Malathaat

  It wasn't that long ago that the picture for the 3-year-old fillies seemed pretty straightforward. Vequist (Nyquist) was the clear leader of the division and there appeared to be a handful of other top fillies that could challenge her supremacy. Has that ever changed. Vequist did nothing right in her 3-year-old debut in the Davona Dale S., finishing ninth, 26 lengths behind the winner. Second choice Millefeuille (Curlin) didn't fare much better, finishing seventh. The winner, Wholebodemeister (Bodemeister), paid $107.60. Meanwhile, GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Dayoutoftheoffice (Into...

Champion 2-year-old filly Vequist (Nyquist), winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland last fall, tops the roster of 106 early nominations to the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs Apr. 30. Campaigned by a partnership consisting of Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swillcan Stable and trained by Butch Reid Jr., Vequist is based at Palm Meadows in South Florida and is scheduled to run in Saturday's GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream Park. Other top contenders that were nominated to the Oaks include Stonestreet Stables' GIII...

With the year having just begun, it will take a while for the picture for the GI Kentucky Oaks to come into focus. For now, the fillies who thrived last year dominate this Top 10 list, but that can, and likely will, change as the calendar works its way toward the first Friday in May and new names emerge in the major preps for the Oaks. It is, at the very least, a solid group, headed by GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Vequist, who will be named the champion...

'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) did not look like a winner through the first mile of Aqueduct's GII Demoiselle S., but turned things around late with a surprisingly strong rally to keep her perfect record in tact. Away well from her rail draw, the 2-5 favorite settled in a ground-saving third as an eager Traffic Lane took control, clicking off a :23.69 first quarter with Juddmonte homebred Millefeuille (Curlin) pressing from second. Losing some traction as the half went in :48.50, the $1.05-million KEESEP buy was passed by Malibu Curl...

Undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) looks to remain perfect as she steps up to graded company in Saturday's GII Demoiselle S. at Aqueduct. A decisive debut winner going seven panels at Belmont Oct. 9, the $1.05-million KEESEP buy romped by 7 3/4 lengths in the one-mile Tempted S. at this oval Nov. 6. "You would think with her pedigree and the way she won going a mile that a stretch out should not be an issue," trainer Todd Pletcher told the NYRA notes team. "She's always trained like a...

One race after recording a landmark 5,000th career success, trainer Todd Pletcher sent out Shadwell Stable's regally bred 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin), who negotiated the jump into stakes company with aplomb in Friday's Tempted S. at Aqueduct. Away neatly from gate three, the daughter of Grade I-winning juvenile Dreaming of Julia set a moderate tempo inside of Spa Ready (Street Sense) on the speed three deep. Maintaining what appeared to be a tenuous advantage rounding the turn, the $1.05-million Keeneland September graduate responded when asked leaving the quarter pole...

When Kiaran McLaughlin announced his retirement earlier this spring, Shadwell Stable's Vice President and General Manager Rick Nichols already had a trainer's name in the back of his mind who could potentially fill the void. "Actually, it was kind of a no-brainer," Nichols said. "Through Kiaran, I got to know Todd [Pletcher] quite well and always had tremendous respect for him. I would have always liked for him to train for us, but since Todd and Kiaran were such good friends, it was a line that I didn't want to...

Shadwell Stable's Malathaat (Curlin), a daughter of Grade I winner Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy), ran to the money and her pedigree with a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy debut victory at Belmont. Breezing a half-mile bullet in :49 1/5 (1/10) on Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Oct. 3, she was hammered down to 4-5 favoritism for this career bow. Running the middle of the bunched up sextet early, the $1.05-million KEESEP buy pushed her way up to contest the pace as the first quarter went in :23 flat. Clocking a half-mile in...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-BEL, $63K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, post time: 2:30 p.m. ET The product of two of Stonestreet Farm's best, top and bottom, MALATHAAT (Curlin) gets her career underway for Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher. The Mar. 7 foal, a $1.05 million acquisition at Keeneland September last fall, is the first to race out of Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy), one of two 'TDN Rising Stars' produced by MGISW Dream Rush (Wild Rush), who was acquired by Stonestreet for $3.3 million at the...