Uni comes from far back, wins Matriarch Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. - Uni had one of her 13 rivals behind her at the end of the backstretch in Sunday’s Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar. About then, jockey Joel Rosario began to envision a victory.

“She was very comfortable,” Rosario said. “After I passed the three-eighths, I started to pick up a little bit and she was there for me. After that, I was looking for a clear run.”

Still 11th with a quarter-mile remaining, Uni ($13.20) rallied wide through the stretch to reach the front in the final strides. Uni won by a half-length over the brave Daddy Is a Legend, a 27-1 outsider, who closed from seventh in the final quarter-mile.

Quidura finished third, followed by Vasilika, Dona Bruja, Rymska, Mission Impassible, Excellent Sunset, Insta Erma, Valadorna, Luminoso, Fahan Mura, and Mopotism.

Vasilika was the 2-1 favorite on the basis of an eight-race winning streak since April that included three graded stakes on turf. In the Matriarch, Vasilika was well placed under jockey Flavien Prat and within a length of the lead with a furlong remaining, but faded to finish two lengths behind Uni.

“I thought I had a good trip,” Prat said. “I thought she would give me a run and she didn’t.”

Fahan Mura set a quick pace of 22.80 seconds for the opening quarter-mile, leading by as many as four lengths in the first half of the race before fading through the stretch.

Uni’s win gave Rosario and trainer Chad Brown a sweep of the Grade 1 races at Del Mar over the weekend. On Saturday they teamed to win the $300,000 Hollywood Derby with Raging Bull. Brown also trains Quidura and Rymska.

Uni ran a mile on turf in 1:34.35 and earned a career-best Beyer speed figure of 101.

The $302,760 Matriarch Stakes for fillies and mares was Uni’s first win in a Grade 1 and her third appearance in a race at that level. Uni was third in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks in her American debut in July 2017 and fourth in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland in October 2017.

Uni will finish the year unbeaten, with all of her wins coming in stakes. She won the Plenty of Grace Stakes at Aqueduct in April, the De La Rose Stakes at Saratoga in August, and the Grade 3 Noble Damsel Stakes at Belmont Park on Sept. 22

Owned by Head of Plains Partners, Michael Dubb, Robert LaPenta, and Bethlehem Stables, Uni, a 4-year-old British-bred filly by More Than Ready, has won 7 of 14 starts and earned $892,880. The Matriarch was her sixth stakes win.