Matrooh rallies from last to take Hanshin Cup

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Cipriano Contreras was a longtime assistant to Chicago-based trainer Mike Reavis before he went out on his own, setting up shop at Indiana Grand in 2016 – emphasis on longtime.

“Thirty years, this is my home right here,” Contreras said, standing in the Arlington winner’s circle a few minutes after Matrooh had won the Grade 3, $100,000 Hanshin Cup on Saturday, rallying from last under Santo Sanjur.

Contreras runs a sharp claiming outfit, and two races ago he and Raul Bahena’s Crystal Racing Enterprises took Matrooh for $25,000 out of an Oaklawn claimer. He won an allowance race there first off the claim, and on Saturday gave Contreras his first graded stakes win with his first such starter.

“He’s a got a lot of back class to him,” Contreras said. “We were hoping to get him back to his old form, but you never know 'til it happens.”

Eight-year-old Matrooh has traveled a long and winding road. He began his career in England in 2013, didn’t race at all in 2014, and came to America the following year, joining Chad Brown’s stable. By the fall of 2015 Matrooh had gotten good enough that he won the Grade 3 Bold Ruler and finished a close third in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.

Then came another layoff of more than one year, and in five 2017 starts for another new trainer, Dan Peitz, Matrooh never came close to his best form. But Matrooh woke up at Oaklawn this winter just before Contreras snapped him up for the quarter, and Matrooh on Saturday appeared to relish his first start over a synthetic surface.

Sanjur, who moved his tack from Arlington to Indiana Grand this year, let Matrooh lope along last of nine as Goneghost, hounded by Harmac, Crewman, and Master Merion, set splits of 23.95 and 46.54 seconds for this one-turn mile. Matrooh began closing the gap around the far turn, and as Goneghost shook off his pace rivals, Sanjur had his mount rolling down the middle of the track. Matrooh collared Goneghost in the final half-furlong and pushed out to a 2 1/2-length win. He stopped the timer in 1:36.43 and paid $19.60 to win.

Matrooh was given a 97 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He ran really good in a sprint last time, and we liked him better going long,” said Contreras.

Goneghost finished five lengths in front of Western Elegance, who stumbled at the start, raced wide around the turn, and finished decently to beat 2-1 favorite Master Merion by a neck. Then came Great Wide Open, Ghost Hunter, Christian C, Harmac, and last year’s winner, Crewman. Wellabled, the morning-line favorite, was an early scratch.

Matrooh, a gelding, is by Distorted Humor and out of the Personal Flag mare, Rockcide. His second dam is Belle’s Good Cide, who produced Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide.

Illinois-bred Goneghost ran admirably despite a demanding trip. “I was kind of hooked the whole way, even though he was relaxed,” said jockey Chris Emigh.

Master Merion took up a favorable pressing position but was hurt by his stumbling start. “He went to his head,” jockey Corey Nakatani said. “He picked himself right up, but it surely didn’t help.”

As for Matrooh, he needed no excuse.