turf for trainer Wesley Ward.

A chestnut daughter of Verrazano, Chi Town Lady won on debut last April sprinting 4 1/2 furlongs on the dirt at Keeneland before trying turf for her next two outings that included her Bolton Landing victory and an even sixth-place finish in the Grade 3 Futurity facing males in October at Belmont Park. She closed out her juvenile season back on the main track with a closing fourth-place effort in the Myrtlewood 19 days later at Keeneland.

Chi Town Lady began this year with a well-beaten seventh behind Matareya in the Grade 3 Beaumont before improving to earn a runner-up finish in an optional claimer on May 19 at Churchill Downs. There, she showed her usual off-the-pace tactics and closed from 11 lengths off the pace to come up 3 1/4 lengths shy of the victorious Parlance.

“We’re going to try and get her to come from way, way back and utilize the style that she’s been telling me that she wants to run,” Ward said. “She always gets away a little slow and last time she sat back there and made one big run. We’re going to try that and hopefully get a placing in a Grade 1 for the owners.”

Joel Rosario will pilot Chi Town Lady from post 7.

Mark Anderson’s New York-bred Sterling Silver earned her first graded placing last out when third behind Hot Peppers in the Grade 3 Victory Ride. Trained by Tom Albertrani and bred in the Empire State by Mallory Mort and Karen Mort, Sterling Silver won her first two outings that included a stakes coup again fellow state-breds in the Franklin Square in January at Aqueduct Racetrack. She finished fifth in both the one-mile Busher Invitational at Aqueduct and 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland before returning to winning ways with a strong 4 1/4-length win in the Bouwerie on May 30 at Belmont.

Albertrani said returning to sprinting has helped the grey daughter of Cupid.

“We stepped her up into some open spots and tried her long. I don’t think she really wants to go too much further than maybe seven-eighths,” said Albertrani. “I think the cutback in distance was good. We’ll be going seven-eighths again this weekend which might give her a little bit more advantage maybe going into the Test.”

Trevor McCarthy has the call again from post 2.

The New York-bred November Rein will step up to the graded ranks for the first time after a last-out allowance victory facing open company on July 9 at Belmont Park. Trained by Kelly Breen and owned by breeder Ron Lombardi’s Mr. Amore Stable, November Rein was a stakes winner at Saratoga last summer in the restricted Seeking the Ante and was third in the Bouwerie against fellow state-breds in May.

The daughter of Street Boss will exit post 5 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard.

Completing the field are the lightly-raced Wish You Well [post 4, Tyler Gaffalione] for trainer George Weaver and Grade 2-winner Elm Drive [post 3, Manny Franco], who makes her first start for trainer Michelle Nevin.

The Test is slated as Race 9 on Saturday’s 12-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.
-30-
Contact: Mary Eddy

War Like Goddess goes for repeat win in G2 Glens Falls

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – George Krikorian’s Grade 1-winner War Like Goddess will return to Saratoga Race Course to defend her title in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls, a 1 1/2-mile inner turf test for older fillies and mares.

“She’s been great. She’s doing really well and I’m very happy,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. “I would say she’s training similarly to last year.”

On the heels of a prosperous 4-year-old campaign, War Like Goddess began her 5-year-old season on a high note when taking Keeneland’s Grade 3 Bewitch for the second year in a row under returning rider Joel Rosario. The daughter of English Channel had to overcome a difficult trip and a slow pace, steadying at the five-sixteenths and bumping with rivals at the top of the lane. Despite the troubles, War Like Goddess still managed to draw away to a 1 3/4-length victory.

“She overcame a very slow pace and kind of a jammed-up trip,” said Mott. “She’s doing fine and we’re happy with her progress since she’s been up here.”

The consistent War Like Goddess has finished on the board in 8-of-9 lifetime starts, posting an undefeated 3-year-old season in 2020 with a debut maiden score and an allowance coup in her first start against winners. Her lone off-the-board effort was a fifth in her first start of 2021 behind Antoinette in the Grade 3 The Very One in February at Gulfstream Park.

The next seven months saw the bay mare rise through the ranks with four graded stakes victories at three different tracks, beginning with a determined nose triumph in the Grade 3 Orchid at Gulfstream to post her first graded score. She went on to capture the first of her two wins in the Grade 3 Bewitch one start before taking last year’s running of the Glens Falls where she closed from 11 lengths off the pace to sail to an easy 3 1/4-length victory.

