Toinette heads Drysdale contingent for turf festival

DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Neil Drysdale likes to play the long game, and with Toinette, it is paying off. A two-time graded stakes winner last year at age 3, Toinette was off for more than nine months before returning to action this year in August, and she has been brought along in a progressive, deliberate fashion.

Now it’s time for the main goal of the year.

After winning three of her four starts this year, most recently in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes on Santa Anita’s closing day Nov. 3, Toinette will face the sternest test of her career on closing day of Del Mar’s fall meeting Dec. 1 in the Grade 1, $300,000 Matriarch Stakes, where she will face the likes of Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up Got Stormy.

Toinette won an optional claimer at Del Mar in August prior to finishing third in the Grade 2 John Mabee, then won the restricted Swingtime at Santa Anita before the Goldikova.

“We took the conservative approach,” Drysdale said Friday morning at Del Mar, “and feel like she’s coming into this race in good condition.”

The Goldikova like the Matriarch is at one mile on turf. Drysdale also finished second in the Goldikova with Simply Breathless, and said that filly also would run in the Matriarch.

Drysdale will have plenty of action the final weekend of the meet, when Del Mar has its popular turf festival. He said he would run Majestic Eagle, winner of the Grade 3 American earlier this year at Santa Anita, in the Grade 2, $200,000 Seabiscuit for 3-year-olds and up, and recent Del Mar maiden winner Overjoyed in the Grade 3, $100,000 Jimmy Durante for 2-year-old fillies, both on Nov. 30.

Majestic Eagle has not raced since Aug. 31, when he was fifth in the Tourist Mile at Kentucky Downs.

“That race kind of knocked him out, but he’s had plenty of time and he’s recovered now,” Drysdale said