Malathaat much the best in Tempted Stakes

Malathaat helped make for a memorable opening day at Aqueduct for trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Kendrick Carmouche a 7 3/4-length win in the $100,000 Tempted on Friday.

The race for 2-year-old fillies at a mile was the first of two stakes on the card. Arrest Me Red won the $100,000 Atlantic Beach for 2-year-olds at six furlongs on turf.

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Malathaat ($4) was the fourth winner on the card for Carmouche and the second for Pletcher. One race prior, Pletcher hit 5,000 career training wins in North America.

Malathaat moved to the lead soon after the start of the one-mile Tempted, and set fractions of 24.15 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.28 for the half-mile, and 1:13.78 for six furlongs as American West and Cafe Society raced in close pursuit. In the stretch, Malathaat separated herself from her rivals and covered the one-turn distance on a fast track in 1:40.35.

“She's a very nice horse, push-button,” Carmouche told the publicity department at Aqueduct. “I broke sharp, got her to the front, and she relaxed on her own. She did it by herself.”

American West finished second, while it was another two and a half lengths back in third to Cafe Society.

Malathaat was a $1 million yearling purchase last year at Keeneland September and races for Shadwell Stable. She is a daughter of Curlin and the Grade 1-winning mare Dreaming of Julia.

Malathaat was winning her second race from as many starts. She was a debut winner in a maiden special weight at seven furlongs in October at Belmont Park.

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Arrest Me Red ($7.70) came with a brave run between horses for a two length win over pacesetter Town of Gold in the Atlantic Beach. It was another half-length back in third to Whatmakessammyrun.

Arrest Me Red stalked Town of Gold through fractions of 22.34 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.57 for the half-mile before covering the distance on firm ground in 1:09.85. Hector Diaz Jr. was aboard for Lael Stables and trainer Arnaud Delacour.

“The key on the grass is to save some ground, but I have to give all the credit to the horse,” Diaz told the publicity department at Aqueduct. “He was just waiting for the hole to open. I knew it was going to open up because tired horses will drift and usually the hole opens. I just had to be patient and wait. When I asked, I had plenty of horse.”

Arrest Me Red is a son of Pioneerof the Nile who won his first stakes on Friday in his third career start. He is now 2 for 3.