Stakes milestone for Distorted Humor

Matrooh’s win in Saturday’s $200,000 Bold Ruler S. (G3) gave champion sire Distorted Humor his 130th lifetime black type winner in his illustrious stallion career.

Distorted Humor, who will stand next year at WinStar Farm for $100,000, is having yet another outstanding season at stud in 2015, with eight stakes winners, six of them graded, and nearly $6.5 million in progeny earnings.

Matrooh, making his second start in graded company, got a rail trip while in third after a half-mile in :45 seconds, then swung three wide under Abel Castellano to hit the front in upper stretch to win by 1 ¾-lengths in 1:21.24, earning a lifetime-best Beyer Speed Figure of 105.

“We threw out his last race (a sixth in the Iselin S.),” said Cherie DeVaux, Chad Brown’s assistant trainer. “He had to deal with a lot of kickback and got in a place he wasn’t comfortable, maybe he didn’t like the track. He had been training very well heading into this race and looked great. We were more confident today.”

Five-year-old Matrooh is now 5-0-1 in 11 starts and has earned $270,091 for Shadwell Stable. He was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm from the Personal Flag mare Rockcide, who is also the dam of multiple graded stakes winner and millionaire Rule. Rockside is a half-sister to 2003 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness S. (G1) winner Funny Cide.