Maracuja ($31.40) surprises Malathaat in Coaching Club American Oaks

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Maracuja, with only a single win on her résumé coming into the race, proved to be David to the undefeated, two-time Grade 1-winning Goliath Malathaat after out-gaming the 1/5 favorite and registering a stunning head victory Saturday at Saratoga in the $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.

The presence of division leader Malathaat kept the field for the prestigious Coaching Club Oaks to just four horses. But it did not scare away trainer Rob Atras and Maracuja, who had not started since finishing seventh, 7 1/2 lengths behind Malathaat, in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks nearly three months earlier.

With Ricardo Santana Jr. aboard for the first time, Maracuja broke alertly to prompt Malathaat’s early pace before easing back and getting a breather when Clairiere joined for command after an opening half-mile. Maracuja dropped back to last at that point, began to advance on the second turn, angled out near the middle of the track entering the stretch, engaged Malathaat again a furlong from the wire, then proved narrowly best after an extended drive.

Malathaat, whose three graded stakes wins all came from off the pace, surprisingly took control from near the inside in the run to the first time. She finally disposed of a stern midrace challenge from Clairiere on settling into the stretch, dug in gamely when engaged by the winner, but was not quite good enough.

Clairiere took back to last around the first turn, made a quick move to join Malathaat for command before five furlongs, dueled that one into the stretch before gradually weakening in the final three-sixteenths. Rockpaperscissors was eased to the wire far back.

Maracuja, whose only previous victory came at 6 1/2 furlongs this winter at Aqueduct, is owned by Beach Haven Thoroughbreds LLC. She covered 1 1/8 miles over a fast track in 1:49.29, earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96, and paid $31.40 as the longest price in the compact lineup.

“You never know how the pace is going to set up in a four-horse field,” Atras said. “I really didn’t expect her to break that sharp or be that close into the first turn, but I’m kind of glad she was because it gave Ricardo a lot of options. I thought he made a really smart move backing off and then coming around the outside. When they turned for home, I thought we had a shot. To be honest, I never thought she’d get by that other filly (Malathaat), but as the wire kept getting closer, she really laid it down. What a race.”

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Atras said Maracuja has really improved since her first meeting with Malathaat in the Oaks.

“She broke a little flat foot, got shuffled back a little on the turn and really didn’t get a good trip that day,” Atras recalled. “She was really good going into that race and it wasn’t a true showing of her. She’s obviously improved in the last few months.”

Atras said Maracuja would probably make her next start in the Grade 1 Alabama here Aug. 21.

Jockey John Velazquez, who rode Malathaat, said “you have to play the cards you’re dealt. She was comfortable in what she was doing, but she had to fight the whole way around and obviously it set it up for somebody else.”