Matareya thriving at 1 turn, will target Saratoga's Test

Grade 1 Acorn Stakes winner Matareya, a Godolphin homebred trained by two-time Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox, remains undefeated in 2022 after her dominating 6 1/4 length score and continues on target for the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test for sophomore fillies at Saratoga on Aug. 6, according to her connections.

The seven-furlong Test is a one-turn race like Belmont’s one-mile Acorn and that is ideal for Matareya.

“We thought a lot of her as a 2-year-old,” said Blake Cox, the assistant to his father. “She broke her maiden at Ellis Park (August 2021) and then went right into a Grade 1 at Keeneland (the Alcibiades at 1 1/16 miles in October, finishing fifth). We thought maybe it’s the two turns and we trained her back in a two-turn race and she hooked the Oaks winner (Secret Oath in a one-mile allowance at Oaklawn Park in December when she was second by 8¼ lengths). We were scratching our heads all winter. She finally jumped up and proved how good she is around one turn. Her win is very gratifying. She sure is a nice filly.”

Cox said the daughter of Pioneerof the Nile, who won the Beaumont (G3) at Keeneland in April and the Eight Belles (G2) at Churchill Downs, both run at seven furlongs, is also a pleasure to have in the barn.

“She’s a very cool filly to be around. She’s sweet. She’ll stand in the shedrow all day and watch training and not move a hair,” said Cox.

On Sunday morning, Matareya went out on the track for an easy jog.

“She looked fresh, which is what you like to see,” said Cox, who reported that Warrant (second, Brooklyn (G2)) and Bonny South (fourth, Ogden Phipps (G1)) were also fine after their efforts.

The Cox contingent departed Belmont at 2 p.m. and headed back to the stable’s home base at Churchill Downs.