Back at Santa Anita, River Boyne Earns Mathis Brothers

River Boyne posted his fourth stakes win on the Santa Anita Park turf this season and fifth stakes score overall in 2018 when he held off challenges from his inside and outside to prevail in the $200,000 Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes (G2T) Dec. 26.

Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal's River Boyne found clear running and rallied to the lead in deep stretch, where he held off a fast-closing Desert Stone to his outside and a determined Combatant to his inside to secure a narrow victory. He finished a head in front of Desert Stone and half-length better than third-place Combatant, and completed the mile in 1:34.52 on firm turf.

The win in the one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds gave Jeff Mullins his second stakes win of the day, after the trainer took the Mathis Brothers' sister race, the Lady of Shamrock Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on the turf, with Red Baron's Barn, Rancho Temescal, and Shanderella Stables' Amandine.

"We went for so many years of losing races with cheaper horses that we bred. It's just incredible to have all of these top turf horses," said Mark Cohen of Red Baron's Barn. "My dad doesn't take any of this for granted, but I guess I am. This horse is so consistent. He just wants to win."

Before the Mathis Brothers win, River Boyne also secured 2018 stakes wins on the Santa Anita turf in the Twilight Derby (G2T), Rainbow, and Pasadena stakes. The son of Dandy Man has won all six of his starts on the Santa Anita turf. 

River Boyne entered Wednesday's race off a runner-up finish to Raging Bull in the Dec. 1 Hollywood Derby (G1T) on the Del Mar turf. The other 2018 stakes win for River Boyne also came at Del Mar, in the La Jolla Handicap (G3T).

River Boyne rated seventh or eighth early in the Mathis Brothers Mile, as Snazzy Dresser was hustled from the outside post to open a clear lead through a quarter-mile in :22.68 and a half-mile in :46.14. He was pursued by Gidu, Hardboot, and Gemonteer. In the far turn River Boyne was moved out four wide by jockey Flavien Prat, where he improved his position.

Once in the stretch River Boyne found his top gear and surged to the lead after he passed the eighth pole. Combatant then found running room to mount his challenge, while Desert Stone took flight on the outside, but River Boyne had enough to hold off both runs.

"He's solid. You know when you lead him over here, he's going to give it you. He might not get it every time, but he's going to give it you," Mullins said. "I thought Flavien might have had him a little too far back, but he knows more of what he's got under him than I do."

River Boyne paid $2.80, $2.20, and $2.20 across the board, while Zayat Stables' Desert Stone paid $5.20 to place and $3.40 to place and show. Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's Combatant returned $4.60 to show.

"I had a great trip, he broke well, and then it was more about getting him to relax," Prat said. "With the mile sometimes, it's a bit tough to get him to relax. Today we had some pace, he relaxed well, made a nice move when I asked him to go, and he gave everything he had to hang in there."

Bred in Ireland by Limestone & Tara Studs, River Boyne is out of Mark of Esteem mare Clytha, who has produced four other winners.