Of trainer Chad Brown's four entries in the Dec. 1 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar, Tax Implications is coming off the worst finish, a third that was demoted to fourth due to interference. But she may have the magic Matriarch combination Sunday: Brown and jockey Joel Rosario.
Brown has an incredible record going in the one-mile Matriarch: four consecutive wins, six wins in the past seven runnings, and his quartet ran one, two, three, four in 2023. Add in Rosario, and it gets even better. Of the many Brown trainees in the Matriarch during that time, Rosario has ridden four—and won on all of them. He and Brown collaborated on Surge Capacity in 2023, Viadera in 2020, Uni in 2018, and Off Limits in 2017.
And for good measure, Rosario also won the race with La Tia in 2014 and Gypsy's Warning in 2010 for other trainers.
Rosario hasn't ridden Tax Implications in a race. The 4-year-old daughter of Mehmas drew post 7 and has only won two races, including the June 15 Eatontown Stakes (G3T) at Monmouth Park. But she has placed in four other black-type events during her 11-race career. At 19-1, she was in the hunt for the lead in the Oct. 5 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine, before finishing third to Matriarch entrants Mouffy and Nadette and then disqualified to fourth for drifting in.
For those unimpressed by the Brown/Rosario karma, the trainer has three other very talented distaffers, any of whom could keep his streak alive.
Gina Romantica is by far the richest and most experienced of the Brown quartet, having banked more than $1.7 million. The 5-year-old daughter of Into Mischief is coming off a two-length win in the Oct. 5 First Lady Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland, her second consecutive victory in that event. Gina Romantica does well at Keeneland, having also taken the 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T) there.
In her only foray to California, Gina Romantica finished fourth against males in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Santa Anita. Jose Ortiz will ride her from post 11 in the Matriarch.
Brown-trained Child of the Moon and Prerequisite, both 4-year-olds, ran one-two, separated by just a neck, in the Oct. 19 Athenia Stakes at Aqueduct. Child of the Moon, who gets the services of Manuel Franco from post 4, has two wins and a second in three U.S. starts.
"She covers well and has a good turn of foot if you can get her out in the clear," Brown said of Child of the Moon after the Athenia.
Prerequisite, to be ridden by current national leader Flavien Prat from post 9, last year at Belmont Park won the Wonder Again Stakes (G2T) and finished second in the Belmont Oaks (G1T) to Matriarch entrant Aspen Grove. She has started only twice this year, with a 2 1/2-length win in allowance/optional claiming company prior to the Athenia.
Brown noted that Child of the Moon "saved a little more ground" than Prerequisite in the Athenia.
Eight others will try to end Brown's Matriarch domination.
Mouffy and Nadette not only defeated Tax Implications in the Dance Smartly, they are multiple stakes winners.
Jonathan Thomas trains Mouffy, a 5-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo . Mouffy (Vincent Cheminaud, post 6) won the July 4 Perfect Sting Stakes at Aqueduct and the 2023 Ellis Park Turf Stakes.
A 5-year-old daughter of Outstrip trained by Neil Drysdale, Nadette (Hector Berrios, post 12) won this year's Wilshire Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita and Beverly D. Preview Stakes at Colonial Downs.
Ag Bullet (Umberto Rispoli, post 3) most recently finished third against males in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Del Mar following a fourth behind Gina Romantica in the First Lady. A 4-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy trained by Richard Baltas, Ag Bullet earlier this year won four other stakes—two at Santa Anita, one at Del Mar, and one at Kentucky Downs.
Del Mar, Sunday, December 1, 2024, Race 7Entries: Matriarch S. (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Sacred Wish (KY) John R. Velazquez 123 George Weaver 12/1 2 2Tirupati (KY) Kazushi Kimura 120 Jonathan Thomas 30/1 3 3Ag Bullet (KY) Umberto Rispoli 123 Richard Baltas 3/1 4 4Child of the Moon (FR) Manuel Franco 123 Chad C. Brown 10/1 5 5Aussie Girl (IRE) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 123 William Walden 20/1 6 6Mouffy (KY) Vincent Cheminaud 123 Jonathan Thomas 15/1 7 7Tax Implications (GB) Joel Rosario 123 Chad C. Brown 12/1 8 8Kehoe Beach (KY) Lanfranco Dettori 120 Wesley A. Ward 10/1 9 9Prerequisite (KY) Flavien Prat 123 Chad C. Brown 6/1 10 10Aspen Grove (IRE) Juan J. Hernandez 123 Jack Sisterson 20/1 11 11Gina Romantica (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 123 Chad C. Brown 8/5 12 12Nadette (FR) Hector Isaac Berrios 123 Neil D. Drysdale 15/1
