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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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Edgeway, Bravo Team Up For Rancho Bernardo Score At Del Mar

Hronis Racing's Edgeway, the even-money favorite in a short field of four fillies and mares, went about her business in fine fashion Friday afternoon and came away a one-length winner in the 50th edition of the Grade 3, $100,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The 4-year-old daughter of Competitive Edge covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.80 under Joe Bravo and won her race in easier fashion than the margin would indicate. She also gave her trainer, John Sadler, his sixth victory in this distaff sprint going back to a fine filly named Track Gal the conditioner saddled to win the race in 1995, '96 and '97.

Finishing second in the Rancho Bernardo was Gem Inc and Kagele's Proud Emma, while pulling in third was Don Alberto Stable's Stellar Sound.

Edgeway was winning her fifth race in her eighth start and the winner's share of $60,000 pushed her earnings so far to $379,200. With show wagering cancelled due to the short field, Edgeway returned $4.00 and $2.60, while Proud Emma paid $4.60.

In the track's Rainbow Pick 6 Single Ticket Jackpot wager, for the 18th straight time a single bettor couldn't tab all six winners on his or her own meaning there will be yet another carryover into Saturday's TVG Pacific Classic Day card where a “mandatory” payout awaits. Friday's carryover amount of $1,874,996 will be in the pool to start the day tomorrow and it and all the “new” money that comes in on the bet will go out to those who have the most winners, guaranteed.

Some projections put the likely “new” money amount in the $6- to $10-million range. If so, it will virtually ensure that the track will best its non-Breeders' Cup single-day betting record of $25,870,431 set on August 18, 2018, a TVG Pacific Classic Day.

Racing for the big TVG Pacific Classic Day card begins at 2 p.m. Saturday. Eleven races will be on tap with the Pick 6 wager beginning on Race 6, which is scheduled to go off at approximately 4:30 p.m.

JOE BRAVO (Edgeway, winner) – “She was feeling real positive from the break right on through. I was in the catbird seat pretty much all the way. At the three-eighths (pole) I just cut her loose and she got real brave then. She's a nice filly and good horses make my job easier. It'll be interesting to see what John (trainer Sadler) does with her next.”

JOHN SADLER (Edgeway, winner) – “This has been such a good race for me and it is fun to win it again; it has been a few years in between wins. This is a good filly, she has a great record. The only bad race was her last one and Gamine (who left Edgeway 11 ¼ lengths behind in the Great Lady M at Los Alamitos) is the best in the country. She came back from it today, so I'm very happy.”

FRACTIONS: :22.31 :44.94 1:10.05 1:16.80

The stakes win was the third of the meet for rider Bravo, but his first in the Rancho Bernardo. He now has five stakes wins at Del Mar.

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Sadler, but sixth in the Rancho Bernardo. He now has 79 stakes wins at Del Mar, second most of all trainers.

The winning owners, Hronis Racing, are Kosta and Pete Hronis of Delano, Calif.

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The Friday Show Presented By Monmouth Park: B. Wayne Hughes Remembered; Illinois Racing’s Future

Mark Toothaker, Spendthrift Farm's stallion sales manager, recalled a conversation he had with farm owner B. Wayne Hughes just a few months ago after noticing that the 87-year-old visionary was still going full speed, working on new ideas and projects, while others his age might spend their time in a rocking chair, traveling or on hobbies.

“Wayne, what in the world?” Toothaker asked him. “Why do you want to keep doing what you're doing?”

“Mark, I've got so much that I want to accomplish but I've got so little time left,” Hughes told him. “So I don't have time to do anything but work.”

Toothaker joins Ray Paulick in this week's Friday Show to pay tribute to Hughes, who passed away on Wednesday while leaving an enormous legacy as a businessman, philanthropist, horseman and innovator.

In a second segment, Paulick speaks with trainer Chris Block, whose family has been breeding and racing horses at Arlington Park for a half century, about the future of Illinois racing should this be the suburban Chicago track's final year.

Olympic Runner, coming off a victory in the Grade 2 King Edward and looking ahead to the G1 Woodbine Mile, is this week's Woodbine Star of the Week.

