Grade 1 winners Matareya and Society lead Chicago Stakes

Grade 1 Derby City Distaff winner Matareya headlines a field of six fillies and mares who are entered in Saturday’s 33rd running of the Grade 3, $225,000 Chicago Stakes at Ellis Park.

The Chicago Stakes will be run at seven furlongs on the main track and was carded as Race 9 of 10 with a post time of 4:55 p.m. EDT. First post is 12:45 p.m. EDT.

Matareya, trained by Brad Cox and owned by Godolphin, is a two-time Grade 1-winning sprinter. Prior to her top-level glory in the $750,000 Derby City Distaff, Matareya won last year’s Acorn (G1) as a 3-year-old. Matareya has one prior start at Ellis Park when she broke her maiden as a 2-year-old by 4 1/2 lengths. Jockey Flavien Prat, who’s been aboard Matareya for her last six starts, will be in the saddle from post No. 2.

Another Grade 1 winner that entered the Chicago Stakes is Peter Blum Thoroughbreds’ Society. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Society won last year’s Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx. In her last start, Society faded to ninth in the 1 1/16-mile La Troienne Stakes (G1) but will cut back in distance in the Chicago Stakes with Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle from post No. 5.