Curlin fillies run one-two-three in Demoiselle

Curlin recorded a rarity when the regally bred Malathaat led home a trifecta of his fillies in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes on Saturday at Aqueduct.

Malathaat is out of Grade 1 winner Dreaming of Julia, by A.P. Indy, and out of Grade 1 winner Dream Rush. Shadwell purchased Malathaat from breeder Stonestreet Farm for $1,050,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale and placed her with Todd Pletcher, who also conditioned her dam.

“I see some similarities,” Pletcher said. “They are both nice fillies to be around and very professional in the mornings and very sweet around the barn. They are very easy to take care of and they both have shown they want to run long.”

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Malathaat won her debut, then was a 7 3/4-length winner of the Tempted Stakes last month at Aqueduct. In the Demoiselle, she prevailed by three-quarters of a length over Millefeuille.

Millefeuille, a Juddmonte homebred, is a direct descendant of its blue hen Toussaud.

She’s “a nice blend of the mom, who is by War Front and from the Toussaud line, and she has that Curlin length to her,” Juddmonte manager Garrett O’Rourke said. “She won’t be as big as Curlin, but she has more stretch than her mother. Curlin was a free-racing horse, and she looks like she has that as well.”

Another 4 3/4 lengths back in third in the Demoiselle was the Woodslane Farm homebred Malibu Curl.

Malathaat was the eighth graded stakes winner of 2020 for Hill ‘n’ Dale resident Curlin, who is enjoying another outstanding season. He sits fourth on the general sires earnings list, with runners including Grade 1 Woodward winner Global Campaign, who finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks winner Paris Lights. He also is represented by graded stakes winners Chaos Theory, Gladiator King, Heavenly Curlin, Lady Apple, and Sally’s Curlin.