Demoiselle Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pletcher Prepares Following Sea, Americanrevolution For Cigar Mile

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher worked graded stakes winner Following Sea and multiple New York-bred stakes winner Americanrevolution in company this morning at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., in preparation for next Saturday's $750,000 Grade 1 Cigar Mile presented by NYRA Bets at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Both horses completed their half-mile moves over the dirt training track rated fast in :49.21.

Owned by Spendthrift Farm, Following Sea rounded out the trifecta behind Aloha West and Dr. Schivel in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint on November 6 at Del Mar. The son of second-crop sire Runhappy entered the Sprint from a solid score against older company in the G2 Vosburgh on October 9 at Belmont Park.

Americanrevolution, a CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm owned Constitution colt, enters the Cigar Mile off an 11 ¾-length romp against fellow Empire State-breds in the Empire Classic on October 30 at Belmont, where he produced a 108 Beyer Speed Figure.

“They both went well,” said Pletcher, a four-time winner of the Cigar Mile. “It was a good breeze for them both with a solid gallop out. They both seem to be happy and healthy, knock on wood.”

Since 2000, seven 3-year-olds have bested elders in the Cigar Mile, which is the final Grade 1 event on the NYRA circuit for the calendar year.

Pletcher also worked a handful of juveniles slated for stakes action next week with Mo Donegal and Overstep breezing a half-mile in company over the Belmont training track in :49.77. Both horses are pointing towards the $250,000 G2 Remsen – a nine-furlong test for juvenile colts which offers 10-4-2-1 points towards the 2022 Kentucky Derby.

Mo Donegal, a Donegal Racing owned son of Uncle Mo, stretched out from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles to break his maiden at second asking on October 21 at Belmont. Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's New York-bred Overstep, a bay son of Into Mischief bred by Chester and Mary Broman, was a close second in the state-bred Sleepy Hollow on October 30 over a sloppy and sealed Belmont main track.

Pletcher previously captured the Remsen with Bluegrass Cat [2005] and Overanalyze [2012], both of whom contested in the following year's Kentucky Derby.

Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House's Nest registered a half-mile work in :49.79 in preparation for the $250,000 G2 Demoiselle, a nine-furlong test for juvenile fillies which offers 10-4-2-1 points toward the 2022 Kentucky Oaks.

Pletcher is a six-time winning trainer of the Demoiselle, including with subsequent Oaks victresses Ashado [2003] and Malathaat [2020].

On Friday, Pletcher saddled Repole Stable's Never Surprised to a flashy victory in the $150,000 Gio Ponti, which saw the Constitution bay garner a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure with Kendrick Carmouche in the irons. Never worse than second in a half dozen career starts, Never Surprised was previously second to Public Sector at graded stakes level in the G3 Saranac at Saratoga and the G2 Hill Prince at Belmont. Last year, he captured both his starts over the Aqueduct turf, including a wire-to-wire win over stakes-winner Hard Love in the Central Park.

Pletcher said the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby on December 26 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., remains in play.

“That's a possibility. We'll see,” Pletcher said.

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Undefeated Demoiselle Winner Malathaat Florida-Bound; Pletcher Thinking Kentucky Oaks For Curlin Filly

The ability to overcome adversity and will to win were on full display in Saturday's nine-furlong Grade 2, $150,000 Demoiselle for juvenile fillies at Aqueduct in Ozone Park, N.Y., when Shadwell Stable's Malathaat overcame unfavorable circumstances with a furious rally to make the grade in her third career start.

Breaking from the rail under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, Malathaat appeared to be uncomfortable taking some kickback when in behind horses, but allowed her class to prevail with a five-wide move around the turn as she collared Millefeuille in the final strides.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said he was impressed with the winning effort.

“She had to overcome a lot. I was proud of her for persevering,” Pletcher said. “When she got in the clear, she put in a strong run. It was an impressive performance considering all the adversity along the road.”

