Dayatthespa on course for another Matriarch tilt

No one could blame Chad Brown if he avoided Hollywood Park after

Dayatthespa's disastrous trip in last year's Grade 1 Matriarch.

But that premise could not be further from the truth. The 34-year-old trainer

chalked up the incident as a "fluky thing" and is bringing the City Zip filly

back for another crack at the $250,000 Matriarch, which will be run at one mile

on turf December 1.

"She was just in the wrong spot at the wrong time," Brown said about last

year's race. "She saw something on the track and it appeared like she tried to

jump the rail. They could have run that race 10 times and she would have been in

a different place and never saw whatever she saw.

"I'm very confident and we're going back to try it again. I know it's a tough

race and she's going to have to bring her 'A' game, but we feel she fits with

these top fillies. She deserves to run in the race.''

Brown indicated that Dayatthespa is quickly rounding back to her best form.

"It's taken a little longer than I had anticipated, but her last race (second

in the First Lady Stakes October 5 at Keeneland) was her best of the year,''

said the former assistant to the late Bobby Frankel. "I think she's really

coming back to her peak."

Dayatthespa won't be traveling to California alone this year. Brown also

intends to start Pianist in the Matriarch.

"(Pianist) may have run the best race of her life last time (a victory in the

Athenia October 12 at Belmont Park)," Brown said. "She's another one that

deserves a shot in the race.

"I'm not big on running my horses against one another, but when they both

deserve to run in a race as important as this one, I'm fine with it."

Both four-year-old fillies are scheduled to arrive at Hollywood Park on

Tuesday. Javier Castellano will be aboard Dayatthespa while Hall of Famer Mike

Smith has the call on Pianist.

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