Snow Face Princess gets slight cutback in G3 Matron

Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Snow Face Princess will turn back a half-furlong from a game second in Kentucky Downs’ Untapable when facing a competitive field of 11 rivals in Thursday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Matron, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for juvenile fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the daughter of Midshipman made her first outing for her current connections in the September 7 Untapable after being purchased for $775,000 via the Fasig-Tipton August Digital Sale. She tracked in fourth two lengths off the pace in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint and made a willing move while shifting three-wide near the three-sixteenths marker, chasing home the undefeated Quiet Street to land one length back.

The dark bay announced her presence on the turf this summer, improving from a flat fourth in her debut over a muddy and sealed Big A main track to post back-to-back victories sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs over firm turf at Saratoga Race Course for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. She graduated by two lengths in a July 30 maiden tilt over next-out allowance winner Mackinac, and followed with a gritty neck score in the Listed Bolton Landing on August 17, earning a field-best 83 Beyer Speed Figure in victory.

Bred in Kentucky by Paul Tackett Revocable Trust, Chris Tackett and Julie Tackett, Snow Face Princess is out of the Honor Code mare Crusin Alone, a half-sister to graded stakes-winners Beethoven and Wilburn, and graded stakes-placed La Appassionata, as well as A.P. Sonata, dam of multiple graded stakes-winning multimillionaire Grand Sonata.

Flavien Prat, aboard for the Bolton Landing, has the call from post 6.

Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse looks to defend his title in this event after winning last year with Abientot. This year, he sends out Gary Barber and Peter Deutsch’s debut maiden-winner Final Accord [post 5, Junior Alvarado].

The stakes-debuting bay wheels back on three weeks’ rest from her graduation on September 11 at Woodbine where she posted an authoritative 4 1/2-length victory in a sharp final time of 56.54 seconds for five furlongs over the firm inner turf.

“It’s a little quick back, but that was a nice race she had,” Casse's New York assistant Shane Tripp said. “She’s doing well and we’re just keeping our fingers crossed that she stays that way until we go over there Thursday.”

The daughter of War of Will was a $75,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Blame mare Closing Statement, a half-sister to Complicated, dam of Grade 1-winner And One More Time and multiple graded stakes-winners Simply In Front and Honor D Lady. Her second dam, Consequence, was Grade 2-placed sprinting seven furlongs over synethtic.

Red White and Blue Racing and London Reid Thoroughbreds’ Just Philtored puts a perfect 3-for-3 record on the line off a strong 4 1/2-length victory in the 5 1/2-furlong restricted Dolley Madison on August 23 at Colonial Downs in her turf debut. The Michael Trombetta trainee was pressured through splits of 22.85 seconds and 45.51 over the firm footing and had a three-length lead at the stretch call, widening the margin down the lane to complete the course in 1:03.21. She earned a career-best 77 Beyer for the effort.

"I liked what I saw from her on the turf,” Trombetta said. “We are going to give her another try on it."

The Maryland-bred daughter of Great Notion was an eight-length winner of her 4 1/2-furlong debut in May over the Laurel Park dirt for trainer Gary Capuano, and was privately purchased thereafter and moved to the Trombetta barn. In her first start for new connections, she was a determined neck winner of Colonial’s restricted Keswick on August 2, pouncing from just off the pace to take a two-length lead at the head of the lane and fend off the rush of Slewperstitus in the 5 1/2-furlong dirt sprint.

"She is moving in the right direction now,” Trombetta said. “It is time to see if she is ready to take this leap. She certainly is moving in that direction." 

Mychel Sanchez will be aboard from post 3.

Mathiesen Racing’s Royal Testament [post 8, Eric Cancel] put together back-to-back wins that registered an 80 Beyer for trainer George Weaver, entering from a 3 3/4-length annexing of Colonial’s 5 1/2-furlong Rosie’s on September 6.

The speedy Midshipman chestnut dueled through splits of 22.05 and 44.64 seconds before kicking clear and powering home to complete the course in 1:02.47. Her successful stakes debut came on the heels of a similar victory to graduate at second asking in a five-furlong turf maiden in July at Monmouth Park, improving markedly from a distant sixth on debut in Gulfstream Park’s Royal Plam Juvenile Fillies in May.

Completing the field are the stakes-placed Believe in Magic [post 9, John Velazquez] for trainer Bill Morey; the pair of Snappy Comeback [post 2, Dylan Davis] and Catalonia [post 10, Luis Saez] for trainer Jose D’Angelo; the Joe Sharp-trained pair of maiden winners Valala [post 7, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] and Oscar’s Encore [post 1, Kendrick Carmouche], the latter of which is cross-entered in Saturday’s Selima at Laurel; and maiden-winners Should’ve [post 4, Joel Rosario] for trainer Wesley Ward, Y’allreadyforthis [post 11, Javier Castellano] for trainer Jorge Delgado and Bella Knows [post 12, Manny Franco] for dual Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Brad Cox.

The Matron is slated as Race 5 on Thursday’s eight-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. 

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