Pletcher train rolls on as Malathaat coasts to Spinster win

Lexington, Ky.

So who should be the favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff? Trainer Todd Pletcher seemed the right person to ask.

Early Sunday afternoon, he watched on TV as his division-leading 3-year-old Nest won by 9 3/4 lengths in the Beldame (G2) at Aqueduct.

Then he was on hand in person to saddle 4-year-old Malathaat (2-5), the top older female, for her 5 1/4-length victory in the Grade 1, $600,000 Spinster Stakes on a clear, 63-degree afternoon at Keeneland.

“We’re blessed to have two fillies like that,” Pletcher said. “They’re just pleasures to train. They’re so professional and just seem to get better and better as you go along.”

But back to the original question. Since each won by open lengths in 1 1/8-mile races for fillies and mares, who should be favored when they meet again Nov. 5 going the same distance for their shares of a $2 million purse?

Here was the more realistic question. Did anyone think Pletcher would answer that? Malathaat is owned by Shadwell Stable; Nest by Mike Repole, Aron Wellman and Michael House. This will not be the first time the Hall of Fame trainer has had multiple starters in a high-profile race.

“Look, it’s something that we’re accustomed to,” said Pletcher, who won three of the first four Grade 1 races of the Keeneland fall meet. “All you can do is focus on preparing each of them to the best of your abilities, and then it’ll be decided on the racetrack.”

Neither Malathaat, a 4-year-old Curlin filly who is a five-time Grade 1 winner, nor Nest had to be at the top of her game Sunday. Each was in a small field of five. The closest thing there would have been to a real threat might have come with former champion Letruska (3-1). But she finished a distant fourth and has not looked like her old self in three starts since she repeated as the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) winner in April at Oaklawn.

“Just kind of missed the break and just got out of business from there,” said Tyler Gaffalione, who became the Letruska’s ninth rider in the 22 races she has had since coming north from México in late 2019. “The slow fractions just took her out of her game.”

Slow fractions were unusual during the first three days of this meet. Five stakes records were set on a turf course that more closely resembled a green version of Versailles Road. The main track had been kind to speed more often than not, but there was not much of it in the Spinster.

“I wasn’t expecting a lot of pace,” Pletcher said. “My biggest concern was kind of letting Letruska get loose on the lead. I was happy when there was some entertainment up there.”

In spite of the slow break, Gaffalione hustled Letruska to the front in the first turn. After eventual third-place finisher Played Hard (4-1) had a half-length edge through a 24.41-second opening quarter-mile, Letruska led the group onto the backstretch with fractions of 47.90 and 1:12.25 through the first half and three-quarter miles.

By then, though, Malathaat was coming – with the help of nearby rivals.

“I was hoping that somebody would come up and put a little bit of pressure,” winning jockey John Velázquez said. “We didn’t have to go fast. Just be right next to (Letruska). That kind of gets the horses excited so they’d be in front, nice and easy. Then they get to relax and unroll much better.”

Never more than two lengths behind at any call, Malathaat was a close fourth early and then third with three furlongs left. That was when Velázquez pushed the button to escape the close company of Princess of Cairo (48-1) and Played Hard.

“It helped to have those two other horses right beside her,” he said. “We didn’t have to go fast but at least put a little bit of pressure. That was good enough for us. ... I was close enough that I didn’t want to be too far back. If they did go really fast, I’d be too far back. If they did go slow, I was going to be closer.”

It did not take a lot of scrubbing for Malathaat to find the lead. In the three path, Velázquez took her down the stretch and kept extending the advantage over Army Wife (22-1), who closed from last to finish second. Played Hard, Letruska and Princess of Cairo completed the order of finish.

With a winning time of 1:51.05, Malathaat paid $2.88 and $2.10. Army Wife retuned $8.14 to place. There was no show betting.

Army Wife, who was expected to have a fall campaign in Kentucky before being sold early next year, instead may target the Breeders’ Cup, according to trainer Mike Maker.

There were no such questions for Malathaat, who has a firm date to meet her stablemate Nest in the Distaff.

“She seems to love the track here,” Pletcher said. “She’s 3-for-3 here now, so that’s always encouraging to know one handles the surface well.”

Oh, about that original question again. European oddsmakers cut Nest to an 8-5 futures favorite to win the Distaff with Malathaat next at 4-1.

“It’s going to be a phenomenal kind of Distaff,” Shadwell Farms co-manager Jonny Smyth said. “(Malathaat) has done everything perfectly for us. She put on a show today, so we’re very pleased.”