Brown Goes for Fifth Straight Matriarch With Quartet

Of trainer Chad Brown's four entries in the Dec. 1 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar, Tax Implications  is coming off the worst finish, a third that was demoted to fourth due to interference. But she may have the magic Matriarch combination Sunday: Brown and jockey Joel Rosario.

Brown has an incredible record going in the one-mile Matriarch: four consecutive wins, six wins in the past seven runnings, and his quartet ran one, two, three, four in 2023. Add in Rosario, and it gets even better. Of the many Brown trainees in the Matriarch during that time, Rosario has ridden four—and won on all of them. He and Brown collaborated on Surge Capacity  in 2023, Viadera  in 2020, Uni  in 2018, and Off Limits  in 2017.

And for good measure, Rosario also won the race with La Tia  in 2014 and Gypsy's Warning  in 2010 for other trainers.

Rosario hasn't ridden Tax Implications in a race. The 4-year-old daughter of Mehmas  drew post 7 and has only won two races, including the June 15 Eatontown Stakes (G3T) at Monmouth Park. But she has placed in four other black-type events during her 11-race career. At 19-1, she was in the hunt for the lead in the Oct. 5 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine, before finishing third to Matriarch entrants Mouffy  and Nadette  and then disqualified to fourth for drifting in.

For those unimpressed by the Brown/Rosario karma, the trainer has three other very talented distaffers, any of whom could keep his streak alive.

Gina Romantica  is by far the richest and most experienced of the Brown quartet, having banked more than $1.7 million. The 5-year-old daughter of Into Mischief   is coming off a two-length win in the Oct. 5 First Lady Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland, her second consecutive victory in that event. Gina Romantica does well at Keeneland, having also taken the 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T) there.

In her only foray to California, Gina Romantica finished fourth against males in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Santa Anita Park. Jose Ortiz will ride her from post 11 in the Matriarch.

"It's her last career race," Brown said. "It's a grade 1. It's a mile and she's proven at the distance. I've had a lot of success in the race and it all just made sense (to bring her to the West Coast)."

Brown-trained Child of the Moon  and Prerequisite , both 4-year-olds, ran one-two, separated by just a neck, in the Oct. 19 Athenia Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. Child of the Moon, who gets the services of Manuel Franco from post 4, has two wins and a second in three United States starts.

"She covers well and has a good turn of foot if you can get her out in the clear," Brown said of Child of the Moon after the Athenia.

Prerequisite, to be ridden by current national leader Flavien Prat from post 9, last year at Belmont Park won the Wonder Again Stakes (G2T) and finished second in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) to Matriarch entrant Aspen Grove . She has started only twice this year, with a 2 1/2-length win in allowance optional claiming company prior to the Athenia.

Brown noted that Child of the Moon "saved a little more ground" than Prerequisite in the Athenia.

Eight others will try to end Brown's Matriarch domination.

Mouffy and Nadette not only defeated Tax Implications in the Dance Smartly, they are multiple stakes winners.

Jonathan Thomas trains Mouffy, a 5-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo  . Mouffy (Vincent Cheminaud, post 6) won the July 4 Perfect Sting Stakes at Aqueduct and the 2023 Ellis Park Turf Stakes.

A 5-year-old daughter of Outstrip  trained by Neil Drysdale, Nadette (Hector Berrios, post 12) won this year's Wilshire Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita and Beverly D. Preview Stakes at Colonial Downs.

Ag Bullet  (Umberto Rispoli, post 3) most recently finished third against males in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Del Mar following a fourth behind Gina Romantica in the First Lady. A 4-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy   trained by Richard Baltas, Ag Bullet earlier this year won four other stakes—two at Santa Anita, one at Del Mar, and one at Kentucky Downs.

Maiden Scipio Favored in Evenly Matched Cecil DeMille

The Richard Baltas-trained Scipio , a fast-finishing third and fourth against stakes company in his last two starts, eyes a maiden-breaking black-type score in the $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T) for 2-year-olds.

Although he has yet to win in three starts, Scipio has closed with a flourish each time, falling a neck short of victory two outings back in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes (G3T).

Flavien Prat has the call on the son of Caravaggio .

"He's had a little trouble all three times he's run," Baltas said of Scipio. "He got behind a slow pace last time, had nowhere to go, and had to check. The first time he ran he got left in the gate and had a rough trip. Hopefully, he'll have a better trip this time and get the money."

Scipio will be looking to run down East Coast shipper Clock Tower , a speedy Kentucky Downs maiden winner from the barn of Wesley Ward.