Malathaat Cruises to Spinster Victory

Shadwell Stable's Malathaat (Curlin) strode home a powerful winner of the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland, earning an automatic berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. The 2-5 favorite was never far from the front behind a moderate pace and surged up to challenge Letruska (Super Saver) nearing the stretch. Malathaat ricocheted to the lead off the turn and never looked back, storming home a 5 3/4-length winner.

“By the quarter pole, I saw Tyler [Gaffalione] was tapping on [Letruska], and I thought, 'You know what, I'm going to pass him and hopefully that discourages him,'” said winning rider John Velazquez. “Malathaat kept running today. Normally when she gets to the lead she slows down, and she did, but at the same time she was running a little bit. Right at the wire, she [moved sideways] and she almost left me at the wire. But she was much the best today.”

Malathaat is now three-for-three over the Keeneland strip where she will attempt to win the Distaff–a race she was third in at Del Mar last year–Nov. 5.

Looking ahead to the Breeders 'Cup, trainer Todd Pletcher said, “She seems to love the track here. She's three for three here now, so that's always encouraging, to know one handles the surface well.”

Among Malathaat's challengers at Keeneland next month will be another daughter of Curlin who romped to a graded victory Sunday; the 3-year-old Nest bested her elders with an effortless victory in the GII Beldame S. at Aqueduct.

Last year's champion 3-year-old filly with wins in the GI Kentucky Oaks, GI Alabama S. and GI Ashland S., Malathaat looks to only be getting better at four. She opened 2022 with a win in the GIII Doubledogdare S. and, following runner-up efforts behind Clairiere (Curlin) in the June 11 GI Ogden Phipps S. and July 24 GII Shuvee S., she returned to the winner's circle in the Aug. 27 GI Personal Ensign S. last time out.

“It's great when you have one in their third year of training and you get to know them pretty well and kind of know what they like,” said Pletcher. “You could tell that this year she's a bigger, stronger version of last year's self and needed a little more training. That's why last year we opted to go from the GI Alabama to the Breeders' Cup. But this year we thought with an older, more mature filly that's carrying more condition, that a prep race in between was more appropriate.”

Pedigree Notes:

Dreaming of Julia, winner of the 2013 GI Frizette S., has a yearling filly by Medaglia d'Oro and a weanling filly by Curlin. She was bred back to Into Mischief this year.

In addition to Malathaat's win Sunday, Curlin was represented over the weekend by Elite Power, who captured the GII Vosburgh S. Saturday and Nest, who won the GII Beldame S. Sunday.

Sunday, Keeneland
JUDDMONTE SPINSTER S.-GI, $600,000, Keeneland, 10-9, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:51.05, ft.
1–MALATHAAT, 124, f, 4, 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
($1,050,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Shadwell Stable;
B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd A.
Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $372,000. 'TDN Rising Star'
Lifetime Record: Ch. 3-year-old filly, 13-9-3-1, $2,750,825.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Army Wife, 124, f, 4, by Declaration of War
               1st Dam: Tread, by Arch
               2nd Dam: Scoot Yer Boots, by Seeking the Gold
               3rd Dam: Whirl Series, by Roberto
($50,000 Ylg '19 FTKFEB; $190,000 2yo '20 OBSAPR).
O-Three Diamonds Farm; B-J D Stuart & AR Enterprises, Inc.
(KY); T-Michael J. Maker. $120,000.
3–Played Hard, 124, f, 4, by Into Mischief
               1st Dam: Well Lived, by Tiznow
               2nd Dam: Well Dressed, by Notebook
               3rd Dam: Trithenia, by Gold Meridian
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($280,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Rigney
Racing, LLC; B-Susan Casner (KY); T-Philip A. Bauer. $60,000.
Margins: 5 1/4, 3 1/4, 8 1/4. Odds: 0.44, 22.27, 4.14.
Also Ran: Letruska, Princess of Cairo.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Bonny South, Envoutante Headline Field of Seven For Thanksgiving Day’s Falls City

Juddmonte's multiple graded stakes-winning filly Bonny South headlines a competitive field of seven fillies and mares that entered the 106th running of the $500,000 Grade 2 Falls City, the centerpiece on the 12-race Thanksgiving Day program at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

The Thanksgiving Day card at Churchill Downs has been a Louisville tradition since 1969. There are more than 7,000 turkey dinners scheduled to be served by executive chef Dave Danielson and his team. First post is 11:30 a.m. (all times Eastern) and the 1 1/8-mile Falls City will go as Race 11 at 4:22 p.m.

