beach haven thoroughbreds | Horse Racing Free Tips

Maracuja May Target Alabama Next After CCA Oaks Win

The flower blanket outside of trainer Rob Atras' barn Sunday morning served as a welcome reminder of what Maracuja accomplished a day prior, when the sophomore filly outdueled 1-5 favorite Malathaat in deep stretch to win the $500,000 Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Spring, N.Y.

Beach Haven Thoroughbreds' Maracuja earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure for her first stakes win, which came when she was the longest shot on the board in the four-horse field at 14-1. It also marked the first career Grade 1 win for Atras, who has been on his own as a trainer since 2009.

Atras said the races earlier on Saturday's card kept him from thinking too much about the CCA Oaks.

“I was busy the first couple of races; we were looking at a couple of horses to claim, so it kind of kept my mind off it,” Atras said. “I didn't get too much time to get worked up. But it's unbelievable; in Saratoga to win a Grade 1, I had so many messages from friends and well-wishers after the race. It felt like everyone was watching.”

Since running second in her debut in December at Aqueduct, Maracuja has finished on the board in four of her five starts in her 3-year-old campaign, including a maiden-breaking win at third asking in February at the Big A and a second-place effort going 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 3 Gazelle in April at the Ozone Park-based track.

After taking the step up in class in a seventh-place Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks finish, Maracuja handled the competition that included Kentucky Oaks-winner Malathaat in a race that traditionally attracts the top talent in the division.

“She's just developed and every race, it seems like she's moving forward,” Atras said. “Her first couple of races, she was a bit green. After she got her wind, she really just blossomed. She's come a long way in a short time. I was really proud of her and really impressed how she bore down and got up like that in the end. To run against a filly as accomplished as Malathaat, it was incredible, really.”

Maracuja could make another summer-meet appearance at the Spa in the $600,000 Grade 1 Alabama on August 21 in a 1 1/4-mile contest.

“If she continues to come out of the race good then I definitely would like to consider that race,” Atras said. “She ate everything up and cooled out good after the race and she was good this morning. It's always a concern when they put in a big effort like that, but so far, we look good.”

The red-and-white floral arrangement, which saw a few petals hit the Saratoga main track on the way to the winner's circle from jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr.'s jubilant celebration, reinforced to the connections that the CCA Oaks was indeed a milestone for the daughter of Honor Code.

“You come in the barn and you realize it wasn't a dream,” Atras said with a laugh. “It was pretty cool to see because everyone was celebrating and it's a team thing. To celebrate with everyone and to see the grooms and hot walkers and exercise riders so happy, it meant a lot.”

The post Maracuja May Target Alabama Next After CCA Oaks Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Maracuja a Standout for Beach Haven

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY-Even if she had not pulled off the biggest upset of the still-young Saratoga season Saturday afternoon, Maracuja (Honor Code) would have received a major dose of love from her owners Sunday morning.

The gentle gray is, after all, Beach Haven Thoroughbreds's only horse.

While her status in the stable didn't change, Maracuja's victory by a head over Malathaat (Curlin) in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks no doubt raised her stature in the 3-year-old filly division. She isn't likely to be the longest shot in the field in the GI Alabama S., as she was at 14-1 in the four-horse CCA Oaks.

Beach Haven's managing partner John Sakkos, his wife Tracy and two of their friends stopped at trainer Rob Atras's barn to hug and pet the stable's first graded stakes winner. Tracy had to whisper her words of praise after losing her voice screaming for Maracuja during her run through the stretch.

“When we woke up this morning my wife and I we were still kind of pinching ourselves,” John Sakkos said. “Yesterday was a total high. What she accomplished and who she beat, the processing is there.”

Sakkos was a founding partner of the stable with his friend Ara Aprahamian in 2018 and said he still considers himself a rookie in the business. The Sakkoses live in Tompkins Cove, N.Y. a Rockland County town near New York City.

Beach Haven, named after the New Jersey coastal community, has had a fair amount of success with the four horses it has campaigned. Uncle Benny (Declaration of War) finished second to Line of Duty (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the 2018 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and earned a total of $516,738 with six wins from 12 career starts. Beach Haven's Sassy Agnes (Central Banker) and Newly Minted (Central Banker) won a total of seven restricted stakes for New York-breds.

