Malathaat's connections want changes to Kentucky Derby qualifying

Louisville, Ky.

When Malathaat crossed the wire first in the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, it was a huge win and the sixth-fastest Oaks trip of all time. The duel between trainer Todd Pletcher’s prize filly and Travel Column offered plenty of fireworks for the more than 40,000 fans in attendance at Churchill Downs.

However, the win begged the question of what could have happened if the filly instead had run Saturday in the Kentucky Derby. 

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“I would have loved to run her tomorrow,” Rick Nichols, vice president and general manager of Shadwell Farm, Malathaat’s owner, said after the race.

Since the beginning of the points system for Derby qualification in 2013, there have been no females in the Run for the Roses. Pletcher explained some of the flaws in the modern setup.

“The way it currently is set up is if you don’t run against colts prior to the Derby, you’re not going to get any points,” Pletcher said. “So you could take a shot and run against colts, but if you don’t do well, you could jeopardize your chances of getting into the Oaks because you’re not getting any points that way.”

The last time a filly ran in the Kentucky Derby was 2010, when Devil May Care finished 10th. Three fillies have won the Run for the Roses, most recently Winning Colors in 1988.

Previously, Genuine Risk (1980) and Regret (1915) earned wins in the Kentucky Derby.

Nichols called for the system to be changed during the post-race press conference.

“There needs to be a way to qualify one or two of the top fillies each year if the owner would like to run against the colts,” Nichols said. “I think it’s a very special thing when a filly runs and wins the Derby.”

John Velazquez, who rode Malathaat to victory in the Oaks and is scheduled to ride Medina Spirit on Saturday in the Derby, praised the winner’s ability, even against colts.

“She has the talent of any colt I’ve ridden this year,” Velazquez said. “This year, not taking anything away from any colt or anything like that, a good horse like her, with the year of 3-year-olds that we have right now, she would be very, very competitive.”

As for the question of whether she might run against males in the near future, neither Pletcher nor Nichols outright dismissed or embraced the idea.

“We’ll have to see how she comes out of this,” Nichols said. “I’m sure Todd will come up with some really good suggestions.”

The Preakness Stakes is scheduled for May 15, should the filly’s connections choose to run her in that race. They could also opt for the final leg of the Triple Crown, the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes on June 5.