Malathaat | Horse Racing Free Tips

Malathaat Exits Ashland Triumph In Good Order; Next Stop Kentucky Oaks

Trainer Todd Pletcher extended his all-time record number of Keeneland stakes victories to 59 on Saturday with triumphs by Shadwell Stable's Malathaat in the Central Bank Ashland (G1) and Starlight Racing's Jouster in the Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association.

“They are all good this morning,” reported Amelia Green, who is overseeing Pletcher's string at Keeneland that also includes Ghazaaly, winner of Saturday's first race.

Malathaat, by Curlin, earned a berth in the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) with her victory. The Oaks will be run April 30, the same day as the $300,000 Edgewood (G2) that could be a possible spot for the Noble Mission filly Jouster to return.

Pletcher said via text that Malathaat and Jouster would remain at Keeneland for the time being.

A half-hour after Malathaat won the Central Bank Ashland, Pletcher saddled Calumet Farm's Bourbonic and Repole Stable, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One to a 1-2 finish in the Wood Memorial (G2) Presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct.

Pletcher has four horses in the top 20 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, including WinStar Farm and CHC Inc's Sainthood, who is stabled at Keeneland following his runner-up effort in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park March 27.

In winning her first Grade 1, Malathaat ran down Pass the Champagne in the final yards to prevail by a head.

“I thought we had it won, but I know Todd has been very high on Malathaat,” said George Weaver, trainer of Pass the Champagne, who is owned by the partnership of R. A. Hill Stable, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Rock Ridge Racing, Black Ridge Stables and James Brown. “She is doing fine this morning and will ship back (to Palm Beach Downs in Florida) tomorrow morning.”

Weaver followed a similar pattern two years ago with Vekoma after he won the Toyota Blue Grass, returning to his Florida base before going to Churchill Downs Derby Week.

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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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Malathaat Looks to Remain Perfect in Ashland

Blue-blooded 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) looks to follow in her dam and grand-dam's hoofprints by adding a Grade I to her perfect resume Saturday in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland. A debut winner going seven panels at Belmont Oct. 9, the $1.05-million KEESEP purchase romped by 7 3/4 lengths in the one-mile Tempted S. at Aqueduct Nov. 6. She proved distance was no issue when coming alive late with a determined rally to capture a sloppy renewal of the nine-panel GII Demoiselle S. at the Big A when last seen Dec. 5 and prepped for this with a five-furlong bullet in 1:01 2/5 (1/4) at Palm Beach Downs Mar. 27. Initially scheduled to make her seasonal bow in last weekend's GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, Malathaat missed that event after the death of her owner Sheikh Hamdan earlier in the week.

Simply Ravishing (Laoban) scored her career high at this oval last term and hopes to repeat Saturday. Opening her account with a pair of victories at Saratoga last summer, including an off-the-turf renewal of the P.G. Johnson S., the bay dominated by 6 1/4 lengths in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. here in October. She was fourth in both the GI Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies and GII Golden Rod S. in November and makes her first start of her 3-year-old season Saturday.

Will's Secret (Will Take Charge) will try to extend her hot streak and take her game to the next level in the Ashland. Graduating at fourth asking in an off-the-turf event at Fair Grounds Dec. 20, the homebred registered a 5 1/4-length decision in a muddy renewal of Oaklawn's Martha Washington S. Jan. 30. The dark bay wired that venue's GIII Honeybee S. last time Mar. 6 and Dallas Stewart shows faith in his charge by choosing this spot over the GIII Fantasy S. back in Hot Springs Saturday.

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