Cox feels Matareya well suited for Eight Belles
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Though Juju’s Map was the more accomplished 2-year-old filly in Brad Cox’s barn in 2021, the two-time Eclipse Award winning trainer felt Matareya was the most talented juvenile filly in his shed row.
The Godolphin homebred daughter of Pioneerof the Nile lived up to her trainer’s expectations last month at Keeneland with a dominant 8 1/2-length victory in the Grade 3 Beaumont Stakes. Friday, Matareya will try to step up again when she heads a field of 10 3-year-old fillies entered in the Grade 2, $500,000 Eight Belles Stakes going seven furlongs at Churchill Downs.
Matareya finished second to Juju’s Map in the Grade 1 Alcibiades going 1 1/16 miles around two turns last fall at Keeneland. This year, Cox has shortened Matareya to races run around one turn and she responded with a 5 1/4-length allowance win at Fair Grounds in February prior to her dominant Beaumont victory, which she won from just off the pace.
“She liked the shortening up,” Cox said.
Matareya’s lone loss in four starts going one turn came when she was second to Marissa’s Lady in the Fern Creek Stakes at Churchill last Nov. 27. Noting that Matareya was blocked behind horses from the middle of the turn to midstretch, Cox felt Matareya “was the best horse” in the race.
If there is a concern, it’s that Matareya is running back 26 days after a career-best speed figure in the Beaumont.
“It’s not ideal to run back that quick, but it’s a half-million, it’s a Grade 2, and if she were to run well we could think about something like the Acorn,” Cox said, referring to the Grade 1, $500,000 one-turn mile race on June 11 at Belmont Park.
Flavien Prat rides Matareya from post 8.
A victory over Matareya in the Fern Creek is one of four stakes wins for Marissa’s Lady. After going 2 for 2 on dirt at Churchill last fall, Marissa’s Lady went 3 for 4 over Turfway Park’s synthetic surface this winter.
“I think she’s a little better than she was last fall here,” trainer William Morey said. “She’s steady as a rock training-wise, racing-wise, she always tries.”
Morey said the ability for Marissa’s Lady to get the seven furlongs of the Eight Belles may hinge on how much other speed there is in the field. Marissa’s Lady is drawn in post 3 with one of the other primary speed horses, Pretty Birdie, drawn immediately to her inside.
Pretty Birdie won the Grade 3 Schuylerville at Saratoga last year and didn’t win again until she took the Purple Martin at Oaklawn Park in March for trainer Norm Casse.
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Trainer Phil D’Amato wouldn’t mind seeing a lively pace for his filly, Ain’t Easy, who cuts back to a sprint after three tries around two turns at Santa Anita. That included a victory last October in the Grade 2 Chandelier. Most recently, Ain’t Easy finished third in the Santa Anita Oaks. Ain’t Easy won her debut going 5 1/2 furlongs last summer at Del Mar.
“It was a one-turn race where she was able to sit off and kick home impressively,” D’Amato said. “I think going seven-eighths with a lot of speed in there for her to run at, she can sit and come with one big run.”
Tyler Gaffalione rides from post 4.
The Eight Belles marks the 3-year-old debut of Gerrymander, who hasn’t run since winning the Tempted Stakes, a one-turn mile race at Belmont last November. Prior to that, she finished second to Echo Zulu in the Grade 1 Frizette.
“She had a minor issue down in Florida she needed to resolve,” trainer Chad Brown said. “She put it behind her and she’s doing super. It cost us getting on the [Kentucky] Oaks trail, but I’m looking forward to getting her season started in the Eight Belles.”
Joel Rosario rides Gerrymander from post 6.
Wicked Halo won the Grade 2 Adirondack at Saratoga last summer. She had troubled trips in both the Dixie Belle and Purple Martin, where she finished fourth and third, respectively.
Sweet Dani Girl, third in the Fern Creek last November, Awake At Midnyte, Lac Vieux Desert, and Sweet as Pie complete the field.
The Eight Belles goes as race 9, at 4:04 p.m. Eastern, on Friday’s card.