Miss Temple City, the 8-5 favorite under Edgar Prado, gamely held off the late challenge of an onrushing Roca Rojo to win the Grade I $300,000 Matriarch Stakes for older fillies and mares on closing day of the fall Bing Crosby racing season at Del Mar Sunday.
Miss Temple City, owned by The Club Racing and Sagamore Farm, was perfectly positioned in third place by Prado in the early stages of the one-mile race over the Del Mar grass course as longshot Stays in Vegas set a moderate pace.
She moved authoritatively entering the stretch to take the lead and then courageously held off Roca Rojo, who was ridden by Florent Geroux, in the final strides to score by a nose in 1:35.16. Stays in Vegas, handled by Drayden Van Dyke, held on well to be third, a length and one-quarter in front of Mexican Gold in the field of eleven female runners. Decked Out was withdrawn.
Miss Temple City, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Temple City, whose Annals of Time won the Grade I Hollywood Derby Saturday, was scoring her third success in a Grade I stakes for trainer Graham Motion, also having won the Makers Mile and Shadwell Turf Mile over males this year at Keeneland. In her previous race, she was fifth to males in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita a month ago.
Miss Temple City returned $5.20, $3.60 and $3 after recording her sixth victory in 16 starts. First money of $180,000 increased her career earnings to $1,453,038. Second-place Roca Rojo paid $5.20 and $3.60, while Stays in Vegas returned $5.60 to show.
Norberto Arroyo, Jr., won a single race Sunday, on California Silver at $4 in the second, for his 12th win of the fall season, edging out Drayden Van Dyke, who had eleven, to claim his first riding championship in Southern California. Sidelined Flavien Prat tied Van Dyke at eleven.
Peter Miller won his second fall Bing Crosby meeting training title with 16 triumphs, doubling the number of his closest rivals, Doug O’Neill and Richard Baltas. Miller won the eighth race Sunday with St. Joe Bay at $9.20.
In the Pick Six, with a mandatory payout on the 15th and final day of the meeting, $780,563 in “new” money was wagered added to $89,411 in the Single Ticket Jackpot for a grand total of $869,974. There were 44 perfect tickets and each was worth $15,660.40.