Keeneland | Horse Racing Free Tips

Fourth Win Of The Day: Rosario Executes Perfectly-Timed Ashland Run Aboard Malathaat

Joel Rosario is on fire this Saturday at Keeneland. The veteran jockey orchestrated his fourth win on the card, and third straight, with a late-running nose triumph aboard 3-2 favorite Malathaat in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes. Owned by the late Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell operation, the 3-year-old daughter of Curlin and Grade 1 winner Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy) has now won all four of her career starts, and Saturday's victory earned her 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

“She has a beautiful stride,” Rosario said. “This morning talking with (trainer Todd Pletcher), he told me exactly how to ride her. It looked like (the leader) was getting away from me but I knew my filly would be there for me.”

The leggy Malathaat was in a joint fourth position early on in the Ashland. She trailed six lengths behind leader Simply Ravishing through fractions of :24.26 and :48.56, Rosario patiently biding his time and keeping the lightly-raced filly on the outside of rivals.

Pass The Champagne made a big move around the far turn and stole away to a four-length lead at the top of the short stretch, but Rosario was getting Malathaat into high gear. Though Malathaat changed leads late and seemed rather green, Rosario had timed his run perfectly and nailed Pass the Champagne on the wire by a nose. She completed 1 1/16 miles over Keeneland's fast main track in 1:42.94.

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet, Malathaat was a $1.05 million yearling purchase at the Keeneland September sale. Undefeated in four career starts, Malathaat has now earned over $400,000 and is guaranteed a spot in the starting gate for the April 30 Kentucky Oaks beneath the Twin Spires in Louisville, Ky.

“I can't put it into words,” said an emotional Rick Nichols, Vice President and General Manager of winning owner Shadwell Stable. “I am sure (Sheikh Hamdan) is up there with a big smile on his face looking down on us. We really needed this.”

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Curlin’s ‘Rising Star’ Malathaat Up In the Nick of Time in the Ashland

With principal Sheikh Hamdan having passed away just 10 days earlier, unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) provided the Shadwell team with a major pick-me-up as she ran down Pass the Champagne (Flatter) in Keeneland's GI Central Bank Ashland S. Saturday under red-hot Joel Rosario.

“I can't put it into words,” said an emotional Rick Nichols–Vice President and General Manager of Shadwell–after the race. “I am sure [Sheikh Hamdan] is up there with a big smile on his face looking down on us. We really needed this.”

Already with 10 GI Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to her name, Malathaat picked up another 100 on Saturday.

“I think she might be pretty special,” Nichols said. “We will see if we can get in the Oaks and see what we can get done.”

Purchased for $1,050,000 at Keeneland September–part of $11,070,000 in expenditures at that sale for Shadwell, always among the auction's leading buyers–Malthaat opened her account with a pacesetting victory over seven panels at Belmont last October. She stepped forward with a 7 3/4-length tally in Aqueduct's one-mile Tempted S. Nov. 6, but had been off since annexing the GII Demoiselle S. back in the Ozone Park slop going 1 1/8 miles Dec. 5.

Having wintered at Palm Beach Downs, Malathaat was backed at 3-2 as the narrow second choice behind last year's local GI Darley Alcibiades S. romper Simply Ravishing (Laoban). Away well, the bay was taken back to second last by Rosario as she traveled in the two path. She was pushed along for more after a tepid :48.56 half, and Pass the Champagne caught the eye as she appeared locked and loaded in the pocket, awaiting running room behind the favorite. Pass the Champagne split foes and took a clear lead at the top of the stretch as Malathaat struggled briefly to switch leads. Once she leveled off, however, Malathaat gobbled up ground to get up by a head. GIII Honeybee S. winner Will's Secret (Will Take Charge) rounded out the trifecta from last, while Simply Ravishing trailed the field in.

“She has a beautiful stride,” said Rosario. “This morning talking with [trainer Todd Pletcher], he told me exactly how to ride her. It looked like [Pass the Champagne] was getting away from me but I knew my filly would be there for me.”

