Juddmonte’s homebred Segesta triumphed impressively at Del Mar on Sunday, capturing her first Grade 1 victory in the $300,000 Matriarch Stakes. The four-year-old daughter of champion Ghost Zapper, guided by jockey Flavien Prat, maintained the lead throughout the turf mile and surged ahead in the stretch to win by 2 1/4 lengths with a final time of 1:35.60. She paid $5.40 and $2 as the race favorite.
This win marked the seventh victory out of Matriarch Stakes’ last nine editions for New York-based trainer Chad Brown, who has achieved 22 stakes wins in the past 12 years at Bing Crosby. It was also Prat’s second Matriarch win, having previously won with Regal Glory in 2022 for Brown, and his second victory riding for Juddmonte, also trained by Brown with Viadera in 2020.
N Our Time finished second, three-quarters of a length ahead of third-place Ag Bullet. Segesta, out of First Defense mare Antoneau, is the half-sister to Salamis, who won the Hollywood Derby (G1) under Brown’s training. Segesta collected her fourth win in 11 races, all run on turf, and boosted her career earnings to $1,190,275. She also placed second in the First Lady (G1) at Keeneland on October 4.
Flavien Prat, the winning jockey, commented on Segesta’s strong performance and consistent effort throughout the race, while assistant trainer Jose Hernandez highlighted her deserving victory after many close attempts, praising Chad Brown’s skillful management of turf horses.
Fan Take: Segesta’s breakthrough Grade 1 win is a thrilling moment for horse racing enthusiasts, showcasing the exceptional talent bred and trained by Juddmonte and Chad Brown. This victory underscores the sport’s continuing excitement and the high level of competition on turf, inspiring fans to follow future turf stars closely.