The pinnacle of War Like Goddess’ campaign was a strong showing in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational travelling 1 3/8 miles at Saratoga, showing her usual come-from-behind style and pouncing to a 2 1/4-length win that earned her a berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar.

The 201 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup, War Like Goddess trailed in last-of-12 and 11 lengths off the pace before being swung wide and rushed up to take command at the top of the lane. She was collared late in the stretch to finish third just a half-length behind the victorious Loves Only You and My Sister Nat.

Mott said he thought War Like Goddess put in an admirable performance in the Breeders’ Cup.

“I thought she did great the entire year and had a great run in the Breeders’ Cup,” Mott said. “She had a little bit of a wide trip, but I think she ran well and the effort was good.”

Mott added that he hopes to see a robust tempo up from for War Like Goddess to flash her late-running talents.

“It depends on the pace. She’s usually a come-from-behind type horse,” said Mott. “Unfortunately, that changes sometimes if there’s no pace in the race.”

War Like Goddess will exit post 6 with Rosario in the irons.

Mott will also send out Juddmonte homebred Petricor after a fifth-place finish in the Big Dreyfus on July 16 at Laurel Park. The British-bred Frankel filly, previously trained by Andre Fabre, posted a close runner-up finish in the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux at Longchamp last April.

Petricor’s best finish in her three American outings was a head score in a non-winners of two allowance over Abscond on April 24 at Keeneland. Her other start was a fourth behind Gam’s Mission in the Grade 3 Mint Julep in June at Churchill Downs.

Jose Ortiz is tasked with the ride from post 3.

Multiple graded stakes-winner Virginia Joy will look to give her four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown his first win in this event. Owned by Peter Brant, Virginia Joy was a close fourth last out in the Grade 1 New York on June 11 at Belmont Park behind victorious stablemate Bleecker Street after running in fourth throughout to be defeated one length.

The New York came on the heels of a dominating performance in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay in May over a soaked Belmont turf course listed as yielding. She led every step of the way in the compact field of four to draw away to an impressive 14 1/4-length victory under Trevor McCarthy. It was the first graded victory for the daughter of Soldier Hollow after she moved stateside from a successful campaign in Germany. There, she won the Group 3 Mehl-Mulhens Trophy and finished a close third in the Group 1 German Oaks.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. picks up the mount from post 2.

Pocket Aces Racing’s veteran Temple City Terror will try to turn the tables on War Like Goddess after finishing third in last year’s event. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the dark bay daughter of Temple City looks to rebound from a well-beaten seventh in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial over soft going at Delaware Park on July 9. It was an uncharacteristic finish for the 6-year-old mare, who won the Keertana two starts back in May at Churchill Downs by a half-length.

Temple City Terror has finished on the board in 5-of-7 starts since April 2021, her other off-the-board finish was a close fifth in an allowance this April at Keeneland where she was defeated just 1 1/2 lengths. Her other top stakes performance was a runner-up finish to Dalika in the Albert M. Stall Memorial in February 2021 at Fair Grounds Race Course. She boasts a 25-5-4-5 records for earnings in excess of $430,000.

Tyler Gaffalione has the call from post 1.

Emory Hamilton’s Flanigan’s Cove makes her stakes debut for Hall of Fame conditioner Shug McGaughey after finishing on the board in her last six outings. A 4-year-old Kitten’s Joy filly, Flanigan’s Cove was last seen finishing a closing second to Higher Truth in a second-level allowance traveling 1 3/8 miles on July 3 at Belmont. She is searching for her first win since taking a first-level allowance in November.

Flanigan’s Cove will emerge from post 4 with Luis Saez up.

Completing the field are Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial winner Key Biscayne [post 5, Junior Alvarado] for trainer Juan Alvarado and maiden winner Treasure Tails [post 7, Madeline Rowland] for Cara Holtzinger.

The Glens Falls, slated as Race 7 on Saturday’s 12-race card, is one of five stakes on tap for the lucrative day, led by the nine-furlong $1 million Whitney for older horses over the main track and the 1 3/16-mile $1 million Caesars Saratoga Derby for sophomores on the Mellon turf. Also featured are the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test for sophomore fillies sprinting seven furlongs; and the $135,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure, a restricted stakes for older horses travelling 1 1/16 miles over the turf. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.