The Matriarch Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are of age three-years-old or older over a distance of one mile (8 furlongs) on the turf track scheduled annually in late November at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California.
The inaugural running of the event was on 22 November 1981 at Hollywood Park Racetrack over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the turf and was won by the Irish-bred import Kilijaro who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. and trained by US Hall of Fame trainer Charles E. Whittingham defeating the 1980 United States Champion Older Female Horse Glorious Song by 2+1⁄2 lengths in a time of 1:47 flat.
[2] The race was not run in 2005 due to problems with Hollywood Park's grass course not being ready after the turf course was reseeded.
Including 1984 winner Irish-bred Royal Heroine who won the inaugural Breeders' Cup Mile and was crowned US Champion Female Turf Horse.
French-bred Starine won the event in 2001 and would win the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf the following year.