Aprahamian spotted Maracuja at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Satatoga Select Sale and Beach Haven acquired her for $200,000. She broke her maiden on her third try Feb. 21 and followed that success with a second in the GIII Gazelle S. Apr. 3. Twenty seven days later she finished seventh in the GI Kentucky Oaks, 7 1/2 lengths behind Malathaat.

Sakkos said he was feeling optimistic that Maracuja would run well against Malathaat, who had won all five of her races and went off at 1-5 in the small field.

“She's been off for a while after the Oaks, so I was just feeling really good about it,” he said with a chuckle. “You hope that she's going to win, but you didn't want to jinx it. I've gotten a little superstitious in this space right now. I just had a good feeling. And my wife's big into numbers and all these numbers are coming up.”

Sakkos noted that 11 is his wife's number.

“We drove into Saratoga at 11:11, and then we had 22 people for our reservation. It's kind of actually getting to be very superstitious, which is kind of fun,” he said.

Maracuja pressed Malathaat early in the 1 1/8-miles race, but dropped back a few lengths to last under jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. on the backstretch when Clairiere (Curlin) moved up to make her challenge. On the second turn, Santana asked Maracuja to re-engage the leaders and she moved back into contention at the quarter pole. Racing about four wide, she dueled with Malathaat through the final furlong and prevailed.

Sakkos knew that Maracuja was going to pick up some purse money in a four-horse field. He said his expectations grew as the race unfolded.

“When she came out in the stretch, I think my heart kind of just stopped when we were watching it,” he said. “When she came through the stretch and all of a sudden he started moving her a little bit more. Yeah.”

Maracuja has three owners in the Beach Haven partnership. Sakkos said the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to solicit other investors.

“We just went low profile, just went to manage her,” he said. “We've been very blessed with her, for sure.”

The post Maracuja a Standout for Beach Haven appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Maracuja Upsets Malathaat In CCA Oaks At Saratoga

In her much-anticipated return to the races after her April 30 victory in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, Malathaat battled Maracuja down the stretch and found herself on the losing end of a close finish for the first time in her six starts. Maracuja, who finished seventh behind Malathaat in the Oaks, came away with the upset and the first stakes victory of her career, winning the 1 1/8-mile Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks by a head at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Facing only three others, Malathaat, trained by Todd Pletcher, broke cleanly from post position one, taking a short lead over Clairiere around the first turn. John Velazquez kept the Shadwell filly on the lead throughout the race, setting early fractions of :23.38 for the first quarter and :47.13 for the half-mile. Clairiere settled in a half-length back, with Maracuja and Rockpaperscissors lingering close on the backstretch.

Around the final turn, Clairiere challenged Malathaat's lead, Irad Ortiz, Jr. keeping pressure on the Pletcher trainee. On their outside, Maracuja accelerated, Ricardo Santana, Jr. positioning his filly for their stretch run. Into the Saratoga straight, Malathaat maintained her short lead on the rail, Clairiere unable to catch her while Maracuja moved up to confront the leader. Malathaat and Maracuja dueled through the last half of the stretch, Maracuja showing a head in front as they hit the wire. Clairiere was third and Rockpaperscissors fourth. The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.29.

Find this race's chart here.

With only four horses in the field, the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks had no show betting. Maracuja paid $31.40 and $6.00. Malathaat paid $2.10.

“She broke really sharp, which I was happy with, and she was kind of right there. They all seemed like they were coming and I thought Ricardo [Santana, Jr.] made a smart move by backing off and coming around the outside. What a race.” said trainer Rob Atras after the race. “She loves the two turns. She puts a lot into her gallops every day. The further, the better for her.”

“The trip was perfect. She broke really well today. She was running comfortably. Rob liked the filly a lot and I was happy with her. There wasn't much pressure in this race.” Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. said after the CCA Oaks. “He told me, 'Just do what you have to do' and we took the victory today. I had some pressure on the side from the 4 [Clairiere] and I just let my filly take a deep breath. As soon as I took her back out, she came rolling. She ran a great race today.”

Bred in Kentucky by River Bend Farm and Austin and Janie Musselman, Maracuja is a 3-year-old daughter of Honor Code out of the Unbridled's Song mare Patti's Regal Song. She is owned by Beach Haven Thoroughbreds. Maracuja was consigned by Buck Pond Farm at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale and was purchased by Jason Servis for $200,000. The G1 Coaching Club American Oaks is Maracuja's second victory in five starts in 2021. Her record is two wins in six lifetime starts for career earnings of $407,100.

The post Maracuja Upsets Malathaat In CCA Oaks At Saratoga appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post