Sharing will try older in Matriarch

Sharing, winner of the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita and three other stakes, is expected to have her debut against older fillies and mares in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at a mile on turf Nov. 29 at Del Mar.

Trainer Graham Motion said Wednesday that Sharing will be one of several stakes-caliber runners he plans to send to Del Mar for the final days of the track’s autumn meeting, which begins Saturday.

Sharing has won 5 of 7 starts and $1,038,751 for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stables. In June, Sharing was second, beaten 4 1/4 lengths by top European filly Alpine Star, in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in England. In her only subsequent start, Sharing won the Grade 3 Edgewood Stakes at a mile on turf for 3-year-old fillies on Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs.

The Edgewood was meant to be a prep race for the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland earlier this month, but Sharing missed that race because of a foot problem, Motion said.

“It’s a little frustrating,” he said. “We’ve had some stops and starts with a foot issue she has dealt with. The Matriarch is our fallback race.

“She does tend to bruise her heels, and we’ve had to correct her shoeing. It’s more the way she’s made.”

Sharing has had three starts this year, beginning with a win in the Tepin Stakes at a mile at Churchill Downs in May.

“She hasn’t done much wrong,” Motion said. “I thought her race in England was huge. We would have liked to run a time or two more.”

Last weekend, Sharing breezed five furlongs in 1:02.60 on turf at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland, exercising in company with Mean Mary, who has been pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf and BC Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland. Mean Mary was timed in 1:02.

Del Mar has seven graded stakes on turf on the final weekend of the autumn meeting from Nov. 26-29, and Motion has candidates for several of those races.

Aside from Sharing, the 2019 German Derby winner Loccario, who was second in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on Oct. 3 at Belmont Park in his American debut, is a candidate for the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup on Nov. 27.

Blame Debbie, winner of the Grade 3 Dowager Stakes on Oct. 18 at Keeneland, is likely to start in the Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 3/8 miles on turf Nov. 26.

Batyah, fifth in the Grade 2 Jessamine Stakes on Oct. 7 at Keeneland, and Oyster Box, winner of a maiden race on Oct. 3 at Belmont Park in her career debut, are possible starters in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at a mile on turf Nov. 28.