Regal Glory ends stellar racing career with brilliant Matriarch victory

DEL MAR, Calif. - Regal Glory ended her brilliant career with an epic win in Sunday’s Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar, becoming only the second repeat winner of one of California’s top races for fillies and mares.

Regal Glory ($3.20) rallied from fourth to win the $401,500 Matriarch Stakes at a mile on turf by a convincing 5 1/4 lengths in what trainer Chad Brown described as “one of her best races.”

A candidate for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding turf female of 2022, Regal Glory ends her career with 13 wins in 23 starts and earnings of $2,619,134 for owner Peter Brant.

“I am retiring her,” Brown said in a phone interview from his home on Long Island, New York. “She’s done enough.”

Regal Glory won the Matriarch after catching tear away leader Hamwood Flier in the final furlong. Regal Glory ran a mile on turf in 1:33.60 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 100.

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The 3-1 second choice, Hamwood Flier led by seven lengths on the backstretch after setting early fractions of 23.58 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.12 for a half-mile. Hamwood Flier led by eight lengths with a quarter-mile remaining, but the advantage diminished to 2 1/2 lengths with a furlong to go.

Regal Glory, ridden by Flavien Prat, cruised past Regal Glory in the final furlong.

“I was hoping I could make a good run,” Prat said. “She broke okay. I was expecting her to be closer, but it worked out.”

Prat had a brilliant day on Sunday: Regal Glory was his fifth of six winners.

England’s Rose (17-1) finished second, a nose in front of 13-1 Pizza Bianca, the winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf here in November 2021.

Hamwood Flier finished fourth, followed by Avenue de France, Dolce Zel, Bipartisanship and Eddie’s New Dream.

The Matriarch was Brown’s 18th Grade 1 win of the year in North America, one more than top rival Todd Pletcher.

The Matriarch, Del Mar’s top annual race for fillies and mares on turf, was Regal Glory’s third Grade 1 win of the year. She won consecutive Grade 1 races in the spring in the Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland in April and the Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park in June.

The Matriarch was her first win in the second half of the year. Regal Glory was second in the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap against males at Saratoga in August and second to stablemate In Italian in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 8.

In the BC Mile against males at Keeneland on Nov. 5, Regal Glory finished 10th of 14, five lengths behind Modern Games.

“In the Breeders’ Cup, she was up against a tough field and had a wide trip,” Brown said.

“I sent her out to California and she came through.”

Regal Glory joined Flawlessly (1991-1993) as the only repeat winners of the Matriarch, and was Brown’s third consecutive win in the race and his fifth in the last six runnings.

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