Malathaat shows she's a cut above in Alabama victory

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - This wasn’t really about redemption. Truly, none was needed. This was about winning a race that had been circled by the connections of Malathaat for a while, one that is arguably the most prestigious race in the country for 3-year-old fillies.

On Saturday, Malathaat achieved that goal while overcoming a stumbling start and a demanding surface to record a 1 1/2-length victory in the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama Stakes.

Clairiere, last early, rallied to get second by a half-length over Army Wife. Will’s Secret was fourth, followed by Played Hard, Crazy Beautiful and Maracuja.

It was Maracuja who defeated Malathaat by a head in last month’s Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, handing Malathaat her first - and only - defeat. Malathaat’s resume this year included victories in the Kentucky Oaks and Ashland.

In the CCA Oaks, Malathaat found herself on the lead in a race with no pace. She fought off early challenges, but succumbed to a late-rallying Maracuja.

The Alabama, at 1 1/4 miles, didn’t have much pace either, but if Malathaat was going to get beat it was going to be her way, which meant coming from off the pace.

“The thing we wanted today was to allow her to run her race, let her get into that big stride she has, a comfortable rhythm, and keep coming,” said Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Malathaat.

Malathaat, under John Velazquez, stumbled out of the gate, but, as the good ones do, she recovered quickly and was able to gradually move to the two path entering the first turn, about 3 1/2 lengths off the pace-setting Played Hard.

“Once I knew she was okay, I got past the wire, I asked her to a position where I wanted to be,” Velazquez said.

Down the backstretch, Velazquez had Malathaat four to five wide and in the clear behind a pace that was slow, a half-mile in 49.12 seconds and three quarters in 1:13.37. Leaving the half-mile pole, Velazquez began to make his move, and coming to the quarter pole, he and Malathaat were perched outside of Played Hard, Army Wife and Will’s Secret.

In upper stretch, Velazquez went to rigorous hand ride and then a couple of taps of the right- and then left-handed whip as Malathaat moved to the front and away from the competition.

Malathaat, a daughter of Curlin owned by Shadwell Stable and bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.59 over a track labeled good and returned $3.10 as the favorite. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95.

Rain came during the middle of the card and turned a track that had been fast into a sealed, wet surface. Tractors went around three times - typically they go around once - in between the previous race and the Alabama.

“It left it a pretty deep, demanding surface, but that probably played to her benefit at the end of the day,” Pletcher said.

Following Malathaat’s victory in the Kentucky Oaks, there was talk about her running against the boys in the Belmont Stakes. That was ultimately nixed, and then the Coaching Club and Alabama became the summer targets. The Coaching Club loss was disappointing, but not deflating.

“I don’t think she was overly criticized for her defeat,” said Pletcher, who won his third Alabama. “I think everyone that watched the race could see she fought off so many challenges. But I feel like she’s as good as we’ve ever had and I felt like she stepped up today and redeemed herself the way you’d expect her to.”

:: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures

Clairiere got a little bit of redemption after finishing a well-beaten third behind Maracuja and Malathaat in the CCA Oaks. That day, Irad Ortiz Jr. made a premature move to challenge Malathaat. Saturday, after steadying back to last entering the first turn under Ortiz, Clairiere came with a solid late run.

“There was a little crowding in the first turn,” said Steve Asmussen, trainer of Clairiere. “He had to take way more a hold of her than he wanted to at that point. But, a better trip than the Coaching Club. She showed a lot of quality today and just how game she really is.”