Watch this week's show, presented by Monmouth Park, below:

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Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale Improves Across The Board In 2021

The Fasig-Tipton New York Bred Yearlings sale resumed Monday afternoon at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., with a vibrant session which flattered the strength and resilience of the New York bred marketplace.

The two-day sale concluded with across-the-board increases over the sale's most recent renewal in 2019, and top-three historical marks in number sold, gross, average, median, and RNA rate.

The session's top seller came in the form of Hip 419, a filly by Munnings, which sold for $350,000 to GMP Stables, Vekoma Racing, West Paces, Oracle Bloodstock, agent (video).

The chestnut filly was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent. Hip 419 is the second foal out of multiple New York stakes winner Freudie Anne, who made 16 of her 25 starts on the NYRA circuit and earned nearly $400,000.

The top-priced filly over the two-day sale came during the Sunday session, when Hip 341, a filly by Uncle Mo, sold for $495,000 (read more).

“We hit the sales superfecta,” said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. “Average was up, median was up, gross was up, and RNA rate was down. “We're obviously very, very pleased.”

A pair tied for the session's top-priced colt. First through the ring was Hip 528, a son of successful young sire Constitution, sold for $300,000 to DJ Stable (video).

Offered by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, the dark bay or brown colt was bred in New York by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding. Hip 528 is the second foal out of the winning Medaglia d'Oro mare Rare Medal, and hails from the immediate family of two-time Sovereign Award winner Northernette and international champions Storm Bird and Green Tune.

Also sold for $300,000 was Hip 591, a colt from the first crop of Eclipse Champion Accelerate, who was purchased by David Stack (video).

Paramount Sales consigned the chestnut colt, which was bred in New York by SF Bloodstock. Hip 591 is out of the stakes placed winning Marquetry mare Ten Halos, making him a half-brother to graded stakes winner and multiple stakes winner Cinco Charlie (Indian Charlie), who earned more than $600,000. In addition, Ten Halos is a half-sister to Grade 2 winners My Pal Charlie and Bwana Charlie, and graded stakes winner Bwana Bull.

Three shared the top price for a colt over the course of the two-day sale, which includes the above two colts and Hip 330, a son of leading sire Into Mischief which sold for $300,000 during Sunday's session (read more).

“We're fortunate enough that the consignors once again gave us really outstanding horses,” said Browning, adding that there was also “significant bidding from a diverse buying group.”

Rounding out the session's top five were:

Hip 425, a filly from the first crop of Mendelssohn out of the Smart Strike mare Good Omen, sold for $250,000 to Bay Hill Stables from the consignment of Paramount Sales, agent. The filly hails from the immediate family of two-time Horse of the Year and successful sire Curlin.
Hip 508, a filly from the second crop of Practical Joke out of the winning Malibu Moon mare Orient Moon, sold for $250,000 to Klaravich Stable from the consignment of Indian Creek, agent. The filly was bred in New York by John Lauriello out of a daughter of Grade 2 placed multiple stakes winner Career Oriented.

“We've always been committed to this sale and this marketplace,” Browning concluded. “There was no segment of the marketplace more adversely affected by the COVID (pandemic) than the New York-bred yearling marketplace… It's nice to restore the marketplace for (the breeders), so they can have confidence going forward.”

Overall, 203 yearlings changed hands for a total of $18,566,500, a New York Bred Yearlings sale record, just beating the previous highwater mark set in 2018 when 172 yearlings sold for $18,492,00. The gross rose 14.6 percent from $16.2 million paid for 186 yearlings in 2019. This year also marks the first time more than 200 horses sold at New York Bred Yearlings.

The sale average was $91,461, a 5 percent increase from the 2019 average of $87,097, and ranked second all-time to the $107,512 record set in 2018. The median rose 16.7 percent to $70,000 from $60,000 during the 2019 renewal, and also ranks second historically only to the record of $76,000 set in 2018.

The RNA rate fell to 21.3 percent, the lowest at this sale – which RNA rate generally reflects the strength of the New York bred program and the added value of retaining a New York Bred yearling – since 1995. The RNA rated was the third-lowest in sale history.

Full results are available online.

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