Sacred Wish edges Gina Romantica in Matriarch Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. - Sacred Wish started in a graded stakes for the 11th time in her 17th start in Sunday’s Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes for fillies and mares on turf at Del Mar.

She finally achieved a win in such a prestigious race, benefiting from an ideal trip under jockey John Velazquez at 12-1.

Sacred Wish was never far from the front, racing in third for the first six furlongs behind pacesetter Ag Bullet through an early pace of 23.32 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.57 for a half-mile.

Valazquez moved Sacred Wish to the outside of Ag Bullet in early stretch and caught her in the final sixteenth. Sacred Wish was fully extended to finish a neck in front of 6-5 favorite Gina Romantica.

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“It worked out perfect,” Velazquez said. Ag Bullet “took me where I thought. She pulled out and she had a nice kick.”

Gina Romantica, ridden by Jose Ortiz, closed from sixth on the backstretch and appeared positioned to win in early stretch. She was closest to the front at the finish.

Sacred Wish “had a dream trip,” Ortiz said. “Everything came easy for her.”

Gina Romantica broke from post 10 in a field of 11, which Ortiz said was not an ideal starting position compared to Sacred Wish, who started from the inside.

“I think the trip beat me,” he said.

Sacred Wish ($27.60) was timed in 1:34.76 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 96.

Ag Bullet, who was third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 2, finished third.

“We took a shot and tried to win a Grade 1,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “She ran valiant.

“That being said, she deserves a break. I think she’s better going one turn. I’m not saying that she can’t win going a mile.”

Tax Implications finished fourth, followed by Aspen Grove, Child of the Moon, Mouffy, Nadette, Aussie Girl, Prerequisite and Tirupati.

Gina Romantica was favored on the strength of a two-length win in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes for fillies and mares at Keeneland on Oct. 5.

The loss by Gina Romantica ended trainer Chad Brown’s streak of four consecutive wins in the Matriarch. Brown has won six of the last eight runnings of California’s leading one-mile race on turf for fillies and mares.

Gina Romantica is scheduled to be retired and bred in 2025.

“I feel a little sorry for the filly,” Ortiz said, reflecting on the loss.

Aside from Gina Romantica, Brown started Tax Implications, Aspen Grove and Prequisite.

Sacred Wish, a 4-year-old by Not This Time, has won 4 of 17 starts and earned $985,138. Trained by George Weaver, Sacred Wish races for the partnership of Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Christopher Dunn and Anthony Spinazzola.

Prior to Sunday, Velazquez had ridden Sacred Wish six times in her 16-race career since the spring of 2023.

Velazquez was aboard Sacred Wish for a win in the minor Winter Memories Stakes at Aqueduct in September 2023, and a close third in an allowance race at Keeneland in April of this year.

Velazquez was also on Sacred Wish for a second-place finish by a neck in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga in July 2023 and a seventh-place finish after a troubled start in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga a month later.

The Matriarch was the first time Velazquez was aboard Sacred Wish since the allowance race at Keeneland, a day the filly closed well to just miss.

On Sunday at Del Mar, Sacred Wish and Velazquez had ideal timing.

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