Malathaat could take on males in Belmont Stakes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A start against males could be on the agenda at some point this year for Kentucky Oaks winner Malathaat, just when that may occur is something that won’t be decided for a little while.

Malathaat emerged from her victory in Friday’s $1.25 million Oaks “very good,” according to trainer Todd Pletcher, and among next start considerations could be the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on June 5 and the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose on June 26.
Pletcher said he and the representatives of Shadwell Stable, the owners of Malathaat, want to take a wait-and-see approach before considering the Belmont Stakes.

“We talked briefly about it yesterday, we decided let’s watch the Derby today and see how that goes and see how the filly trains,” Pletcher, who had four horses to run in the Kentucky Derby, said Saturday morning.

Pletcher noted that Rick Nichols, the racing manager for Shadwell Stable said even before the Oaks “that he’s not afraid to run against colts,” Pletcher said. “Just have to figure out when the right time for it is.”

Nichols, said in Friday’s post-Oaks press conference that he would have loved to run Malathaat in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. However, the points system set up by Churchill Downs to qualify for the Derby would only allow a filly to run in the race if it earned qualifying points by running in a designated points race against colts beforehand or if the field drew less than 20 entrants.

“I think it's a very special thing when a filly runs and wins the Derby,” Nichols said. “I realize that you set up the Derby to find out who's the best colt for breeding purposes. It's an opportunity to prove a horse that can go on to stud. But at the same time, if you got a really nice filly, it's kind of nice to rub their faces in it, if you can. And I think she probably could have.”

In 2007, Pletcher won the Kentucky Oaks with Rags to Riches. She came back five weeks later to beat Preakness winner Curlin in the Belmont, becoming the first filly in 102 years to pull off such a feat. Coincidentally, Malathaat is a daughter of Curlin.

When asked if he views Malathaat in the same ilk as Rags to Riches, Pletcher said, “I think so, yeah.”

If the decision is made to keep Malathaat against fillies for her next start, Pletcher mentioned the Grade 2 Mother Goose on June 26 at Belmont “as a segue to the Alabama” a Grade 1, $600,000 race over 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 21 at Saratoga.

Malathaat remained undefeated (5 for 5) by outfinishing Search Results to win the Oaks by a neck. Her final time of 1:48.99 was the sixth fastest Oaks and earned her a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

She gave Pletcher his fourth Oaks victory. It was the second for jockey John Velazquez.

Meanwhile, Oaks runner-up Search Results could be pointed to the Grade 1 Acorn on June 5 at Belmont, trainer Chad Brown told the Churchill Downs publicity staff. Brown mentioned that race as well as the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, a 1 1/8-mile race at Saratoga on July 24, as possible starts for Search Results.