Regal Glory © Benoit Photo
Peter Brandt’s Regal Glory sped clear early, then was never threatened in a classy performance in Sunday’s Grade I, $400,500 Matriarch Stakes as Del Mar closed the lid on its eighth Bing Crosby Season.
The chestnut mare by Animal Kingdom was shipped east from the powerhouse Chad Brown stable and she walked her beat in handy fashion to tally by two and a half lengths in 1:35.33 for the mile on grass. She was ridden by Jose Ortiz, who earlier had won the Grade III Cecil B. DeMille Stakes on the Brown charge Verbal.
Heider Family Stables’ Zofelle chased Regal Glory home in the Matriarch and finished a length in front of race favorite Princess Grace, who performs in the colors of Susan and John Moore.
The winner paid $5.20, $3.00 and $2.10 across the board. Zofelle paid $5.40 and $3.00, while Princess Grace returned $2.40.
Regal Glory, a 5-year-old, was winning the ninth race of her career in her 16th start. It was her first Grade I score. The $240,000 winner’s share of the purse enabled her to raise her earning to $1,244,884.
The tally was Brown’s fourth in the eight runnings of the Matriarch conducted at Del Mar. The race had been run 33 additional times previously at Hollywood Park.
JOSE ORTIZ (Regal Glory, winner) – “I thought I’d have the lead and thought I was the only real speed in the race. The horse inside (Princess Grace) has speed, but when she used it last time she didn’t finish. So I thought I’d be out front and it worked out just that way. We got away with some easy fractions and then she had lots for the finish.”
JOSE HERNANDEZ, assistant to Chad Brown (Regal Glory, winner) – “Just go to the lead. That’s what my boss told the jockey. That was the plan. She’s a really nice filly and she did it all. I had some moments (of concern) because the other one (Viadera) is very good too. But this filly was just the best. They all (Chad Brown’s seven horses) go back to Kentucky on Tuesday and then to Florida.”
FRACTIONS: :24.06 :48.50 1:12.56 1:24.07 1:35.33
The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for rider Ortiz, but his first in the Matriarch.
He now has six stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was the second of the meet for trainer Brown, but his fourth in the Matriarch. He now as 14 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owner is Peter Brant of Greenwich, CT.