In winning the Demoiselle, Malathaat earned 10 qualifying points toward the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, scheduled for April 30, 2021, at Churchill Downs. Pletcher said he would like to give her two starts prior to the Oaks, which he won with Ashado (2004), Rags to Riches (2007) and Princess of Sylmar (2013).

Pletcher said the Curlin bay would ship to his winter division at Palm Beach Downs in South Florida this week

“She'll ship to Palm Beach Downs early this week and we'll give her an easy month. I don't know what her next target will be, we'll just see how she's doing,” Pletcher said. “Ideally, we would be looking at two races prior to the Kentucky Oaks if everything goes according to plan.”

Unbeaten in three starts, Malathaat gave Velazquez his 2,000th victory at Belmont Park with a 1 ¾-length win in a seven-furlong maiden special weight on October 9 at Belmont Park. She mirrored her winning ways into stakes company when leading at every point of call to take the one-mile Tempted on November 6 at Aqueduct. The Demoiselle was her first start going two turns.

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Malathaat is the first offspring out of the Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Dreaming of Julia, who also was conditioned by Pletcher. She was bought for $1.05 million at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Her triumph in the Demoiselle made her a third generation graded stakes winner. Her maternal granddam Dream Rush was a four-time graded stakes winner, including the Grade 1 Test in 2007 at Saratoga.

“She's shown that she's special from very early on,” Pletcher said. “It's very hard to win three consecutive races and she's done it at three different distances now at Belmont, and over a sloppy track at Aqueduct. I'm not sure that she really relished the going but she still was able to keep finding a little more and I was proud of the effort.”

Pletcher also sent out Known Agenda for the Grade 2 Remsen, where he finished a distant third to Brooklyn Strong.

Like Malathaat, Remsen third-place finisher Known Agenda also appeared to not handle the sloppy going on Saturday, where he picked up two Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

Pletcher said he was still pleased with the effort from the Curlin chestnut out of Grade 1-winner Byrama. Owned by Vincent Viola's St. Elias Stable, Known Agenda notched a second out maiden triumph at the Remsen's nine-furlong distance on November 8 at the Big A.

“He was never comfortable and finally when he got out late in the clear he found some ground. His last quarter was pretty much the same time as the previous two, it's just at the quarter pole he was in a hopeless position,” Pletcher said. “Part of it is immaturity, greenness and not relishing the sloppy conditions. I still think he's a horse with some upside. He's still putting it together. I think a race like that and the experience he gained hopefully will move him forward, so we'll take him down to Florida as well. We'll target some of these Derby preps. There are a lot of good options. We'll play it by ear.”

Shadwell Stable's Mutasaabeq graduated in August at 5 ½ furlongs ahead of a third in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Hopeful, both on the Saratoga main track. The Into Mischief bay made his last two starts on the Keeneland turf, winning the Grade 2 Bourbon on October 4 and a last out 10th in the Grade 1 Breeders' cup Juvenile Turf.

Pletcher said Mutasaabeq could go back to the main track for the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man on January 2 at Gulfstream Park.

“We're thinking about the Mucho Macho Man with him and give him another try on the dirt,” Pletcher said. “He's been training pretty well on the dirt, so we'll explore that. We can always go back to the turf if we need to.

“We were very fortunate to be able to train for them. It's a tremendous organization,” Pletcher added regarding Shadwell Stable. “It's been an honor and a pleasure and it's nice to have some good horses for them. We've been fortunate to win three graded stakes so far this year with them.”

Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Stonestreet Stables' Likeable, 13th in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile last out, and worked a half-mile in 51.40 on November 25 at Palm Beach Downs.

“We have a lot of options for him, including an allowance race. We'll get him started around the first of January. We'll see what the new condition book at Gulfstream has to offer,” Pletcher said.

