John Velazquez | Horse Racing Free Tips

Malathaat Finds Winner’s Circle Again In Alabama At Saratoga

In a race steeped in history, with names like Songbird, Shuvee, and Go for Wand on its list of winners, Malathaat sought to return to a familiar spot: the winner's circle. In her last start, she had battled Maracuja down the stretch of the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 21, Maracuja's final kick putting the Kentucky Oaks winner in an unfamiliar position: second place by a head. Four weeks later, Malathaat found the familiar confines of winner's circle once again, getting the better of six other 3-year-olds fillies in the 1 1/4-mile Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Malathaat broke from the sixth post, Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez taking up position behind the front four early in the Alabama. Longshot Played Hard, trying stakes company for the first time, held the lead for the first six furlongs, setting a slow pace with the first quarter-mile in :23.97 and the half-mile in :49.12. She maintained her half-length advantage through the final turn, with Army Wife and Malathaat moving on her outside. Army Wife was fastest into the stretch, grabbing a short lead but Velazquez had Malathaat on the move, taking advantage of the longer distance of the Alabama. She overtook Army Wife and pulled away in the last eighth of a mile to win by a length and a half. Clairiere, who was last early, came on to finish second with Army Wife holding on to third. Will's Secret, Played Hard, Crazy Beautiful, and Maracuja rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the mile and a quarter G1 Alabama was 2:02.59. Find this race's chart here.

Owned by Shadwell Stables, Malathaat paid $3.10, $2.50, and $2.10. Clairiere paid $5.30 and $3.60. Army Wife paid $3.90.

“With the exception of the stumble at the start, I felt pretty good the whole way. She recovered and got into a good position. She was in the clear. The thing we wanted today was to allow her to run her race and get into that big stride she has and a comfortable rhythm and keep coming,” trainer Todd Pletcher said after the race. “She got back close enough [after the stumble], maybe it would have improved one position or so, but ultimately it was where we wanted her to be.”

“I was thinking that Irad's horse [Ortiz, Jr., aboard No. 3 Clairiere] was coming from way back and I was expecting that. She was not close to the pace, so in the back of my head, I was thinking that's a horse who can come back, so you have to watch out for it,” Velazquez told the NYRA Press Office after the Alabama. “Last time, there was no speed at all. So, we made a decision to go to the first turn and if she was on the lead, then she was on the lead. She was on the lead and everybody chased us. Today, it was easier. The speed showed up. I saved the ground in the first turn. I didn't chase. I knew I was comfortable where I was and she did it for me.”

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, the 3-year-old Malathaat is by Curlin out of the A.P. Indy mare Dreaming of Julia. Consigned by Denali Stud, the filly was purchased by Shadwell at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $1,050,000 by Shadwell. With her win in the G1 Alabama, Malathaat has six wins in seven starts for career earnings of $1,555,150.

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Star Devine Shines In Galway Stakes At Saratoga

Star Devine made a strong move from the outside and prevailed by a head in a blanket finish to capture Sunday's $120,000 Galway for 3-year-old fillies sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon turf at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Lawrence Goichman's Star Devine notched her first stakes victory, edging Illegal Smile to win for the second time in four career starts.

After a brief delay when Dr B broke through the gate and was re-loaded, Star Devine was sent away from the outermost post under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, stalking the pace in fifth position as Wink led the 10-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in :22.13 over firm going.

Out of the turn, Star Devine was kept four-wide with Wink, Mischiefful, and Illegal Smile to her inside with the half in :45.20. After briefly running eye-to-eye with Mischiefful, Star Devine pulled away and then gained on the pacesetter under Velazquez's right-handed encouragement.

Bye Bye made a strong bid up the rail and Illegal Smile, under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., challenged to the wire, but Star Devine outkicked her rivals to complete the course in 1:02.37 for trainer Jorge Abreu.

“I had not much of a choice [but to go to the outside],” Velazquez said. “I tried to cover up behind Irad and he didn't go in there. Jorge said, 'I don't care where you are, I just don't want you on the lead.' We got a good post from the outside and I saved it for the end. That's the way it worked out.”

Star Devine was a debut winner in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., before running a competitive fourth in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly in May at Belmont Park. The Irish-bred ran third when stretched out to 1 1/16 miles on the Belmont turf on June 17 but was shortened up for the second running of the Galway while having Velazquez in the irons for the first time.

“I thought she was going to come from a little bit off the pace, but she broke so sharply and Johnny just took advantage of it,” Abreu said. “I knew she was going to run well. She was just looking for a little cut back. She's better going short than going long.

“I was a little concerned around the turn because I thought he was going to take her back and I thought, 'Don't do that', but then she kicked in again,” Abreu added. “He gave her a good ride.”

Off at 7-1, Star Devine paid $17 on a $2 win bet. The Fastnet Rock filly increased her career bankroll to $127,040 and will now target the 6 1/2-furlong $500,000 Music City on September 12 at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky.

“We're going to go to Kentucky Downs,” Abreu said. “I've had some good luck there and I like going there. We'll see how she comes out of it and that's where we'll aim.”

Illegal Smile, one of two entrants for trainer Wesley Ward along with Wink, bested Bye Bye by a head. It was the fourth time in eight starts [1-4-1] Illegal Smile has finished the runner-up.

“That was so close,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “It was a good race. My filly ran hard and gave me everything she had.”

Mischiefful, Tuscan Queen, Alwayz Late, Wink, Goin' Good, Li'l Tootsie, and Dr B completed the order of finish. What a Trick and main-track-only entrant Summer Brew scratched.

