Brown Duo Takes on Princess Grace in Matriarch

While some trainers dominate certain major stakes, they usually do it at their home track. Chad Brown has taken the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) to another level. The New York-based trainer has won the Del Mar race three out of the last four years with shippers, and he could do it yet again Nov. 28.

Brown began his onslaught in 2017 with Off Limits , repeated the following year with Uni , and won the Matriarch again last year with Viadera , who returns this year for a second attempt. Brown is also sending Regal Glory , who actually has the better 2021 form.

Viadera and Regal Glory are coming off efforts in the Oct. 9 First Lady Stakes Presented by UK HealthCare (G1T) at Keeneland. Brown's runners finished first, second, and sixth that day. Blowout  won the race and subsequently had a rough trip in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T), ending up 11th.

Regal Glory finished a half-length back of Blowout in the one-mile First Lady, while Viadera raced wide and closed ground for sixth. Regal Glory, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Animal Kingdom —Mary's Follies , by More Than Ready  , owned by Peter Brant, surpassed $1 million in earnings in the First Lady. 

In four 2021 starts, Regal Glory has won the Plenty of Grace Stakes and Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes. Her only other loss this year was a fourth in the Longines Just a Game Stakes Stakes (G1T). She is seeking her first grade 1 victory in the Matriarch. Regular rider Jose Ortiz also ships in to ride, and they drew the outside in post 6.

Juddmonte homebred Viadera is a 5-year-old daughter of Bated Breath —Sacred Shield , by Beat Hollow . She ran fourth in the De La Rose, her first start back after the 2020 Matriarch, and she won the Ballston Spa Stakes (G2T) in her next outing. Flavien Prat is set to ride Viadera from post 3.

If Brown wins the Matriarch again, he will come close to the four consecutive winners the late Bobby Frankel saddled from 2003-07. (The race was not run in 2005.) That was a feat Brown witnessed up close and, in fact, helped with because he was working for Frankel during those years before going out on his own. Frankel has a record eight total Matriarch winners, one more than second-place Charlie Whittingham.

Matriarch entrants Princess Grace  and Zofelle  also are not usually based in Southern California, though they are coming out of the Nov. 6 Goldikova Stakes Presented by PNC (G2T) on the Breeders' Cup undercard at Del Mar. In the one-mile Goldikova, favored Princess Grace led early, a tactic she does not usually employ, and finished third to Going Global  and Zofelle. Going Global, a 3-year-old who was not nominated to the Matriarch, is eyeing Santa Anita's American Oaks (G1T) for 3-year-old fillies Dec. 26.

Michael Stidham trains Princess Grace, the 8-5 morning-line favorite, for owner/breeders John and Susan Moore. A 4-year-old daughter of Karakontie  , Princess Grace is out of the Silent Name   mare Masquerade , who was stakes-placed for Stidham when he trained her during the last part of her racing career.

Princess Grace won four consecutive stakes prior to the Goldikova, including the Aug. 7 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar.

"This filly is tenacious and one of the most hard-trying fillies I've ever trained," said Stidham after her Del Mar victory. "I trained her mother, and she was just like that—not quite as talented, but always digging in and trying to win every time out."

Kent Desormeaux piloted Princess Grace in the Yellow Ribbon and Goldikova. He will be back aboard for the Matriarch, and they drew the rail.

Brendan Walsh trains Zofelle, a 5-year-old daughter of Zoffany , for the Heider Family Stables. Zofelle's last win came in the Jan. 23 Marshua's River Stakes (G3T) five starts back. Umberto Rispoli will ride from post 5.

Though both foreign-bred, Bodhicitta  and Fast Jet Court  comprise the local contingent.

Bodhicitta has raced in Southern California since late 2019. Fifth in the Goldikova, she won the 2020 Yellow Ribbon and ran fourth in that race this year. Richard Baltas trains Bodhicitta for owner Calvin Nguyen, and John Velazquez will be the pilot from post 2.

Fast Jet Court, trained by Michael McCarthy for the Aoshiba Corp., is making her fourth start in this country. A two-time group 1 winner in her native Brazil, she has yet to win in the U.S., her best effort a fourth in Del Mar's John C. Mabee Stakes (G2T). McCarthy has named Drayden Van Dyke to ride from post 4.

Entries: Matriarch S. (G1T)

Del Mar, Sunday, November 28, 2021, Race 7

• Grade IT
• 1m
• Turf
• $400,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Princess Grace (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	123	Michael Stidham	-
2	Bodhicitta (GB)	John R. Velazquez	123	Richard Baltas	-
3	Viadera (GB)	Flavien Prat	123	Chad C. Brown	-
4	Fast Jet Court (BRZ)	Drayden Van Dyke	123	Michael W. McCarthy	-
5	Zofelle (IRE)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	123	Brendan P. Walsh	-
6	Regal Glory (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	123	Chad C. Brown	-