George Weaver, trainer of the runner-up, said, “I thought she was a winner when she came off the turn. I know it's a short run to the wire and I was like 'man we've got open lengths.' The wire could not come soon enough and Todd's filly came running. Todd's filly has been training with me at Palm Beach Downs and I know he's very high on her. There is no embarrassment getting beat by her today. First time two turns, I would look for a big improvement next time.”

Trainer Ken McPeek later tweeted that Simply Ravishing “cooled out sound [but] has a minor breathing issue that we are unable to resolve in time for the Kentucky Oaks.”

Saturday, Keeneland
CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND S.-GI, $400,000, Keeneland, 4-3, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:42.94, ft.
1–MALATHAAT, 121, f, 3, by Curlin
                1st Dam: Dreaming of Julia (GISW, $874,500), by A.P. Indy
                2nd Dam: Dream Rush, by Wild Rush
                3rd Dam: Turbo Dream, by Unbridled
1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($1,050,000 Ylg '19
KEESEP). O-Shadwell Stable; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred
Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Joel Rosario. $240,000.
Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, $412,150. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
   *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pass the Champagne, 121, f, 3, by Flatter
                1st Dam: Champagne Taste (SW, $115,622),
                                by Distorted Humor
                2nd Dam: Go Go, by Falstaff
                3rd Dam: Key Mist, by Plugged Nickle
O-R. A. Hill Stable, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Rock Ridge
Racing LLC, BlackRidge Stables LLC & James Brown; B-Preston
Madden (KY); T-George Weaver. $80,000.
3–Will's Secret, 121, f, 3, by Will Take Charge
                1st Dam: Girls Secret, by Giant's Causeway
                2nd Dam: Well Monied, by Maria's Mon
                3rd Dam: Queen of America, by Quiet American
O/B-Willis Horton Racing LLC (KY); T-Dallas Stewart. $40,000.
Margins: HD, 5 1/4, 5 1/4. Odds: 1.50, 4.90, 4.40.
Also Ran: Moon Swag, Curlin's Catch, Simply Ravishing.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
Shadwell also won Saturday's GI South African Derby, and took Keeneland's opener with sophomore colt Ghazaaly (Curlin), who cost the same amount as Malathaat at the same sale. Shadwell bought third a Curlin, an $800,000 filly, at KEESEP '19 who remains currently unraced. Malathaat was certainly bred for a big Oaks prep performance–her dam Dreaming of Julia turned in an other-worldly effort in the 2013 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, winning by 21 3/4 lengths and earning a gaudy 114 Beyer Speed Figure for Stonestreet and Pletcher. Dreaming of Julia was subsequently fourth in that year's Kentucky Oaks.

Malathaat becomes the 14th Grade I winner for her sire, and is bred on the same cross as last year's GI Woodward H. hero Global Campaign and recent GI Santa Anita H. victor Idol. A.P. Indy is now the sire of the dams of no fewer than 30 highest-level winners, including last Saturday's G1 Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper).

Malthaat is the third foal–first to race–out of Dreaming of Julia, herself a daughter of MGISW Dream Rush. Dreaming of Julia has a 2-year-old colt by Medaglia d'Oro, a yearling full-sister to Malthaat and foaled a Medaglia d'Oro filly on Tuesday.

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Bound For Nowhere Does It Again: 7-Year-Old Captures Second Shakertown Stakes

Twenty percent of his career starts have come in the Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland in the Spring, and this Saturday, the 7-year-old Bound For Nowhere made a big late run to win by a nose as the 2-1 favorite. The son of the The Factor has now run his record in the Shakertown to 2-1-1, with his previous win coming in 2018; he was second and third by a neck in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Owned and trained by Wesley Ward, Bound For Nowhere ran the 5 1/2 furlongs over the turf rated “good” in 1:02.19. Joel Rosario, winning his third race on the card, had to work out a trip from the outside stall in a field of 12 rivals, but had the older horse flying late to run down Imprimis, the 2019 Shakertown winner, by a nose.

