California Bred News 81 April 30 2000

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Matriculate Graduates to the Big Time

ARCADIA, Calif., (Sunday April 30, 2000) Kicking off the much-anticipated California Gold Rush meet at Hollywood Park today was the $70,000 Harris Farms Stakes for three-year-olds and up, contested over 1 1/6m on the main track. The betting always indicated that the promising California-bred Matriculate would be hard to beat and that assessment proved right on the mark when this 3/5 favorite went wire-to-wire.

Jockey Mike Smith, one of three east coast jockeys "imported" for today's card, sent the four-year-old gelding to the front from the jump and confidently rode him to an impressive one length victory. He stopped the clock in 1:42 1/5 and this son of Bertrando, out of the Spend A Buck mare Gain A Buck, is now two-for-two with total earnings of $95,250.

Bred by the late Marshall Naify and running in the familiar blue and white silks of his 505 Farms, Matriculate was followed home by Nationalore in second, who remains the world's richest maiden with over $300,000 in earnings after this twenty-third defeat of his career. In third place was the fast-finishing Sunny Forecast, who was bred by Harris Farms Inc., coincidentally the sponsors of this race.

Here's To You has Reason to Celebrate

ARCADIA, Calif., (Sunday April 30, 2000) The $175,000 Fran's Valentine Stakes was the second event on the California Gold Rush program and fans were treated to a very impressive performance by a talented California-bred filly. Four-year-old Here's To You made her six fellow distaffers look very ordinary when she came home an easy winner of this 1 1/16 mile turf event.

Patrick Gallagher's charge led for most of the race and she came home 4 ½ lengths clear of Ta Ta Be True, with Lazy Slusan a close up third. Final time was 1:39 1/5 and owner Ross Gilbert must be a very happy man. He purchased this daughter of Bertrando only last summer and since then she has certainly repaid him with earnings of $274,800, garnered from an impressive record of three wins and three seconds from six starts on the turf for her new owner.

Her win today was reminiscent of her victory as a two-year-old at this same track in 1998, when she was never headed to win the grade III Miesque Stakes. Based on today's performance, a return to graded stakes company is on the cards for this fine filly bred by Marty and Pam Wygod.