SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Oct. 8, 2019) – He not only has one of the best names on the backstretch at Indiana Grand, now he has a stakes win to his credit. Maters N Taters from the Ron Brown barn earned a near gate to wire victory Tuesday, Oct. 8 in the 21st running of the Crown Ambassador Stakes.
Starting from the outside post eight in the lineup of two-year-old Indiana bred colts and geldings, Jockey Eddie Perez seized the opportunity to get good early positioning with Maters N Taters at the start and ended up taking over the lead halfway down the backstretch of the six-furlong sprint. Rampage and Malcolm Franklin stayed with the freshman son of Santiva for most of the journey until Maters N Taters began to open up on the field in the stretch. At one point he had a four and one-half length advantage over his opponents, making it difficult for anyone to catch him in the final strides.
Maters N Taters never tired, keeping his momentum going to the finish for the win by two and one-quarter lengths. Cash Logistics and James Graham overcame traffic trouble early on to move up for second over Don’t Ask Kinmon and Sonny Leon for third.
“Ron (Brown) has done a good job with this horse,” said Perez, who is a current top 10 rider at Indiana Grand this season. “Nobody wanted to make the lead. When I saw that, I just took it.”
The win for Maters N Taters is his second in six starts and was his first test against stakes horses. Bred by Dr. Crystal Chapple and Michael G Phelps, Mater N Taters now has in excess of $86,000 in his brief career. Brown also owns the gelding, who was purchased privately. Although Chapple has had several horses from her farm win stakes races, this is the first horse bred by her husband, Phelps, making the win extra special for his connections.
“This colt (Maters N Taters) is a half-brother to Black Nova,” said Brown, a native of Connersville. “Last year, when Black Nova won the stakes race here, I knew Crystal (Dr. Chapple) had his brother at home. I was at her farm the next morning to buy him before anyone else could beat me to it.”
Maters N Taters began his racing career in late June. Perez, who is a multiple Graded Stakes winning jockey with more than 2,500 career wins, has been aboard for all six of his starts and knows the colt well.
“Eddie (Perez) gives me the credit, but I give credit to him,” noted Brown. “They really impressed me today.”
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