Malathaat had a tough act to follow when she began her 4-year-old campaign in spring 2022. After all, the previous season she won three Grade 1s and an Eclipse Award as outstanding 3-year-old filly. Turns out the sequel was even better than the original. Racing six times in 2022, Malathaat ran faster than the year before, faced better company, won more often, and capped her exceptional career with a thrilling photo-finish victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland. All of which makes Malathaat, by Curlin, an Eclipse Award finalist as outstanding older dirt female of 2022. Getting there was half the fun. Bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Shadwell Farm purchased Malathaat for $1,050,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale. At age 2, Malathaat was sent to Todd Pletcher, who trained her Grade 1-winning dam, Dreaming of Julia. Over the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Malathaat emerged as one of the country’s top fillies, winning seven of nine. :: Full list of 2022 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories The 2022 season was her magnum opus, despite an underwhelming start to her campaign. Malathaat returned in April at Keeneland, odds-on in the Grade 3 Doubledogdare, her first start since finishing third in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Malathaat scored a workmanlike victory by three-quarters of a length in the Doubledogdare. The next start by Malathaat was frustrating. In the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park, Malathaat rallied from behind, made the lead late, but lost her focus and was collared by Clairiere. Malathaat earned a career-high 106 Beyer, but missed by a head. Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez agreed she may benefit by the addition of blinkers. The Grade 2 Shuvee in July at Saratoga was expected to be the turnaround for blinkers-on Malathaat. However, she was unusually flat, possibly due to the heat, and finished second at odds-on. It was her second consecutive loss to Clairiere. Ultimately, blinkers did the trick, and Malathaat did not lose again. She returned to peak form in August at Saratoga, winning Grade 1 Personal Ensign. As a prep race before the BC Distaff, she entered the Grade 1 Spinster in October at Keeneland. :: DRF Bets players have exclusive access to FREE DRF Past Performances - Classic or Formulator! Join today.  Malathaat ran away, winning by more than five lengths in the most lopsided graded stakes victory of her career. Next stop, BC Distaff. Facing a field that included six other Grade 1 winners, including stablemate Nest, Malathaat overcame traffic to win by a nose over Blue Stripe. The swan-song Distaff was her fourth win from six starts in 2022, and third consecutive Grade 1. Her retirement from racing was announced soon afterward. Malathaat has joined the Shadwell broodmare band and will be bred to Into Mischief. If she is named champion older dirt female, Malathaat would join a select list of Eclipse-winning 3-year-old fillies who later won the Eclipse as older dirt female. Those include Life’s Magic, Royal Delta, and Beholder. Malathaat retires having won 10 races and $3,790,8215 from 14 starts. She is the top filly sired by Curlin. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.