Courtlandt Farm’s homebred filly Indescribable continued to exhibit her affinity for synthetic surfaces, this time doing it on the Arlington Park Polytrack, as she wore down Leah’s Secret in mid-stretch to take the Arlington Matron Handicap (gr. III) (VIDEO) by a half-length on Memorial Day.
Perfectly ridden by Jeremy Rose, Indescribable came three-wide into the final turn, watched as Leah’s Secret opened up a clear lead at the top of the lane, then streaked to the front inside the sixteenth-pole. The 4-year-old daughter of Pleasant Tap completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.82 to earn her first graded stakes victory.
WinStar Farms’ Leah’s Secret had to settle for second under Rene Douglas, seven lengths ahead of Lady Carlock for third.
“She’s like night and day on Polytrack (versus dirt),” trainer Graham Motion said. “We had to start her on the dirt, but I knew she’d be a nice filly on (Polytrack). I didn’t realize just how much she’d turn around on Polytrack.”
Indescribable now has four wins in 12 lifetime starts, three of them coming on synthetic surfaces. After she dropped the first six starts of her career, Motion shipped the chestnut filly to Presque Isle Downs last September and she responded with a six-length maiden win on the Tapeta surface. The following month Indescribable moved to Keeneland, where she romped to an 8 1/2-length score in allowance competition on the Polytrack. She won her third in a row on the Hollywood Park turf in December.
Although without a victory in two graded stakes efforts this year, Indescribable ran a game third in the Doubledogdare (gr. III) April 18 at Keeneland. That outing prompted bettors to send her out as the 2-1 co-favorite in the Matron.
The other co-favorite, Tessa Blue, took the field of seven through leisurely fractions of :25.35,: 49.47, and 1:13.13. Leah’s Secret and Stop a Train were both on her heels through the backstretch, with Awesome Ashley and Indescribable further back.
Racing close to the rail, Leah’s Secret slipped past the tiring leader as they came out of the final turn and took a two-length advantage into the stretch. Indescribable was the only rival within striking distance and after being sent down for the drive she responded determinedly for Rose, streaking to the front near the sixteenth pole. Leah’s Secret fought on gamely but had to settle for second best.
“The mile and an eighth helps our filly quite a bit,” said Rose, who rode her for the first time. “Leah’s Secret looks like a mile and a sixteenth may be her farthest. My filly jumped into the bit at the eighth pole and I knew from there we’d get her. Everything set up like I thought it would. She beat a couple of real nice horses in there.”
The winner paid $6, $3.20, and $2.60. The exacta (5-1) returned $21.40, while the trifecta (5-1-2) was worth $130.60.
Bred in Kentucky, Indescribable is out of the Flying Paster mare Catnip. She has now earned $219,802 in her career.
Angel Smoke was fourth, followed by Stop a Train, Tessa Blue, and Awesome Ashley.
(Chart, Equibase)
