Michael Matz struggling to replace Union Rags
Last year trainer Michael Matz was getting all the media attention he ever dreamed of, and the reason behind it all was his ace juvenile colt, Union Rags, who was strutting his stuff and impressing everyone by turning in great performances from Del Mar,
Saratoga, Belmont Park to Churchill Downs.
Retired at the age of 3, Union Rags at 2, was monitored by the whole nation as the early favourite for the Triple Crown, as the son of Dixie Union defeated maidens at first asking and won his debut race over 5 furlongs at Del Mar.
At Saratoga Union Rags, became a grade 2 winner when he bagged the Grade 2 Saratoga Special at about 6 ½ furlongs, but he was a real start at Belmont Park when he defeated Alpha to win the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes over 1 mile.
Union Rags finished second to Hansen in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but bounced back at the age of three when he bagged his debut race as a sophomore.
Winning the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, Union Rags, was in a strong position to be the early favourite to win the Kentucky Derby, third in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, Union Rags finished off the board for the first time when he finished seventh in the
Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.
He recovered well by winning the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes in the absence of the Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, I’ll Have Another.
After such a good horse, Michael Matz, is struggling to replace Union Rags.
“I’ve got some late-developing 2-year-olds. They’ve worked OK, but no standouts yet,” he said. “I just have to keep hoping one of them will be.”
The son of Hard Spun, Hard to Handle was purchased for $270,000 last spring, but failed to make an impression in his debut race, where he broke slowly and faltered in the end, but he is pointed toward another Maiden Special Weight race on 6 December, 2012.
Whitfield, another 2-year-old part of Matz’s barn is expected to do well, but his in only race he finished 14th on the day in the Grade 2 Coventry Stakes at Ascot.
“They bought him at a 2-year-olds-in-training sale and shipped him to England, but they thought he’d be better on dirt than turf and brought him back here,” Matz said. “He’s worked nicely. This colt is a real gentleman.”
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