Sacred Wish surprises in Matriarch; Clock Tower gauges time in Cecil B. DeMille

Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez swept both graded stakes on closing day at Del Mar, guiding Sacred Wish to an upset in Sunday’s $303,000 Matriarch (G1) and wiring the $101,000 Cecil B. DeMille (G3) aboard Clock Tower. Both were also furnishing a graded double for their outstanding young sire, Not This Time.

The George Weaver-trained Sacred Wish, a 12.80-1 shot, had been a bridesmaid in graded company. In contrast, 1.30-1 favorite Gina Romantica was a multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire from the barn of Chad Brown, who’s won the Matriarch six times.

But Sacred Wish got exactly the right type of trip, a luxury that the four-year-old hasn’t always enjoyed. Velazquez rode her to her only prior stakes victory in last year’s Winter Memories S. at Aqueduct, and they last teamed up when third in an April 20 allowance at Keeneland. Angling to get back aboard in the interim, Velazquez duly lifted her to a new career high here.

Sacred Wish capitalized on her rail draw while Gina Romantica covered extra ground from post 10. Drafting in the slipstream of front-running Ag Bullet through fractions of :23.32, :47.57, and 1:11.59, Sacred Wish got the jump on Gina Romantica down the lane. Gina Romantica tried to close the gap, but Sacred Wish dug in to prevail by a neck in 1:34.76 for the firm-turf mile.

“Ag Bullet just set it up perfect for her,” Weaver’s assistant Blair Golen said. “She wasn’t going too fast, was comfortable behind horses, and was able to go up the rail and get it done this time.

“Johnny (Velazquez) already had it in his head that instead of waiting for her he was going to ask her to go, and where she put herself is where she was going to be. He’s ridden her so well in the past. He gets along with her good and I’m just so happy he was able to come out and ride her.” 

“It worked out perfect, you know,” Velazquez said. “The horse in the lead (Ag Bullet) took me where I thought. She pulled out and she had a nice kick to fight down the lane.” 

Mrs. Fitriani Hay’s Clock Tower was cross-entered to Saturday’s Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) on the dirt at Churchill Downs, but the trip out west proved worthwhile. Most recently third in the Bourbon (G2) at Keeneland, the dark bay gelding improved his record to 5-2-1-2, $225,938.

“Beautiful, perfect trip, kind of what we were hoping,” assistant trainer Blake Heap summed up. “There was really no speed, on paper anyway. When I saw the fractions, he almost went :49 for the half and he’s been running :47 and still hanging pretty hard. He’d been training here so good, I really liked him. He’s (Velazquez) a good speed rider. He knows the pace.”

“I rode this horse for his first two starts back East,” Velazquez said of his placings in maidens on the main track, “and you can see what a good job Wesley has done with him. He’s grown up; he’s matured. Today when I got away with that second quarter (in :25.13), I knew they were going to have a tough time catching us. Then, when I asked him, he went. He’s turning into a good one.”

Bred by Clarkland Farm in Kentucky, Clock Tower was sold for $100,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. His dam is the Grade 3-winning sprinter Hot Stones, by Bustin Stones.

Kicking off the Sunday stakes action was the $102,000 Stormy Liberal S., won for the second straight year by Unconquerable Keen. Trained by Phil D’Amato and piloted by Umberto Rispoli, the 5.80-1 chance went last to first to topple 7-2 favorite Sorrento Sky. The Irish import blitzed five grassy furlongs in :56.32.