OZONE PARK, N.Y. – While Royal Testament spent the summer racing out of town, it’s not because trainer George Weaver didn’t believe the 2-year-old filly was good enough to compete in New York. It’s more about how the calendar came up.
Thursday, after wins at Monmouth Park and Colonial Downs, Royal Testament makes her New York debut in the Grade 3, $175,000 Matron Stakes scheduled for six furlongs on Aqueduct’s outer turf course. The race drew a full field of 12, though Believe in Magic will scratch to run in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo Stakes going 1 1/16 miles, trainer William Morey confirmed Tuesday morning.
Royal Testament, a daughter of Midshipman, debuted in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Turf at Gulfstream Park in May. She broke slowly from the rail, attempted to get into the race but faded when the real running started and finished sixth behind Lennilu, who has come back to win multiple races including last Saturday’s Hollywood Beach Stakes at Gulfstream.
Weaver was thinking of running Royal Testament in the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth on July 27, but opted for the more conservative route of a maiden race the same day. Royal Testament won her maiden by 3 3/4 lengths. Her final time of 56.61 seconds was .89 faster than that of Gerrards Cross’s win in the Colleen.
“I wish I had run in the stakes based on final time, but I didn’t,” Weaver said.
Weaver said the Bolton Landing at Saratoga came up too quick which is why he opted to run her against males in the Rosie’s Stakes at Colonial Downs. Royal Testament used her good early speed to win that race by 3 3/4 lengths.
“She ran big at Monmouth, she ran big at Colonial,” Weaver said. “This is a logical next step with the filly doing well and she’s ready to run. She’s a natural athlete with a lot of speed.”
Eric Cancel, aboard for the out-of-town victories, is back on again Thursday.
Snow Face Princess, who won the Bolton Landing on Aug. 17 and then finished second in the Untapable Stakes at Kentucky Downs, is back for her fifth start of the year.
“She ran a solid race,” said trainer Steve Asmussen, who was running Snow Face Princess for the first time in the Untapable following her purchase out of a digital sale. “I like backing up to three-quarters from six and a half [furlongs]. That doesn’t look like it will hurt her feelings.”
Just Philtored, a daughter of Great Navigator, is 3 for 3 with a pair of restricted stakes victories at Colonial Downs. Her last win came in a 5 1/2-furlong race on the turf for Michael Trombetta which followed two victories on dirt.
“Visually, it felt a little better,” Trombetta said of Just Philtored’s turf stakes win. “It wasn’t tremendously faster, we just felt like we’d stay on turf for another race.”
Trainer Jose D’Angelo ran one-two in a Kentucky Downs allowance with Snappy Comeback and Catalonia and both horses are entered in this spot. Snappy Comeback won a maiden $35,000 claimer on synthetic at Gulfstream before her 31-1 upset over her 7-2 stablemate at Kentucky Downs. Dylan Davis is named to ride Snappy Comeback from post 2.
Catalonia, who was a 6 1/4-length winner on turf at Gulfstream 10 days before the Kentucky Downs race, has Luis Saez aboard from post 10.
Final Accord, trained by Mark Casse, and Should’ve, trained by Wesley Ward, are coming out of debut wins at Woodbine and Kentucky Downs, respectively.
Trainer Joe Sharp has the pair of Oscar’s Encore and Valala in the Matron. Oscar’s Encore won her debut in a maiden auction race before finishing sixth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf going a mile at Kentucky Downs. Valala was second to Believe in Magic in an off-the-turf race before winning a 6 1/2-furlong maiden on the front end at Kentucky Downs.
Y’allreadyforthis, a debut winner at Colonial, and Bella Knows, a debut winner at Saratoga, round out the field.
The Matron is carded as race 5 on an eight-race Thursday program that begins at 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.