Unbeaten Shadwell filly Malathaat earns emotional Ashland win

Lexington, Ky.

Less than two weeks after Shadwell Farm owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum died at 75, Malathaat scored an emotional win for the stable Saturday in the Grade 1, $400,000 Ashland Stakes.

“It was something our whole operation needed,” Rick Nichols, Shadwell’s vice president and general manager, said after the Keeneland stakes triumph.

The Curlin filly Malathaat improved to 4-for-4 in her career and picked up another 100 points toward entry into the April 30 Kentucky Oaks. The Ashland marked her first start since a Demoiselle Stakes (G2) win last December at Aqueduct to close her 2-year-old season.

"I think (Malathaat) might be pretty special,” Nichols said. “We will see if we can get in the Oaks and see what we can get done.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher was originally going to enter Malathaat into the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) on March 27. But after Sheikh Hamdan’s death, Shadwell refrained from starting any runners during a 10-day mourning period.

Malathaat’s victory came under jockey Joel Rosario, who took four straight graded stakes on Saturday’s Keeneland card. This one came by only a head over second-place Pass the Champagne.

“She has a beautiful stride,” Rosario said. “This morning talking with (Pletcher), he told me exactly how to ride her. It looked like (the leader) was getting away from me, but I knew my filly would be there for me.”

Simply Ravishing, the 3-2 co-favorite, set opening fractions of 24.26, 48.56 and 1:13 in the 1 1/16-mile Ashland. Pass the Champagne assumed the lead coming around the far turn as the pace setter faded.

As Pass the Champagne went out front, Malathaat rallied in the four-path under Rosario. She needed every bit of the 8½ furlongs to put a head in front at the wire.

Malathaat stopped the clock in 1:42.94 and returned $5 as a 3-2 co-favorite. Finishing second-through-fourth, and also earning Kentucky Oaks points, were Pass the Champagne (40), Will’s Secret (20) and Moon Swag (10).

“I thought she was a winner when she came off the turn,” trainer George Weaver said of Pass the Champagne, a Gulfstream maiden winner making her stakes debut.

“I know it’s a short run to the wire and I was like ‘man we’ve got open lengths.’ The wire could not come soon enough and Todd’s filly came running. Todd’s filly has been training with me at Palm Beach Downs and I know he’s very high on her. There is no embarrassment getting beat by her today. First time two turns, I would look for a big improvement next time.”