By Tim Wilkin
SARATOGA SPRINGS – On Saturday, there were three $100,000 maiden special weight races at Saratoga Race Course.
All of them were won by a 2-year-old with prior experience.
On Sunday the beat continued as Malus (Into Mischief) rolled to a three-length win in his second career start. Originally scheduled for the Mellon Turf Course at 5 1/2 furlongs, it was moved to the main track at the same distance because of Saturday rain.
And it was just what Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher ordered.
Malus, ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Joel Rosario, got it right after finishing a non-threatening fifth in his career debut, which came at Saratoga on June 8 during the Belmont Stakes Festival.
After that first race, which was also run at 51/2 furlongs on dirt, Pletcher made an equipment change and put blinkers on the colt.
“We thought he was a little bit green, looking at horses, so we put the blinkers on,” Pletcher said after winning his third race on the Sunday card.
It certainly didn't hurt.
Malus powered past even-money favorite Augustinian (Galilean) just outside the five-sixteenths pole and began to widen into the stretch. Augustinian, the only other runner in the seven-horse field to have started, was caught by Pletcher's Final Score (Not This Time), who was making his first career start.
“He had the experience edge today,” Pletcher said. “It seems like a big advantage with the way the track has been playing. It's been demanding and a start somewhere really helps you.”
Final Score was ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. Augustinian, ridden by Jose Ortiz, is trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse.
Malus, a homebred, owned by Brookdale Racing, Inc., is the second foal out of Lady Apple (Curlin) and was the first to make it to the races when he debuted last month.
When the colt came to Pletcher, he thought he had some ability.
“He is like a lot of the Into Mischiefs,” Pletcher said. “He was precocious and was one of the early ones in. He had trained forwardly, which is typical of that stallion.”
Malus covered the distance in 1:05.23 and paid $13.60, $7.60 and $3.50.
Brookdale Racing Inc., co-owner of champion Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), has had four winners on its own this year, including 'TDN Rising Star' Hypnus (Into Mischief), with two seconds in 21 starts.
Three wins today for trainer Todd Pletcher! 🏆
Malus gets blinkers and wins easy in R6 at Saratoga! @jrosariojockey was aboard. pic.twitter.com/8QnY6QnMrX
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) July 13, 2025
6th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 7-13, 2yo, 5 1/2f (off turf), 1:05.23, ft, 3 lengths.
MALUS (c, 2, Into Mischief–Lady Apple {MGSW & GISP, $1,078,324}, by Curlin) faded to fifth in his debut over this track and trip June 8 and was adding blinkers for this second start. The 5-1 shot broke sharply, but had to settle for a stalking second as even-money favorite Augustinian (Galilean) took control on the front end through a quarter in :22.63. Malus darted through an opening along the rail to take the lead out of the bend and was clear as the half went up in :45.89. The bay sailed under the wire a geared-down three-length winner. Final Score (Not This Time) closed strongly late to be second, a half-length in front of Augustinian in third. Multiple graded stakes winner Lady Apple, a $1.2-million purchase at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November sale, has a yearling colt by Gun Runner and was bred back to that stallion this year. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $59,000.
O-Brookdale Racing, Inc.; B-Phoenix Thoroughbreds (III) LTD (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
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