Queen Mallard keeps perfect route record with Natural State victory

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Queen Mallard is now 2 for 2 in route races after she won the $150,000 Natural State Breeders’ Stakes on the front end Thursday at Oaklawn Park. She won by a 2 1/4 lengths over Walk Away Kaye, while it was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third to Lassie My Girl.

The Natural State was a one-mile race for fillies and mares bred in Arkansas. It was the first of five stakes to be run over the final three-day stretch of the Oaklawn meet that ends Saturday.

Queen Mallard ($11.80) made her two-turn debut April 12 in a local first-level allowance and won the race on the front end in a performance that propelled her to the Natural State. She sat just off leader Lassie My Girl through an opening quarter in 24.06 seconds, then proceeded to join that one through fractions of 48.12 for the half-mile and 1:12.73 for six furlongs. Queen Mallard began to separate herself from her rivals in the stretch and went on to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:38.29.

Keith Asmussen was aboard the winner for trainer Ron Moquett.

Queen Mallard was making her stakes debut in the Natural State. She has now won 3 of 11 starts for earnings of $323,643.

Queen Mallard is a daughter of Race Day who races for her breeder, William Sparks. She is a half-sister to One Ten Stadium, who defends his title in the $200,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship on Saturday at Oaklawn.

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