Trained by Brad Cox, Bonny South bypassed the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., Nov. 6 and stayed at Churchill Downs for the Falls City. The 4-year-old daughter of Munnings finished third in the $500,000 G1 Spinster to multiple G1 winner Letruska. Prior to her Spinster effort, Bonny South nearly defeated Letruska in the $600,000 G1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga but came up a half-length short. Bonny South finished second in last year's Falls City as the 4-5 favorite to Three Chimneys Farm and Walking L. Thoroughbreds' Envoutante. Bonny South will be ridden in the Falls City by Florent Geroux from post No. 6.

Envoutante is slated to defend her title in the Falls City. The 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo won the $150,000 Shawnee Stakes at Churchill Downs in late May. Following her 4 ¼-length victory, the Kenny McPeek trainee had back-to-back third-place finishes to Letruska in the $300,000 G2 Fleur de Lis and Shedaresthedevil in the $400,000 G3 Locust Grove. In her most recent start, Envoutante finished fifth in the Spinster. McPeek's go-to rider Brian Hernandez Jr. will be in the saddle from post 4.

The Falls City field also includes Three Diamonds Farm's $1 million G1 Cotillion third-place finisher Army Wife; Lothenbach Stable's recent seven-length allowance winner Audrey's Time; owner/trainer Ignacio Correas IV's five-time winner Cheetara (CHI); WinStar Stablemates Racing's Locust Grove runner-up Crystal Ball; and G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s four-time Churchill Downs winner High Regard.

Here is the Falls City field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Crystal Ball (Tyler Gaffalione, Rodolphe Brisset); Cheetara (CHI) (Julien Leparoux, Ignacio Correas); High Regard (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver); Envoutante (Hernandez, McPeek); Army Wife (Joel Rosario, Mike Maker); Bonny South (Geroux, Cox); and Audrey's Time (Corey Lanerie, Neil Pessin).

Wagering is available online at www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

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Letruska Continues Her Dominance Of Distaff Division With Spinster Win

Far and away the best that the distaff division has had to offer in 2021, Letruska demonstrated why she is already the heavy favorite for the Breeders' Cup Distaff, taking the lead right out of the gate in the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes and easily holding off a field of five others at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

Under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., the 5-year-old mare followed the same strategy she used in her last-out victory in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., easily moving to the front as the field ran into the first turn. Setting fractions of :24 for the first quarter and :47.89 for the first half, Ortiz gave his mare a breather on the backside and then picked up the pace again around the far turn.

Into the stretch, Letruska kicked away from the field, putting 3 1/2 lengths between her and second-place Dunbar Road before Ortiz powered her down. At the wire, the daughter of Super Saver was 1 3/4 lengths in front, running the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.01.

Letruska paid $2.80, $2.10, and $2.10. Dunbar Road $3.40 and $2.20. Bonny South paid $2.40.

As part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, Letruska's win in the Spinsters earns her another fees-paid, guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Distaff. The mare also has victories in other Win and You're In events, including the G1 Ogden Phipps, the G1 Fleur de Lis, and the Personal Ensign.

Bred in Kentucky by owner St. George Stables, Letruska is out of the Successful Appeal mare Magic Appeal. She is trained by Fausto Gutierrez. With her win in the G1 Spinster, the 5-year-old mare has six wins in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 22-17-1-1 and career earnings of $2,236,459.

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