Asmussen says Clairiere likely to run in Personal Ensign
ELMONT, N.Y - Malathaat won three Grade 1 races last year to earn an Eclipse Award as North America’s champion 3-year-old filly. She finished ahead of Clairiere in all three of those races as well as in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff last November when the two fillies finished third and fourth.
On Saturday, Clairiere finally finished in front of Malathaat, beating her by a head in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park. Clairiere also defeated Letruska, the reigning older dirt female champion, who finished last.
“It was just absolutely beautiful that her and Malathaat were that close to each other the entire race,” said Steve Asmussen, the trainer of Clairiere. “They’re great mares, just unbelievable mares - how proud Stonestreet should be that they bred both of them.”
Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Farm did breed both mares. They sold Malathaat at auction and kept Clairiere. Both will likely be headed toward the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland on Nov. 5. By virtue of her Phipps victory, Clairiere earned a fees-paid berth into the Distaff.
Clairiere earned a career-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure for the Phipps victory. Asmussen said Clairiere would summer at Saratoga, where the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on Aug. 27 is an expected target.
Malathaat, who was coming off a win in the Grade 3 Doubledogdare at Keeneland on April 22, seemed to idle a bit in the stretch of the Phipps, according to trainer Todd Pletcher, who said he will now most likely try blinkers on the filly for her next start.
“We’ve had blinkers in mind for her for a while; it’s kind of hard to make an equipment change on one who runs great every time she runs and wins most of the time,” Pletcher said. “She’s very curious, she tends to look around a little bit. Johnny [Velazquez] felt like she saw something late in the race and kind of tapped on the brakes for a second and he thinks it cost her the win. We’ll work her in them and make sure she appreciates them, but I think it’s time to go ahead and make the equipment change.”
While the Personal Ensign is a likely summer target for Malathaat, Pletcher may consider the Grade 2, $500,000 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park on July 9 first.
“You got to factor it in, plus I know she’ll love the mile and a quarter,” said Pletcher, whose concern is how hot it can get in Delaware at that time of year.
Meanwhile, Letruska emerged from her last-place finish in the Phipps in good order, trainer Fausto Gutierrez said.
“She’s in good form, she doesn’t have anything [wrong] physically in relation to this effort,” Gutierrez said. “In my opinion, it was just the consequences of the race.”
Gutierrez was referring to the fast pace of the race, as Letruska was pushed through early fractions of 22.75 seconds and 45.23 by Search Results, the latter holding on for third.
Matareya to Test; Echo Zulo to get tests
Matareya, who benefited from the late scratch of heavily favored Echo Zulu to win Saturday’s Grade 1 Acorn, will be pointed to the Grade 1 Test Stakes on Aug. 6 at Saratoga, trainer Brad Cox said Sunday.
Given the fact Matareya has had five races since Dec. 31 and has won all four of her starts in 2022, it is likely she will just train up to the Test. She was due to ship back to Kentucky on Sunday.
“She’s got some miles on her this spring and hopefully we’ll be ready for the summer,” Cox said.
Matareya has won two of her last three starts on the front end, but her victory in the Eight Belles at Churchill Downs on May 6 came from off the pace.
“Nothing like having a horse that you have options with," Cox said.
Matareya, a daughter of Pioneerof the Nile who is owned by Godolphin Racing, earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure for her Acorn victory.
Meanwhile, Echo Zulu, the 2021 2-year-old champion filly, will be examined sometime this week by Dr. Larry Bramlage following her scratch due to lameness in her left foreleg, according to David Fiske, racing manager for Winchell Thoroughbreds, which owns Echo Zulu in partnership with L and N Racing.
“Just a precautionary thing. She’s the same this morning as she was yesterday morning and the morning before,” Fiske said. “Whatever the state vet saw, given who she is and how much scrutiny she’ll be under when she goes back to the track, we’ll do all the diagnostic stuff we can do on her and see if anything turns up and we’ll go on from there.”
On Saturday, trainer Steve Asmussen said that initial X-rays taken after the scratch on Saturday were negative.