“He's a really hard horse to train,” Ward said. “He's got a lot of issues that he's overcome. Just minor deals, but major setbacks when you're trying to keep him at this level. I've got to give all the credit to his rider who rides him every day, Julio Garcia, who's ridden him the majority of his career. He was supposed to ride him today and he said, 'No Wesley I'm officially retired.' But he's on him every day for all these years, and I can't thank that little fella enough.”

Imprimis broke out of the gates ahead of the start, but was cleared by the state veterinarian to re-load and start. Johnny Unleashed and The Critical Way were sharpest off the blocks, speeding through a first quarter in :21.42. Imprimis was in fifth position near the inside, while Bound For Nowhere was about eight lengths off the leaders and five wide.

The Critical Way and Johnny Unleashed stayed on strong until mid-stretch, but Imprimis had found clear room on the outside and took command at the sixteenth pole. Bound For Nowhere had perfect aim on him, though, and laid his heart down to get his nose down on the wire. Imprimis settled for second with The Critical Way Third, and Johnny Unleased fourth.

Bound For Nowhere has now won nine of his 15 lifetime starts, earning just shy of $1 million. Bred in Kentucky by Wayne, Gray, and Bryan Lyster, Bound for Nowhere is out of the Alydeed mare Fancy Deed, herself a half sister to multimillion-dollar earner Midnight Lute.

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Flagstaff Rallies Late Under Rosario For Commonwealth Stakes Triumph

Bottled up on the inside after breaking from the rail post, Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing's Flagstaff was taken to the outside in the stretch by jockey Joel Rosario, and the 7-year-old gelding by Speightstown finished with determination to overtake front-runner Special Reserve and win Saturday's Grade 3 Commonweath Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths at Keeneland racecourse in Lexington, Ky.

Trained by John Sadler, Flagstaff was winning for the first time since taking the G2 San Carlos at Santa Anita on March 7, 2020. He completed the seven furlongs on a fast main track in 1:21.84 and paid $5.80 as the 9-5 favorite.

Special Reserve just held second over a fast-closing Attachment Rate, with Bango fourth and Mucho fifth in the field of seven older sprinters.

Special Reserved, claimed two starts back for $40,000 by trainer Mike Maker, set all the fractions: :22.98 for the opening quarter mile, :45.97 for the half and 1:09.80 for six furlongs. Bango chased the front-runner from the outside with Flagstaff racing along the inside until Rosario eased him off the rail turning into the stretch. He guided the gelding further out in mid-stretch and Flagstaff responded to the clear sailing with a strong finish.

Flagstaff, bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Farm, is out of the A.P. Indy mare, Indyan Giving. He improved his record to six wins, six second and three thirds from 18 starts. He was coming off a third-place finish in the Hot Springs Handicap at Oaklawn behind C Z Rocket and reigning sprint champion Whitmore.

Post-race quotes:

Joel Rosario (winning rider of Flagstaff)

“I was thinking (about) trying to get out at some point. With an inside post position I just had to be there. He broke really sharp and I was in a good spot, and I was just waiting to be in the clear when I could going forward.”

“He was running for me (coming into the stretch). Sometimes you know how much (horse) you have when you start moving, but I stopped moving and he kept moving forward so I felt very good about how much horse I had.”

Bill Farish (of winning co-owner Lane's End Racing)

“When you have the one post, you either send him or you don't, and it looked like (Joel) was sending him in the beginning and maybe the horse just got outfooted a little bit. But when he swung him outside he really made a great run. It's really fun to have an older gelding like him. He just keeps coming on big days and winning big races, and it's a lot of fun for everybody involved.”

Mike Maker (trainer of runner-up Special Reserve)

“He made a really good effort – was trying very hard down the lane.”

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