Las Vegas, NV - Betfair Hollywood Park will host a pair of Grade 1 races this Sunday, November 25. The first is the Matriarch Stakes which will feature fillies and mares three years old and upward as they go 1 mile on Hollywood's turf track in search of their share of the $250,000 purse.
The Matriarch has drawn a field of 8 for race 5 on Hollywood Park's Sunday schedule. Post time is 2:32 PM. Let's take a look at the credentials of all eight entries ahead of this Grade 1 race.
Dayatthespa - has won all five of her starts of 2012, three of the graded stakes variety - the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup last time out at Keeneland October 13, the Riskaverse Stakes at Saratoga August 31, the Grade 3 Appalacian back in April, the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes on March 11 and the Sweetest Chant Stakes on January 22 both at Gulfstream. Dayatthespa has all but erased a disappointing end to 2011 and comes into this weekend as the hottest horse in the field and money on grass!
Star Billing - defending champion in this race has only four starts in 2012 for trainer John Shirreffs - a disappointing eighth in the Redondo Beach Stakes on June 10 was followed by a very pleasant second in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch and a sixth in the Grade 1 Zenyatta at Santa Anita September 29. Last time out was an eighth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. She has just one second in four starts this year, and enters in so-so form.
Summer Soiree - made her first start of 2012 after a nearly nine month layoff in the Grade 2 Ballston at Saratoga August 25 and finished an OK third and followed that with a fourth in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland last time out October 6 in only her second start this year. To end last year she had a second in the 2011 version of this race in November to follow a disappointing fifth in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland in October. Summer Soiree has winning in her blood though as demonstrated by four wins in five races from January to August of last year including the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and a pair of Grade 3 wins. It has been over a year since her last win but apparently Summer Soiree has looked OK ahead of this year's Matriarch.
Better Lucky - finished fifth in the Grade 2 Lake Placid to follow a second to Centre Court in the Grade 2 Lake George and a win in the Grade 2 Sands Point Stakes at Belmont Park in May. Last time out was an OK third in the Grade 1 QE II Challenge Cup at Keeneland behind Dayatthespa October 13. She won two straight starts in May but has failed to taste victory in her last three.
Matriarch Stakes betting at Hollywood Park with OffTrackBetting.com
Emulous - will make her North American debut Sunday after seven wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in 13 career starts in Britain. She had a string of four straight wins between May 2011 and Many 2012 - she knows how to win!
Future Generation - Irish-bred filly has won two of three starts this year with a fourth in the Grade 2 Honey Fox Stakes sandwiched in there. She won an Allowance Optional Claiming on February 15 in her North American debut to start 2012 and most recently won the minor Serena's Cat Stakes by 5 3/4 lengths at Belmont Park October 25. Future Generation is a group 2 winner in her native Ireland and has six wins and a second in 13 career starts.
Vamo a Galupiar - had some success in her native Chile and has four wins in seven career starts. She won the Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita January 21 and also had a win in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes in March but has struggled of late - a sixth in the Grade 2 Santa Barbara was followed by a last of 13 place finish last time out in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor. She has certainly been up and down this year but when up she has been very good.
Tiz Flirtatious - Tiz Flirtatious has shown well recently with four wins in five races - the only blemish being the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes here in January in her graded stakes debut. After nine months off she returned with a win last time out in the minor John Deere California Distaff here October 13. She has just one graded stakes race under her belt but has been good against lesser competition.
