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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Favored Jouster Runs Away With Appalachian Stakes

Luis Saez seized the advantage with Jouster right from the start of Saturday's Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland, and the 3-year-old Noble Mission filly never looked back, winning the one-mile turf race at the Lexington, Ky., track easily by 1 1/2 lengths for Starlight Racing and trainer Todd Pletcher.

Setting easy fractions of :24.82, :49.87, 1:14.29 and 1:25.39 on a course rated good, Jouster completed the distance in 1:36.83 and paid $5.40 as the 8-5 favorite in a field of six 3-year-old fillies.

Gift List finished second, with Plum Ali a half length back in third and Saranya fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by St. Elias Stables, Jouster was a $360,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase by Starlight from the Lane's End consignment.

Out of the Street Cry mare, Playtime, Jouster was winless in two dirt starts at two, but is a nose shy of being unbeaten in four races on this grass this year. She broke her maiden by  8 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park Jan. 10, then won an allowance race at the South Florida track by 1 3/4 lengths on Feb. 7. Jouster was beaten a nose by Domaine Expertise in the G3 Florida Oaks in her most recent start at Tampa Bay Downs on March 6.  She trained up to the Appalachian at Pletcher's Florida headquarters at Palm Beach Downs.

Post-race quotes:
Luis Saez (winning rider of Jouster)

“She was so professional today, she broke from there so sharp. We just tried to relax and she did it so perfect. She came into the stretch and I had so much horse so I was just letting her be happy and we came to the end she just took off. She's good.”

Jack Wolf (managing partner of winning owner Starlight Racing)

“These last few days on this turf, the speed hasn't been holding which is what I was concerned about. Luis said before the race that he was going to try to get her to relax. The fractions you saw were perfect.”

Brian Lynch (trainer of runner-up Gift List [GB], who was making her North American debut)

“When I looked up at the half-mile pole and saw :49, I knew we were in trouble. She ran a really great race and now we are Grade 2-placed.”

 

Joel Rosario (rider of third-place finisher Plum Ali)

 

“That horse (the winner) took the lead easily and it was hard to catch her after that. But (Plum Ali) put in a nice run. I'm happy with my filly. She was running nice in the end, but just with the way the pace went it made it difficult.”

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‘Rising Star’ Makes the Grade in Appalachian

Just a nose short of getting her first graded win in the Mar. 6 GIII Florida Oaks, Jouster offered no anxious moments this time, rolling home a comfortable winner in Saturday's GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland.

Signaling her readiness with a sharp four-furlong move in :48.46 at Palm Beach Downs Mar. 27, the 8-5 favorite went straight to the front as her partner, Luis Saez, lulled the field to sleep through initial splits of :24.82 and :49.87. With plenty in reserve kicking for home, the Starlight Racing runner built a comfortable cushion and was kept to task late, crossing the wire a geared-down 3/4-length winner over European transplant Gift List (GB) with Plum Ali third.

“She was so professional today, she broke from there so sharp,” said Saez, who was recording his third win of the afternoon. “We just tried to relax and she did it so perfect. She came into the stretch and I had so much horse, so I was just letting her be happy and we came to the end she just took off. She's good.”

Runner up in her career debut sprinting six furlongs in the Saratoga slop last August, Jouster finished fifth next time stretching to a mile at Belmont in September. Off for the remainder of the season, she kicked off the year in style, scoring by 8 3/4 lengths over the Gulfstream turf Jan. 10 and earning TDN Rising Star status in the process. She came back to make it two straight at the Hallandale oval with another confident victory Feb. 7.

Pedigree Notes:

Jouster's win in Keeneland's Appalachian makes her the third graded/group winner for her sire Noble Mission (GB), a full-brother to champion and leading sire Frankel (GB). Purchased by Starlight for $360,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale, the filly is out of Playtime, a daughter of champion 2-year-old filly Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat) and granddaughter of multiple Grade I winner My Flag (Easy Goer). A half-sister to multiple graded placed Revved Up (Candy Ride {Arg}), the 9-year-old mare produced her latest live foal, a filly by West Coast, last season. This represents the family of the undefeated Champion Older Mare Personal Ensign (Private Account).

 

Saturday, Keeneland
APPALACHIAN S. PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION-GII, $200,000, Keeneland, 4-3, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.83, gd.
1–JOUSTER, 118, f, 3, by Noble Mission (GB)
                1st Dam: Playtime, by Street Cry (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Storm Flag Flying, by Storm Cat
                3rd Dam: My Flag, by Easy Goer
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN. ($360,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-Starlight Racing; B-St. Elias
Stables, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Luis Saez. $120,000.
Lifetime Record: 6-3-2-0, $214,920. Werk Nick Rating: A. 
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Gift List (GB), 118, f, 3, Bated Breath (GB)–Birthstone (GB),
by Machiavellian. (23,000gns Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-Amerman
Racing LLC; B-James Ortega Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Brian A.
Lynch. $40,000.
3–Plum Ali, 120, f, 3, First Samurai–Skipping, by Stroll. ($65,000
Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC &
Bethlehem Stables LLC; B-Stone Farm (KY); T-Christophe
Clement. $20,000.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 3HF. Odds: 1.70, 8.30, 2.30.
Also Ran: Saranya, Flown, Spanish Loveaffair.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

 

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Twenty Carat, Scarlett Sky, Chasing Artie Win Opening-Day Keeneland Stakes

Three Chimneys Farm's homebred Twenty Carat swept to the lead at the top of the stretch and had plenty left in the tank to hold off even-money favorite Slumber Party by 1½ lengths to win the 36th running of the $150,000 Beaumont (G3) for 3-year-old fillies Friday to highlight opening day of the 15-day Keeneland Spring Meet that runs through April 23 in Lexington, Ky.