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Malathaat Leads 1-2-3 Sweep By Curlin Fillies In Demoiselle

Shadwell Stable's Malathaat continued a perfect start to her career with a rallying score over Millefeuille in Saturday's Grade 2, $150,000 Demoiselle, a nine-furlong test for juvenile fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the Curlin bay was an impressive debut winner at Belmont Park in October ahead of a last-out 7 3/4-length romp in the Tempted, a one-turn mile on November 6 at the Big A.

Kendrick Carmouche established command aboard Traffic Lane into the first turn as Joel Rosario urged Millefeuille into second position to the outside of Malathaat, who exited the inside post under Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

Traffic Lane marked the opening quarter-mile in 23.69 seconds and the half-mile in 48.50 on the sloppy and sealed main track with Millefeuille pinned to her hip as Malathaat angled off the rail and was asked to maintain her position by Velazquez.

Millefeuille assumed the lead into the final turn as Traffic Lane gave way and Malibu Curl cruised into second position while Velazquez continued to work on Malathaat through three-quarters in 1:13.33.

With much to do as the field turned for home, Velazquez angled Malathaat outside of Malibu Curl at the quarter pole and began to pick up her feet inside of the slow-starting Cafe Society to take dead aim at the leader.

Millefeuille continued to find more inside the final furlong but Malathaat was making up ground with powerful strides and got up comfortably to secure the three-quarter length win in a final time of 1:52.36. It was 4 1/2-lengths back to Malibu Curl, who completed the trifecta by a length over Cafe Society.

The top three were all sired by Curlin.

The top four finishers earned 10-4-2-1 points toward the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, scheduled for April 30, 2021 at Churchill Downs.

Traffic Lane and Celestial Cheetah rounded out the order of finish. Dollar Mountain and Caramocha were scratched.

The victory marked the sixth Demoiselle win for Pletcher to lead all trainers, having previously scored with Smok'n Frolic [2001], Ashado [2003], Disposablepleasure [2011], Unlimited Budget [2012] and Stopchargingmaria [2013].

Pletcher said Malathaat struggled from the inside post.

“She wasn't comfortable inside,” said Pletcher. “I think she was unsure of the footing early on. In her first two starts, she had easy trips without much dirt in her face. I was worried at multiple points of the race. Sometimes drawing the rail is great and this time it seemed to have backfired on us a couple of times. In the final eighth of a mile, she was able to get into her comfort zone and rhythm and that's when she showed what she's all about.

“She did it with her ears pricked, so in the end, it was impressive that she could do that,” he continued. “Some lesser quality horses might have thrown in the towel at some stage, but when she got rolling, she was impressive.”

It was a record seventh Demoiselle victory for Velazquez, whose previous winners include Smok'n Frolic, Roar Emotion [2002], Sis City [2004], Mushka [2007], Unlimited Budget and Wonder Gadot [2017].

“Her class was what kept her going and got here there on time,” said Velazquez. “She was never comfortable and not running into a spot I wanted. She never really put that much effort into keeping a spot. Finally, when I tipped her out heading to the quarter-pole, she started running.

“When I got her out, she put her ears up,” added Velazquez. “Little by little, when she got to the other horses, she started going.”

The well-bred Malathaat, purchased for $1.05 million at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the Pletcher-trained Dreaming of Julia, who captured the 2012 Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont Park.

“I see some similarities [with Dreaming of Julia],” said Pletcher. “They are both nice fillies to be around and very professional in the mornings and very sweet around the barn. They are very easy to take care of and they both have shown they want to run long. Dreaming of Julia was a really high-quality filly and I think this filly is of the same ilk.”

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Malathaat banked $82,500 in victory while remaining perfect through three starts. She returned $2.90 as the 2-5 mutuel favorite.

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A, Closing Day of the 18-day fall meet, with a nine-race card offering a pair of rich New York Stallion Stakes Series races, including the Great White Way for 2-year-olds and the Fifth Avenue for juvenile fillies, with purses of $250,000 each. Also featured on Closing Day is the $100,000 Garland of Roses at six furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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