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Star Billing takes center stage in Matriarch

Star Billing overtakes her familiar rival Summer Soiree (Benoit Photos) While much of the attention ahead of Friday's Grade 1, $250,000 Matriarch Stakes focused on the older turf mares, led by 4-5 favorite Never Retreat, a pair of three-year-old fillies ended up stealing the show from their elders. George Krikorian's homebred Star Billing couldn't quite run down Summer Soiree when they met in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks two starts back, or when both faltered in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland last time. It was a different story back over her home turf at Hollywood Park  As Summer Soiree boldly attempted to wire the field, Star Billing rallied along the rail in deep stretch and foiled her by a half-length, with Never Retreat a well-beaten third. Trained by John Shirreffs and beautifully ridden by Victor Espinoza, Star Billing dropped back and angled over from post 6, securing a ground-saving trip off the pace. Up front, Summer Soiree had broken smartly and went straight to the lead. As the Graham Motion trainee carved out fractions of :24 4/5 and :48 4/5, a rank Quiet Oasis stalked in second. Fellow Motion runner Unbridled Humor skimmed the rail behind her stablemate, but Never Retreat was parked outside and didn't look entirely comfortable. Star Billing drafted in the slipstream of Unbridled Humor. Defending champion Gypsy's Warning, another of Motion's trio, was followed by Madera Castana and Up in Time.

Summer Soiree kept rolling through six furlongs in 1:12 3/5. Unbridled Humor peeled off the fence to launch her bid on the outside of the pacesetter, but Star Billing stuck to the inside path as she crept into contention. At the rear, Up in Time was in close quarters behind Gypsy's Warning and Madera Castana, and she clipped heels rounding the far turn. As she stumbled, dove forward and lost her balance, Up in Time tossed Martin Garcia onto the turf. She continued to gallop riderless the rest of the way. Thankfully, both horse and rider were apparently fine at first report.

Meanwhile, Summer Soiree was still in full flight down the stretch, leaving her older rivals toiling. Unbridled Humor could make no headway, and Never Retreat was taking a while to gather momentum after spinning wide and losing position on the turn. But Star Billing was beginning to gain ground. Finding her best stride late, she wore down a stubborn Summer Soiree to finish the firm-turf mile in 1:35 2/5.

"She was really unbelievable today," Espinoza said. "On the first turn, everybody started moving out, so I cut the corner without having to jerk her around or do too much with her. By the three-eighths pole I was following Summer Soiree. The jockey on Summer Soiree (Gabriel Saez) switched the whip to his left hand and I thought he might drift out, and that was my chance. When I got alongside the other horse, my filly got a little intimidated, but I hit her left-handed one time and she just took off. It worked out perfectly."

"I got her to settle real well," Saez said of Summer Soiree. "The last eighth of a mile (Star Billing) kind of snuck through. I tried to open up a little bit on the turn, but these are good horses. She was trying to come back on. She galloped out very strongly."

Both sophomores went off at attractive prices in their first try against their elders. Star Billing, a 10-1 chance in the wake of four straight losses, rewarded her loyalists with $23.40, $9 and $3.80. The 7-1 Summer Soiree ended the $71.60 exacta ($1).

Never Retreat was along for third, another 2 1/4 lengths adrift, in what was her career finale. She nabbed Unbridled Humor by a head, relegating her to fourth.

"She did the same thing (drifted out around the turn) at Churchill Downs when we ran her there (sixth in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile) on Derby Day," Team Block's Dave Block said. "She backed off on the turn and then made a run. We didn't expect her to do it again today. She finished up great and that's just how the game is. This was it today. She's going to the breeding shed and will be bred to War Front."

Motion commented on his trio.

"The winner was the same filly who almost got us (Summer Soiree) in the Del Mar Oaks," the horseman said. "But she ran a huge race. Actually all three ran their race. Gypsy's Warning (fifth) just came a little too late, and Unbridled Humor was right where (jockey) Ramon (Dominguez) wanted to be.

"I think a mile might be Summer Soiree's best distance because you don't have to finesse her as much. They are all going to leave Sunday with (Grade 1 Hollywood Turf Cup winner) Sanagas. Summer Soiree will get a little break now. Unbridled Humor could run back in the Florida Millions (in January at Gulfstream Park) and Gypsy's Warning more than likely will be bred."

Gypsy's Warning was followed by Quiet Oasis and Madera Castana. The stewards posted the inquiry sign to review the incident involving Up in Time on the far turn. Deeming the replay inconclusive, they did not assign responsibility to any party and made no change to the order of finish. All Star Heart was scratched.

Star Billing and Summer Soiree were both rebounding from a subpar effort to dominate their elders (Benoit Photos) The first three-year-old to take the Matriarch since Price Tag in 2006, Star Billing improved her record to 7-3-2-1, $355,067. She looked like a filly who was going places this spring and summer, so Friday's victory is a case of promise fulfilled. Right off her debut maiden win sprinting down the hill at Santa Anita, Shirreffs pitched her into the Grade 3 Senorita at a mile here on May 7. The bay responded to the class hike with a convincing 2 3/4-length decision over the Matriarch course and distance. Star Billing followed up with a close second in the Grade 2 Honeymoon Handicap, but a bobble at the start cost her in the Grade 1 American Oaks. She found herself farther back than expected, rolled home late, and missed by all of a head in third. Star Billing again finished fast from off the pace in the Del Mar Oaks, but came up a half-length short of catching Summer Soiree. The two ran well below form in the October 15 Queen Elizabeth II, where Summer Soiree uncharacteristically faded to fifth and Star Billing was a non-threatening sixth. "She runs pretty well at any track -- except Keeneland," Espinoza said. "When I rode her last time there, she didn't handle the track at all. I knew you could just forget about that race."

"She's run really well on this course (at Hollywood)," Shirreffs noted. "The track was a little soft, a little loose for her at Keeneland. She didn't handle it very well. She hasn't had things go her way a few times, but she's obviously a really nice filly. I'll have to talk to George (Krikorian) about where she'll go next."

By Dynaformer, the Kentucky-bred Star Billing is a three-quarter sister to multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Starrer, also by Dynaformer. Star Billing is the first registered foal from the unraced Thunder Gulch mare Topliner, who is herself a half-sister to Starrer and another multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire in Stellar Jayne.

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