Also capturing stakes Friday afternoon were Stuart Janney III's homebred Scarlett Sky in the 33rd running of the $150,000 Transylvania (G3) for 3-year-olds and Ken and Sarah Ramsey's homebred Chasing Artie in the second running of the $100,000 Palisades Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds.

In the Beaumont, Twenty Carat, trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Luis Saez, covered the Beard Course of 7 furlongs, 184 feet in 1:26.04. The victory was the second in the race for Ward, who saddled Gypsy Robin to win in 2012, and Saez, who won in 2019 on Fancy Dress Party.

Twenty Carat also picked up her first 10 points toward the Kentucky Oaks (G1), but is not nominated to the race.

My Girl Red led the field of seven through fractions of :22.18 and :44.79 with Farsighted and Twenty Carat in closest pursuit. On the far turn, Twenty Carat made a three-wide move and surged to the front at the head of the lane, quickly opened a daylight advantage and was never threatened in the run to the finish.

The victory was worth $90,000 and increased Twenty Carat's earnings to $115,600 with a record of 3-2-1-0. Twenty Carat is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Into Mischief out of the Bernardini mare Secret Jewel.

Twenty Carat (Into Mischief) wins the Beaumont Stakes

Twenty Carat returned $9, $4 and $3. Slumber Party, ridden by Joel Rosario, returned $3 and $2.40 and finished 1½ lengths ahead of Amalfi Princess, who paid $3.60 to show under Tyler Gaffalione.

Lady Traveler finished fourth and was followed in order by Farsighted, Cilla and My Girl Red.

Scarlett Sky rallies to win Kentucky Utilities Transylvania
In the Transylvania, Scarlett Sky rallied from last in the field of six at the top of the stretch to overhaul even-money favorite Fire At Will and longshot Palazzi in deep stretch to win by a half-length and post his first stakes victory.

Trained by Shug McGaughey and ridden by Joel Rosario, Scarlett Sky covered the 1 1/16 miles on a turf course rated as good in 1:43.89. It is the second victory in the race for McGaughey who won in 2011 with Air Support.

Fire At Will, winner of last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Keeneland, shot right to the front under Tyler Gaffalione and maintained a clear advantage through fractions of :24.63, :49.83 and 1:14.32 as Scarlett Sky raced at the rear of the field.

In the stretch, Fire At Will turned back a bid from Barrister Tom at the eighth pole and was clear at the sixteenth pole only to have Palazzi and then Scarlett Sky blow past in deep stretch.

Scarlett Sky wins the Transylvania

The victory was worth $90,000 and improved Scarlett Sky's earnings to $210,400 with a record of 7-3-3-0. Scarlett Sky is a Kentucky-bred son of Sky Mesa out of the Arch mare Mata Mua.

Sent off as the third choice, Scarlett Sky returned $7, $3.60 and $2.40. Palazzi, ridden by Chris Landeros, returned $7.20 and $3 and finished a half-length in front of Fire At Will who paid $2.20 to show.

Barrister Tom was another 1¼ lengths back in fourth and was followed in order by Earls Rock (IRE) and Breadman.

Chasing Art takes Palisades Turf Sprint
In the Palisades Turf Sprint, Joel Rosario rallied Chasing Artie from last place at the top of the stretch in the field of nine to overhaul Fauci inside the sixteenth pole to win by 1¾ lengths.

Trained by Wesley Ward, who also conditions Fauci, Chasing Artie covered the 5½ furlongs on a “good” turf course in 1:03.46. The victory was worth $60,000 and increased Chasing Artie's earnings to $87,000 with a record of 4-2-1-0.

Longshot Lock Up led the field through an opening quarter in :21.76 with Bodenheimer and Unitedandresolute in closest pursuit and Chasing Artie far back. The leaders remained unchanged until the upper stretch where Fauci waited to split horses before taking over at midstretch only to be caught and passed by Chasing Artie.

Chasing Artie wins the Palisades Turf Sprint

Chasing Artie is a Kentucky-bred son of We Miss Artie out of the Kitten's Joy mare Frisky Kitten.

Chasing Artie returned $10.20, $4.80 and $3.60. Fauci, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, returned $3.20 and $2.60 as the favorite with Unitedandresolute finishing another 2 lengths back in third and paying $5.60 to show under James Graham.

Blameworthy finished fourth and was followed in order by Lookin for Loki, Bodenheimer, J C's Champ, Lock Up and Smokin' Jay.

Racing continues Saturday with a blockbuster 11-race program beginning at 1:05 p.m. ET. The card features six graded stakes headlined by the $800,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G2), a major prep for the $3 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on May 1, and the $400,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1) a key steppingstone to the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) on April 30.

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