Matareya continues to live up to expectations with win in Eight Belles

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Brad Cox felt Matareya and Juju’s Map were the best 2-year-old fillies he had in his barn last year, and Friday at Churchill Downs they gave every indication they’ll be the two best 3-year-old fillies in his barn this year.

Matereya backed up her dominant victory in last month’s Grade 3 Beaumont at Keeneland with a solid 2 1/4-length triumph in Friday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Matareya’s victory, her third in as many starts this year, came four hours after Juju’s Map, last year’s Grade 1 Alcibiades winner, made a successful 3-year-old debut winning an allowance race on the same card.

Both could be headed to the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park on June 11, Cox said.

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Matareya, under Flavien Prat, got bumped pretty good out of the gate in the Eight Belles, for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs. Despite breaking from post 7, Prat was able to quickly get Matareya over to the rail. She was sixth, about four lengths off the speed of Pretty Birdie, who ran an opening quarter in 22.27 seconds.

Before the turn, Prat moved Matareya into third, just inside of Marissa’s Lady, through a half-mile in 44.72 seconds. Approaching the top of the lane, Prat was able to get Matareya to the outside and she collared Pretty Birdie at the eighth pole before pulling away late.

“She broke running, but I just got outrun the first part, so then I took a chance going to the inside,” Prat said. “I thought [Pretty Birdie] was a good horse to follow. Then we had a fair pace. I was traveling well and when I tipped her out she was there for me.”

Matareya, a Godolphin-owned and -bred daughter of Pioneerof the Nile, covered the seven furlongs in 1:21.86 and returned $4. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 93.

“We thought she’d be maybe a little bit closer to the pace,” Cox said. “They kind of got away from her a little bit the first eighth of a mile, three-sixteenths of a mil. [Prat] didn’t panic. He let her find her stride, saved some ground going to the turn, tipped out, and ran down a very good filly that was second.”

Pretty Birdie, a two-time stakes winner at six furlongs, finished second, two lengths clear of Wicked Halo in third. Marissa’s Lady was fourth, followed by Sweet Dani Girl, Gerrymander, Awake At Midnyte, Lac Vieux Desert, and Ain’t Easy. Sweet as Pie scratched.

Norm Casse, the trainer of Pretty Birdie, was pleased with his filly’s effort, especially going seven furlongs.

“We were doing a little bit of an experiment today,” Casse said. “I didn’t know how far she wants to go. I think maybe by the end of the year we can get this type of trip. I’m elated with the way she ran today. That’s the Pretty Birdie I see every day. I’m happy she rewarded our confidence.”

* Juju’s Map, in her first start since finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies last Nov. 5, went gate to wire in winning that second-level allowance race by 4 3/4 lengths. The only 3-year-old in a field of 10 fillies and mares, she ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.35.

“I was very impressed facing older horses for the first time off the bench,” Cox said. “She quickened up and won in hand - big run. She’s obviously a Grade 1 winner, but I think she has [more] Grade 1’s in her future.”