River Boyne up in time to win Mathis Brothers Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – A sustained rally carried River Boyne from seventh to first in the stretch of Wednesday’s Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile at Santa Anita – and allowed the diminutive colt to hold off a late threat from an unlucky Desert Stone.

River Boyne ($2.80) won his fifth stakes of 2018 in the $201,725 Mathis Brothers Mile for 3-year-olds on turf, one of the most exciting races on Wednesday’s opening day of the track’s winter-spring meeting.

The victory erased some of the disappointment surrounding a second in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on Dec. 1, when River Boyne led in the stretch and was beaten a half-length by Raging Bull.

The manner in which River Boyne won the Mathis Brothers Mile was a delightful surprise to trainer Jeff Mullins, who was concerned jockey Flavien Prat had left his mount with too much to do to catch the leaders.

“I thought he had him too far back,” Mullins said. “Flavien said he’s even better at a mile. He settles so much better. When they’re going a mile and an eighth and they’re going up the backstretch, the pace slows down and he starts to get rank.”

River Boyne ran a mile on turf in 1:34.52 and finished a head in front of 10-1 Desert Stone. River Boyne earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95.

“The horse is really game,” Mullins said.

The Mathis Brothers Mile was the second stakes win of the day for Prat and Mullins. Prat rode Spiced Perfection to a win in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Mullins won the Lady of Shamrock Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on turf with Amandine.

River Boyne is owned by Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal, who co-own Amandine.

The Mathis Brothers Mile was the second Grade 2 win for River Boyne. In October, River Boyne won the Grade 2 Twilight Derby here.

Desert Stone was third in the Twilight Derby and eighth in the Hollywood Derby. Trained by Richard Baltas, Desert Stone closed from last on the turn to just miss on Wednesday. The loss stung Baltas.

“He couldn’t get out,” Baltas said. “He was the best horse. The horse loves Santa Anita.”

Combatant, a 14-1 chance who was 18th in the Kentucky Derby in May, finished third, beaten a half-length. Fight On was fourth, followed by Gidu, Shivermetimbers, Hardboot, Choo Choo, Snazzy Dresser, and Gemonteer.

River Boyne, an Irish-bred by the Mozart stallion Dandy Man, has won 7 of 14 starts and earned $691,718. He won a maiden special weight race at a mile on turf in his second start in the United States, on the opening day of the 2017-18 winter-spring meeting at Santa Anita.