Bubble Rock looks sharp for Matron Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. – Bubble Rock certainly had the advantage when, in her second start, she defeated seven first-time starters in a Sept. 3 maiden race at Saratoga.
Bubble Rock won in such a manner to suggest she will be one of the major contenders in a deep renewal of Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Matron Stakes for juvenile fillies going six furlongs on turf at Belmont Park.
The Matron drew a field of 12, though Wesley Ward’s two entrants – Poppy Flower and Chi Town Lady – were entered back for Sunday’s Grade 3 Futurity against males. It is likely Ward will split the two up, and Poppy Flower has already defeated males in her maiden win at Belmont in June.
Bubble Rock finished second behind Lady Danae – also in this field – when both debuted Aug. 13 at Saratoga. In her maiden win, Bubble Rock broke on top and dueled early, dropped back to race behind horses, and then rallied along the rail to win by 1 3/4 lengths while taken in hand by Irad Ortiz Jr. late.
“She was down on the inside, they got running on her, Irad waited for the inside to open up, and once it did it she spurted away from them,” trainer Brad Cox said. “She’s had two good runs. Irad thought a lot of her in two starts. She’s been training really well on the turf course.”
Bubble Rock has indeed put in two solid works over the Belmont turf, including a bullet half-mile in 47 seconds on Sept. 26.
Trainer Christophe Clement sends out both The Club and Gal in a Rush in the Matron. In her debut here in June, The Club was beaten by Sail By, a result that looks better considering Sail By won last Saturday’s Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes. After finishing second in an off-the-turf race, The Club won a maiden race by a neck on Aug. 26 at Saratoga.
“It’s ambitious, but she ran well, she’s training well, she’s sound, there’s plenty of speed,” Clement said. “To get her black type would be a big deal, to win it would be icing on the cake.”
Gal in a Rush was elevated to first after Haughty was disqualified from first in a Sept. 17 maiden race here. Clement admits its risky running back on short rest, but figures Gal in a Rush will sit back and make a run.
Mystic Eyes, a sharp debut winner at Saratoga, figures to be part of the pace in the Matron. After winning her debut by 4 1/2 lengths, she then finished second in the Ainsworth Stakes at Kentucky Downs.
“She has a lot of speed and wants to use it,” trainer Todd Pletcher said.
Whichever horse Ward decides to run in the Matron is a contender. Chi Town Lady and Poppy Flower ran 1-2 in the Bolton Landing Stakes run over yielding turf on Aug. 18 at Saratoga. That made Chi Town Lady 2 for 2. Poppy Flower came back to run third in the Ainsworth.
Makin My Move, a 12 1/2-length winner of a dirt race on Aug. 20 at Saratoga, has worked extremely well on turf and has a pedigree to suggest she should handle it.
Dufresne, High Arabian, Benbang, and Mainstay complete the field.