American Pharoah Filly Best in Matron

The race may have been rained off the turf, but that didn’t stop American Pharoah’s Jody’s Pride (2f American Pharoah x Jody’s Song, by Scat Daddy) from securing her first career stakes victory in the Matron Stakes on Sunday.

Making her second career start in the six-furlong race, Jody’s Pride showed her only bout of greenness at the gate before settling into her job. Jockey Flavien Prat had her four paths wide down the backstretch as she worked her way through the field to be in perfect position for the race around the turn.

She took command just outside the quarter pole and continued to race off the rail down the stretch to win by 3 ¼ lengths with the third placed runner eight lengths behind.

Trained by Jorge Abreu for Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable, the filly was bred by Steve Weston out of Scat Daddy mare Jody’s Song.

“My goal is to make it to the Breeders’ Cup with her,” Abreu said. “I think she’s that kind of horse. [Which race] is something we have to sit down and see. We’ll see how she comes out in the morning and take it from there. I would rather go a mile. A mile on the turf. My first preference is turf.”

A half-sister to stakes winner and Grade I-placed Make Mischief, the three-time winning Jody’s Song also has an Uncle Mo 3-year-old named Empathy who won earlier this year. Jody’s son is one of five winners out of Grade III England’s Rose’s winning daughter Speightful Lady, with that mare a half-sister to the stakes placed Jay Eye See.

Jody’s Song had a full brother to this filly last year and another American Pharoah colt in 2023.