Pletcher: Phipps runner-up Malathaat could don blinkers

Todd Pletcher scored his fourth Belmont Stakes victory Saturday with Mo Donegal and completed the exacta with filly Nest for good measure.

Pletcher’s prosperous day also included a triumph in the Grade 2 Brooklyn with owner Mile Repole’s Fearless as well as game runner-up efforts with Happy Saver in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and reigning champion 3-year-old filly Malathaat in the Ogden Phipps (G1).

Pletcher said that Shadwell Stable’s Malathaat could sport blinkers for her next start. He said he would like to try 1 1/4 miles with the talented Curlin filly, who could race in the $500,000 Delaware Handicap (G2) on July 9 at Delaware Park with the $600,000 Personal Ensign (G1) on Aug. 27 at Saratoga as the long-term goal.

“I think you have to factor it in, plus I know she’d like a mile and a quarter. It can be awfully hot at Delaware that time of year so factors like that we’ll take a look at,” Pletcher said. “She’s all class. She shows up and runs well. We’ll probably go to Saratoga, a couple races there so well see.

“We’ve had blinkers in mind with her for a while. It’s kind of hard to make an equipment change with a filly that runs great every time she runs and wins most of the time,” Pletcher added. “She’s very curious and she tends to look around a little bit. (Jockey John Velazquez) felt like she saw something late in the race that had her tap on the brakes a little bit and might have cost her the win."

While Fearless was stretching out considerably in distance for the 12-furlong Brooklyn, Happy Saver saw a cutback to one turn, arriving at the Met Mile off a second-place finish in the two-turn Alysheba (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Pletcher expressed strong satisfaction with both horses, Happy Saver in particular, who faced extremely swift opponents in West Coast invader Flightline as well as Grade 1-winner Speaker’s Corner.

“Happy Saver has been successful at a number of distances,” Pletcher said. “I don’t think he’s at his very best at a one-turn mile, but we were hoping for a scenario where the two favorites hooked up and came back to him a little bit. Flightline just ran too well but I was super happy with the way he ran. Fearless gave us the impression that he would stay a mile and a half, but until you do it, you’re never positive.”

Pletcher said Fearless and/or Happy Saver could come back in the $400,000 Suburban (G2) on July 9 at Belmont or the $1 million Whitney (G1) on Aug. 6 at Saratoga.

“I think it’s about finding the best opportunities for them. Either one could be a candidate to come back in the Suburban, either one of them could be a candidate to wait for the Whitney,” Pletcher said. “There’s a couple different ways to go, it’ll be interesting to see what Flightline does and where he goes.”