Todd Pletcher | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sunday Insights: Full-Sister to Malathaat Debuts For Stonestreet At Keeneland

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

6th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 3:40 p.m.

As big sister Malathaat prepares for a date in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff in three-weeks time, her 2-year-old full-sister JULIA SHINING makes her debut for owner/breeder Stonestreet Stables and trainer Todd Pletcher. Out of GISW & MGISP Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy), herself out of MGISW Dream Rush (Wild Rush) and a half-sister to MGSW Dream Pauline (Tapit), Julia Shining is her dam's second foal to make the races behind MGISW and champion 3-year-old filly Malathaat. With one recorded work over the Keeneland surface Oct. 9 (five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 (8/24), Julia Shining gets jockey Luis Saez aboard. TJCIS PPS

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Repole Purchases Majority Interest in Mo Money Mo Honey

Mike Repole purchased a majority interest in Robin Doser and Metropolitan Thoroughbreds' undefeated 3-year-old colt Mo Money Mo Honey (Uncle Mo–Stopshoppingdebbie, by Curlin). The colt has been transferred from Benny Feliciano, Jr. to Todd Pletcher.

“It's a storybook, man. I keep pinching myself. It's surreal. I'm not sure it's actually happening,” said R.J. Bistle, co-owner since 2005 of Metropolitan Moving & Storage in Laurel who races as Metropolitan Thoroughbreds. “It's unbelievable. He arrived in New York okay. I'm sure Todd and his team want to take a look at him and make a decision where to put him.”

Mo Money Mo Honey fetched just $14,000 at Keeneland's September 2020 yearling sale. He wound up on a farm in Kentucky where he was put up for sale. Feliciano found him and Doser and Bistle agreed to split the purchase price of $15,000.

Mo Money Mo Honey graduated by six lengths on debut at Laurel July 16 at Laurel. He returned in a six-furlong entry-level allowance Aug. 14 against older horses and cruised by seven lengths, then beat his elders again by 4 1/4 lengths in a second-level allowance Sept. 23 at Pimlico.

“He's running those times, and he just does it so naturally. I don't even know if he's a speed horse. I think he's just talented and he just goes to the lead,” Feliciano said. “I think he can do either or. We rated him the one time and he was fine. The best may be yet to come. He may be good going long. He might be a better horse at that. If he can carry that speed, he'll be dangerous no matter where he goes.”

“We received offers after all three of his races, and they gradually got bigger as the horse raced with more widespread interest,” Bistle said. “Our intention was to keep some money and stay with the horse, and doing both allowed us to have the benefit of both. We get to put some money in our pocket and we get to go watch the horse race as an owner. It's the best of both worlds, really.”

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Pletcher’s Breeders’ Cup Team Taking Shape

While life may provide only a handful of certainties, trainer Todd Pletcher showing up with a powerful battalion of runners on Breeders' Cup Day can be counted on to be one of them. The 2022 renewal of the World Championships, slated for Nov. 4-5 at Keeneland, is shaping up to be no different. Since the beginning of the month, the Hall of Famer has annexed seven Grade I or Grade II races, highlighted by Life Is Good (Into Mischief), winner of the Oct. 1 GI Woodward S. Undefeated in four domestic starts this season (he finished fourth in the G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan in March), the sparkling winner of the 2021 Dirt Mile was confirmed by Pletcher for a likely showdown with Flightline (Tapit) in next month's GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Also trying to give Pletcher his second Classic winner following Vino Rosso in 2019 is Happy Saver (Super Saver), who finished fourth in a competitive renewal of the GII Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs Oct. 1. Last season's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winner hit the board in a trio of preceding starts in 2022, including a second to Flightline in the June 11 GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. and runner-up finish behind Life Is Good in the Aug. 6 GI Whitney S.

Also offering an imposing 1-2 punch on the Breeders' Cup Saturday card are Malathaat (Curlin) and Nest (Curlin), both targeting the GI Distaff. Victorious in last season's GI Kentucky Oaks, Central Bank Ashland S. and GI Alabama S., the Shadwell runner took last Sunday's GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland, while her year-younger stablemate–victorious in this summer's Alabama and GI CCA Oaks, and runner-up in the GI Belmont S.–romped in the recent GII Beldame S. in New York.

Pletcher previously won the Distaff with eventual Hall of Famer Ashado (2004) and Stopchargingmaria in 2015.

Always dangerous with his juveniles, Pletcher will be represented by no less than a trio of 2-year-olds, including GI Hopefull S. and GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity victor Forte (Violence), targeting the GI TVG Juvenile, and GI Frizette S. heroine Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke), slated to contest the GI NetJets Juvenile Fillies. Also set to reappear over the championship weekend is Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro), who punched his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf with a victory in the Oct. 2 GII Pilgrim S.

Rounding out Team Pletcher's championship team is Annapolis (War Front). Victorious in the Manila S. at Belmont earlier this summer, the son of My Miss Sophia subsequently added a win in the Saranac S. at Saratoga before earning a Mile berth with a score in the GI Coolmore Turf Mile S. at Keeneland Oct. 8.

Already responsible for a dozen Breeders' Cup victories since earning his first win in 2004, Pletcher has finished third or better with 43 runners–registering a 28% in-the-money strike rate–while amassing $22.5 million in earnings.

Given the caliber of runners already engaged for this year's showcase next month, it appears likely that those figures will continue their upward trajectory.

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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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