Malathaat

Malathaat (foaled March 7, 2018) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2021 Kentucky Oaks, the filly equivalent of the Kentucky Derby. She also won the Tempted and Demoiselle Stakes at age two, and the Ashland Stakes and Alabama Stakes at age three.

Background[]

Malathaat is a bay filly who was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Stables.^[2] She was sired by Curlin, who was the two-time American Horse of the Year. Curlin was known for his class – the ability to carry his speed over classic distances – with wins including the 2007 Preakness Stakes, 2007 Breeders' Cup Classic and 2008 Dubai World Cup. Since retiring to stud, he has finished in the top ten on the North American sire list several times, including second-place finishes in 2016 and 2019. His most notable progeny, including Exaggerator, Palace Malice, Stellar Wind and Vino Rosso, are also known for their stamina.^[3] Malathaat's dam was Grade I winner, Dreaming of Julia, by A.P. Indy.^[4]

Malathaat was sold at the Keeneland 2019 yearling sale for $1,050,000. She was purchased by Shadwell Stables, owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum. She is trained by Todd Pletcher.^[2][4]

Racing career[]

2020: two-year-old season[]

Malathaat made her debut on October 9, 2020 in a maiden special weight at Belmont Park. She went off as the odds-on favorite in a field of six based on her pedigree and outstanding workouts. She vied for the early lead with Well Kept Secret, took the lead after half a mile, then pulled away in the stretch to win by 1+3⁄4 lengths. The performance earned her the "TDN Rising Star" designation from the Thoroughbred Daily News.^[5][6]

Malathaat made her next start in the Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct on November 6. She went to the early lead and set moderate fractions of :24.15 for the quarter-mile and :48.28. Turning for home, she began to widen her lead, winning by 7+3⁄4 lengths.^[7]

She made her final start of the year in the Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct on December 5. She broke slowly and settled in the middle of a tightly bunched field, getting bumped a few times. Turning into the stretch, she swung out wide and began to close ground. Still 3+1⁄2 lengths behind with a furlong remaining, she rallied in the final strides to win by three-quarters of a length.^[8] Malathaat became the third member of her family to win the Demoiselle, following her dam, Dreaming of Julia, and granddam, Dream Rush. Pletcher noted that the filly had faced her first major challenge after easily winning her first two starts. "(Today) she was on and off the bridle and a little bit green," he said, "and there was a little bit of traffic, but in the end, she found more and showed the quality filly that she is."^[9]

2021: three-year-old season[]

Malathaat was originally scheduled to make her three-year-old debut in the Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 27. However Sheikh Hamdan passed away on March 24 and her remaining connections honored his wishes not to run any of their horses during the 10-day mourning period.^[10] She instead made her first start of the year in the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland on April 3, 2021. She went off as the favorite in a field of six that also included Grade I winner Simply Ravishing and Grade III winner Will's Secret.^[11] She chased the early pace set by Simply Ravishing, then swung four wide as they turned into the stretch. At the same time, Simply Ravishing tired and eventually finished last, while Pass the Champagne took over the lead, widening to two lengths in midstretch. Under a sustained drive, Malathaat gradually closed ground and won by a head over Pass the Champagne.^[12]

Malathaat's next start was in the Kentucky Oaks on April 30 at Churchill Downs. She went off as the 5-2 favorite in the field of 13 that also featured Travel Column (Fair Ground Oaks) and Search Results (Gazelle Stakes). Malathaat broke slowly from an outside post and was bumped a few times going into the first turn, where she settled into fifth place while racing four wide. Travel Column set a moderate early pace, completing the first half mile in :47.47 and the three-quarters in 1:11.31. Travel Column then dropped back as Search Results moved to the lead along the rail and Malathaat started her move on the outside. Malathaat took a narrow lead in midstretch. Search Results fought back and the two matched strides for the final furlong, with Malathaat winning by a neck. Jockey John Velazquez said that despite the poor start, he found a good spot to stalk the pace. "She was running well and when I turned for home, I had a target [Search Results] to send her after", he said. "We got up next to her and my filly went by. Then she waited a bit; she does that. The other filly came back, but I could tell I was still in control. I never thought I was going to do anything but win."^[13][14]

Malathaat's next start was in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks where jockey John Velazquez were on the losing end of a frantic stretch duel with longshot Maracuja, falling a head short and spoiling her undefeated record.^[15] The 3-year-old filly raced on the lead, though previous wins had showed her ability to win from off the pace. One month later in the GI Alabama Stakes took the lead at the eighth pole, and overtook Army Wife drawing away, winning by 1+1⁄2 lengths in a time of 2:02.59 as the 11-20 odds-on favorite.^[15]

Statistics[]

An asterisk after the odds means Malathaat was the post-time favorite

Pedigree[]

References[]