Four Brown runners take on Juliet Foxtrot in Matchmaker
Grade 1 winner Juliet Foxtrot looms the one to beat in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Matchmaker for fillies and mares at nine furlongs on Monmouth’s turf course, but trainer Chad Brown sends out a fearsome foursome to oppose her.
Brown has entered Nay Lady Nay, Great Island, Counterparty Risk, and Kalifornia Queen.
The 5-year-old Nay Lady Nay won last year’s Matchmaker and will make her third start of 2021 following a sixth-place finish in the Eatontown June 20 at Monmouth.
“She was flat in there,” said Brown. “With her, we’re trying to get back in form. Just handicapping her form, you’d have to question whether she trained on this year because she certainly hasn’t shown up as the same horse just yet.”
Great Island, a 5-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy, ran third in the Grade 3 Gallorette May 15 at Pimlico in her last start. Last behind a slow pace set by winner Mean Mary, she still gained ground in the stretch and finished 1 1/2 lengths back.
“A really top mare won, but that said, it was just a merry-go-round race that you hate to run in with a horse like this,” Brown said.
“We freshened her up a little bit and have been pointing to this. She’s coming up to it in good shape and I think the distance is perfect.”
Counterparty Risk finished in a dead heat for third in the Eatontown.
“The key with this filly is that she needs to get in the clear,” Brown said. “She doesn’t like to run inside of horses. Last time, she got stuck in there.”
Kalifornia Queen cut back in distance and added Lasix and blinkers for a two-other-than allowance score on June 13 at Belmont. That was her third start since coming to the U.S. from Europe. In her previous two starts, she ran sixth in the 1 3/16-mile The Very One at Gulfstream and fourth in the 1 1/2-mile Bewitch at Keeneland.
“That was really a relief to see because she trained this winter like she was going to be all right,” Brown said. “I probably made an error running her too far. I can see her getting steadily faster with her figs each race and develop into a nice horse in the division.”
Juliet Foxtrot was a gate-to-wire winner of the Jenny Wiley in April at Keeneland. Trained by Brad Cox, she enters the Matchmaker following a runner-up effort as the favorite in the Mint Julep at Churchill. She could be the controlling speed in the Matchmaker.
The 5-year-old Always Shopping, a Grade 2 winner on dirt as a 3-year-old, won the La Prevoyante at Gulfstream over the winter. Trained by Todd Pletcher, she drops in class following a seventh in the Just a Game.
Multiple stakes-placed sprinter No Mercy Percy completes the field.
Molly Pitcher
After running sixth behind divisional leader Letruska in the Fleur de Lis at Churchill, Vault receives class relief as she faces an evenly matched group in the Grade 3, $250,000 Molly Pitcher for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.
Sixth in this race last year, Vault earned her first graded victory in the Grade 2 Ruffian at Belmont on May 2. Six of her seven wins have come at the Molly Pitcher distance.
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Bank Sting has won her last four races, all against New York-breds. She stretches out around two turns for the first time.
“We took aim for this race immediately after her last,” said trainer John Terranova. “We thought, Monmouth, speedy-type of track that might be able to suit a filly like her if we’re to try something like this for the first time.”
Todd Pletcher counters with Thankful and Graceful Princess. The former moves from turf to dirt, her preferred surface.
Graceful Princess, a daughter of champion stallion Tapit and Horse of the Year Havre de Grace, did not seem to appreciate sloppy going in two of her last three.
The consistent Our Super Freak, graded placed in her last two races, must be respected as does the speedy Grade 3 winner Mrs. Danvers. Multiple Grade 3-placed Bajan Girl, stakes winner Water White, and Reina La Kelsy round out the lineup.