The ‘graveyard of favorites’ strikes again as the Chi Town Lady sweeps to check the status fails; 3rd Matareya
‘Graveyard of Lovers’ claimed another victim on Saturday in Saratoga, as Joel Rosario instructs Castleton Lyons’ Chi Town Lady (Verrazano) to 17-1 last to first upset when overwhelming favorite Matareya (Pioneerof Nile) in GI Longines Test S. at Spa.
Debuting three points last April at Keeneland, the chestnut hasn’t been seen for more than four months, but has returned with an impressive conquest on the Bolton Landing S. Still, it is her last trip to the winner’s circle, as she ended her underage campaign with a sixth against men in GIII Futurity S. and a fourth on land in Myrtlewood S. 10 GIII Beaumont S. in Lexington and was second in Churchill’s grant on 19 May.
Having to retreat and reload after Saturday’s gate action, Chi Town Lady was at the bottom of the field as Hot Peppers (Khozan) took the lead and Matareya was in a clear fifth compared to recent-track private. The Hot Peppers clicked on the :22.54 and :45.28 splits, while Matareya slid over the track near the lane before shifting out at the early ramp to challenge runners.
The result looked like an accomplice was approaching the eighth pole as Matareya pulled out on even terms, but the Chi Town Lady was just going and soon emerged as a major threat to the tournament leaders. duel after Matareya had a harder time than expected eliminating Hot Peppers. The three came together and collided in the sixteenth column, but the collision was inconsequential, as the Chi Town Lady by then produced a flat ball and clear kick at the end, giving Rosario the victory. card based. A brief investigation was posted, but no action was taken.
“We got lucky. She’s been training really well and I’ve been looking at this race after her last one in my mind and giving her some time because she started coming in from behind,” the coach won. Wesley Ward said. “I’ve asked Joel to work for her here a few times and she’s been doing phenomenal work. I told the owner we would probably run a 30-1 shot, but I want to take a turn and do what she asked me to do, which is a big fee and a big money . We were hoping for second or third – a graded spot – to see if the race would fall apart, and here we are in the winner’s circle. She has come a long way. I just think I had to learn to listen to her get to where she wanted to go easily in the first part and arrive late. This will be her running style from now on.”
“They walked quickly ahead and she ran up. It was a great race,” added Rosario. “Looks like they came out a bit and I ran into them a bit [in the deep stretch bumping incident], but they seem to come more from within. At the time, my horse was going the wrong way and I was fixing it to try to keep it straight. She did a great job.”
As for the beaten-up favorite, both coach Brad Cox and track athlete Flavien Prat said Matareya didn’t handle the track, which was blocked off after a mid-day rain.
Cox said: “My first thought was that I didn’t think she traveled that well. “Flavien thinks so too, she doesn’t really put them up there. I think he did a good thing at the three-eighth column by dropping her inside. That could be a sign that she doesn’t get the hang of the track. There’s no real reason. I think she is a very nice person. Obviously she came across a surface that might not have been favorable for her, and she still ran a good race. “
“[The rain] Prat agrees. “She broke well and then she blew out a breath right away and I never got into a good rhythm and she just had a hard time.”
Genealogical notes:
With the win, Chi Town Lady becomes the seventh ranked stake winner and first State top tier winner for the GI Haskell Invitational S. 2013 and GI Wood Memorial S hero Verrazano. Sold from Coolmore for Brazil’s Haras Old Friends in 2019, Verrazano was represented by two Group 1 winners in Chile last year. Chi Town Lady was the first black performer from four ponies to race far beyond Toni’s Hollyday, who has 2-year-old son Quincy Cafe (Mendelssohn) received her diploma last Sunday at Laurel. Toni’s Hollyday also has a desire Map of Liam colt and foaled a filly by Game winner this term before being bred with Not this time.
Saturday, Saratoga
TEST LONGINES S.-Hold$500,000, Saratoga, 8-6, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.87, gd.
first-CHI TOWN LADY, 118, f, 3, by Verrazano
Dam One: Toni’s Hollyday (SP, $119,047), by Harlan’s Holiday
Second beat: Vow of May Day, with broken vows
Beat 3: May Day Bluff, by Pine Bluff
CLASS 1 WIN, GRADE 1 I WIN. O-Castleton Lyons; B-Castleton Lyons, Kilboy Estate & Gavin Tierney (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Joel Rosario. $275,000. Lifetime record: 7-3-1-0, $417,800. Nick Werk Rating: A+. Click to view eNicks report & pedigree of 5 children.
2-Hot Peppers, 120, f, 3, by Khozan
First beat: Friends Pro, by Friends Lake
2nd beat: Mama’s Pro, by Appropriate Reality
3rd dam: Mama Cielo, by Conquistador Cielo
TYPE 1ST G1 BLACK. ($40,000 Ylg ’20 OBSOCT; $16,000 2 years ’21 OBSOPN). O-Michael Dubb and Michael J. Caruso; B-Brent & Crystal Fernung (FL); T-Rudy R. Rodriguez. 100,000 dollars.
3–Matareya, 124, f, 3, by Pioneerof the Nile
Dam One: Innovative Ideas (GSW, $229,343), by Bernardini
2nd beat: Golden Velvet, by Seeking the Gold
3rd dam: Caress, by Storm Cat
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. 60,000 dollars.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 9 3/4. Odds: 17.00, 6.40, 0.30.
Also Ran: Sterling Silver, Wish You Well, November Rein, Elm Drive.
Click to view Equibase.com chartthe PP of TJCIS.com or Free Equineline.com catalog style genealogy. VIDEO sponsored by TVG.
