Dea Matrona stretches out in wide-open turf route; $54,223 pick six carryover

Unbeaten in her last three starts, Dea Matrona has been a popular filly since early June, with both bettors and trainers.

A 5-year-old mare, Dea Matrona has been claimed in her last three races, all at a mile on turf, and starts for the first time for trainer Peter Eurton in an allowance race for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on grass Friday at Santa Anita.

How she handles the longer trip will be of particular interest to bettors on a day when the $2 pick six begins with a carryover of $54,223. The pick six covers the fourth through ninth races on a program that begins at 1 p.m. Pacific. The pool of new money in the pick six may surpass $350,000.

Dea Matrona, now owned by Abbondanza Racing and MM Wilkes Racing, drew the outside post in the seventh race, the fourth race in the pick six sequence. A winner of 7 of 21 starts, she won an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles on the synthetic track at Gulfstream Park in February 2025, the longest race of her career to date.

In Friday’s race, Eurton is hopeful that Dea Matrona can be patient for jockey Kazushi Kimura, who has been aboard for her last two wins in $25,000 and $32,000 claiming races. On Friday, Dea Matrona is entered to be claimed for $50,000 in the optional-claiming provision of the allowance race.

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“If she relaxes, I think she’ll love it,” Eurton said of the distance. “She can be on the bridle. She will have to settle, being on the outside.”

Kimura “knows her really well.”

Dea Matrona is part of a field that lacks a strong favorite, which will force pick six bettors to make a bold choice or use a few selections. Roselee May, entered to be claimed for $50,000, was sixth in the CTT-TOC Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 3/8 miles on turf Aug. 15 at Del Mar in her last start. She won an allowance race on turf at that distance at Del Mar in August 2025 for trainer Michael McCarthy.

Trainer Dan Blacker has two runners – Midnight Horizon, a closer who was fifth of seven in an allowance race at a mile on turf Aug. 16 at Del Mar, and Daring Pursuit, who won a maiden race at 1 1/8 miles on turf Aug, 9 at Del Mar in her longest race.

The pick six consists of three races on dirt and three on turf.

Some tickets will take an early stand with Dottie Hinson and Kool Mariah in the fourth race, an allowance for California-bred fillies and mares at a mile on dirt. Dottie Hinson is starting at a mile for the first time, but her dam, Duranga, won at a mile at Golden Gate Fields in 2019.

The Virginia shipper Dairago and Del Mar winner Caisson are the leading contenders in the fifth race, a starter allowance for $16,000 claimers at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Dairago won three races at Turfway Park and Laurel earlier this year as a stalker.

The complexion of the fifth race may change if the speedy Fomo Joe draws into the race from the also-eligible list. He is capable of setting a strong pace.

Mystic Moses, winless in eight starts, may finally have found a field he can beat in a $12,500 claimer for maiden statebreds at six furlongs on dirt. The race represents a strong class drop for Mystic Moses, who is capable of leading. Hungover, winless in nine starts, can be a factor as a closer.

The eighth race, a $20,000 claimer for maiden statebred 2-year-old fillies, drew a field of 12 and could produce an upset. This is arguably the most difficult race in the pick six sequence to assess. Deep-pocketed bettors are likely to use several selections.

The first-time starter Fiery Tiger, trained by Brian Koriner, is a full-sister to Tiger Lady, a debut winner as a 2-year-old at Del Mar in August 2025. Harkette, third and fifth in her first two starts, is capable of leading.

The final race, a maiden for statebreds at a mile on turf, is not much easier. Zakiel starts on turf for the first time from the outside post 9 for Eurton. He has finished second or third in three starts on dirt since early June. Zakiel is a half-brother to King of Dragons, a three-time winner on turf.

Columnist, second in a maiden race on turf in his last start in January, is likely to be near the front.

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