Del Mar wrap: Surge Capacity leads Brown 1-2-3-4 in Matriarch
Surge Capacity, benefitting from a daring, rail-skimming ride by Joel Rosario, captured Sunday’s Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes on closing day at Del Mar, leading a 1-2-3-4 finish by Chad Brown-trained females in the $303,500 mile on the turf.
The eastern-based conditioner who has had great success shipping horses west as part of the seaside track’s autumn turf festival pulled off his biggest score yet in the closing-day headliner. He registered his sixth victory in the feature in its last seven runnings.
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His top-four finishes never before have been accomplished in a Grade 1 race at Del Mar.
Rosario, who previously was a three-time riding champion at Del Mar, won the Matriarch for the fifth time, getting his mount home by a head. They ran the distance in 1:33.95, the fastest mile, grass race of the meeting.
The winner is a 3-year-old daughter of the Great Britain sire Flintshire who was bred in Kentucky by her owner Seth Klarman of Boston. On Saturday, Klarman and Brown combined to win the Hollywood Derby (G1) at Del Mar with Program Trading under Flavien Prat.
Surge Capacity won her third graded stakes but her first Grade 1 in her initial outing against older mares. Her $180,000 winning share of the purse pushed her bankroll to $518,975.
Fluffy Socks came in second in the Brown parade. Owned by Head of Plains Partners, she finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of third-place Beaute Cachee, who belongs to Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Louis Lazzinnaro. Whitebeam, owned by Juddmonte, finishing another head back in fourth. Twelve horses ran and finished.
Surge Capacity, the second betting choice behind Whitebeam, returned $11.40 to her backers.
Stay Hot narrowly wins Cecil B. DeMille
Juvenile ridgling Stay Hot took the overland heading for home and came away a neck best in the $102,000 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3) at a mile on the turf.
The winner, who is owned by Exline-Border Racing, Burns Racing and the estate of Brereton Jones, ran the distance in 1:35.89 under rider Antonio Fresu. The son of the War Front stallion Summer Front is trained by Peter Eurton.
Rothschild finished second for the partnership led by SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables. Miracle Mark, owned by Sland Dunk Racing and Old Bones Racing Stable, was another head back in third.
Stay Hot got his first stakes win and his share of the purse pushed his total earnings to $116,940. He has been victorious in two of five starts.
The winner paid $6.60 as the second choice in the field of nine 2-year-olds.