Live racing resumes Wednesday at Saratoga with a 10-race card featuring two stakes, starting with steeplechase action via the $150,000 Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard in the opener at 1:05 p.m. Eastern. The $120,000 Bolton Landing for 2-year-old fillies going 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf is carded as Race 9 at 5:39 p.m.

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Ward Sends Overbore, Kaufymaker In Skidmore Friday At Saratoga

After saddling Golden Pal to a superb victory in last year's $120,000 Skidmore, trainer Wesley Ward will vie for more prosperity in the 5 ½-furlong Mellon turf sprint for 2-year-olds, sending out stakes-winner Overbore and impressive maiden winner Kaufymaker in the ninth edition of the race on Friday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Owned by Peter Leidel, Overbore arrives off a two-month layoff after breaking his maiden in the Tremont on June 4 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. He tracked a swift pace from third to capture the 5 ½ furlong event over muddy and sealed going by three-quarters of a length.

The favorite in all three of his starts, Overbore, a dark bay or brown son of Speightstown, will return to turf two starts after finishing second, beaten a nose to Artos in a maiden race over the Churchill Downs turf on May 21.

“We gave him a little break and he's back to doing well,” Ward said. “I wanted to give him a little breather after he fired three races like he did. He's been doing well at Keeneland. We shipped him up to Saratoga and he's settled right in nicely.”

As the lone stakes winner in the Skidmore field, Overbore boasts $108,500 in earnings.

Purchased for $275,000 from the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Overbore is the first progeny out of the stakes-winning and multiple graded-stakes placed Saffir mare Galina Point.

Jockey Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 9.

Mr. Gregory Kauffman's Kaufymaker returns stateside following an endeavor across the pond in the Group 2 Coventry on June 15 at Royal Ascot, where she was eighth beaten four lengths.

The chestnut Jimmy Creed filly was outstanding on debut, breaking her maiden by 6 ¼ lengths over a good main track in April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexinton, Ky.

Kaufymaker resumed training at Keeneland before shipping to Saratoga, where she recorded a half-mile work in :48.11 Sunday over the Oklahoma turf course under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

“She's doing very well. Ascot was disappointing because I was pretty confident going into that race,” Ward said. “She was really working tremendously on the grass. She had a real nice work this morning over the Oklahoma turf with Johnny V up. She's doing really well and we're looking for a big effort with her.”

Velazquez will return to the irons from post 3.

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Leading trainer Mike Maker sends a formidable contender in Kendall Hansen's Pure Panic, who scored on debut last month in a 5 ½-furlong maiden event over the turf at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky. The gray or roan son of Summer Front will look to give Maker his fourth stakes triumph of the meet.

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will ride from post 8.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will saddle J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Bonus Appreciation after a second-out maiden victory in an off-the-turf event on July 11 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. picks up the mount from post 6.

Completing the field are Barone Cesco [post 1, Eric Cancel], Catch the Smoke [post 5, Jose Ortiz], and Baytown Warrior [post 10, Brandon Whitacre].

Averly Jane [post 2, Tyler Gaffalione], Backnthewoods [post 4, Jose Ortiz], and Golden Bell [post 7, John Velazquez] have been entered for main track only.

The Skidmore is carded as Race 9 on Friday's 10-race program at Saratoga Race Course. First post is 1:05 p.m. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Pacific Gale Breezes Ahead of Smart N Fancy At Saratoga

Holly Hill Stables' Pacific Gale breezed a half-mile in :48.80 Sunday on the Oklahoma training turf in preparation for a grass debut in Saturday's $120,000 Smart N Fancy, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for older fillies and mares at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

A multiple graded stakes winner on dirt, the 6-year-old Flat Out bay worked solo under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

“She went 48 and change the right way and had a very good gallop out,” Kimmel said.

Pacific Gale blossomed over the winter in Florida, capturing the Grade 2 Inside Information in January and Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie in March, both at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

She has made her last three starts in graded stakes sprints, finishing third in the Grade 3 Vagrancy in May and fourth in the Grade 3 Bed o' Roses in June, both at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., ahead of a fifth-place effort last out in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney on July 3 at Gulfstream.

Kimmel said the $500,000 Grade 1 Ketel One Ballerina, a seven-furlong main track sprint on Travers Day August 28, is coming up tough, so he has given Pacific Gale her last two works on turf to good effect.

“I always wanted to see if she had any affinity for the turf course. Even though she's a 6-year-old, we never really got around to it. It might open up another avenue,” Kimmel said. “We gave her a couple breezes on the turf course with very positive results both visually and also Johnny thought she handled it very nicely.”

Kimmel said Chester and Mary Broman's popular New York-bred millionaire Mr. Buff will target a third win in the nine-furlong Empire Classic for state-breds on October 30 at Belmont following his off-the-board effort in the Evan Shipman on August 11 at the Spa.

With regular pilot Junior Alvarado up, Mr. Buff did not break as alertly as usual and had to chase the pace of gate-to-wire winner Sea Foam while being hemmed in by Three Jokers.

“The weather was kind of hot for him and he was a little dull. He didn't break that sharp and when he wanted to go, Junior had a quick moment to push him through there and he didn't go,” Kimmel said. “He got put in a box and he was in his mouth for a good quarter of a mile trying to slow him down. When he didn't get enough response, he put his stick away and galloped him home.

“We'll try to make sure we have him ready for the Empire Classic,” Kimmel continued. “Cooler weather should work well for him.”

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