Malakeh Seeks First North American Stakes Win in Nassau
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Photo: Coady Photography
Malakeh wins a May 22 allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs
Heider Family Stables, Madaket Stables, and Michael Kisber's Malakeh seeks her first North American stakes score June 27 when she faces six older fillies and mares in the CA$175,000 Nassau Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine.
Bred in Great Britain by Gestut Gorlsdorf, the 5-year-old daughter of Harbour Watch made her first five starts in Europe for previous owner Darius Racing and trainer Henk Grewe. At 3 in Germany, she won the Henkel-Stutenpreis, finished second in the WEMPE German One Thousand Guineas (G2), and took third in the Meilen Trophy (G2). She was offered to the Goffs UK Goodwood Sale at the end of 2018.
Transferred to the barn of Graham Motion, Malakeh has improved with each successive score. She ran second in her first start for Motion last spring at Keeneland but bounced back with an allowance victory at Belmont Park. She enters the Nassau off two consecutive wins in allowance-level company—both over the Nassau one-mile distance.
Though the race on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course will be Malakeh's first Canadian start, Motion, who won last year's Nassau with Secret Message, said the mare is more than ready to perform.
"I think we've decided that this is what she likes to do, distance-wise," Motion said. "I don't see why (the Woodbine turf) wouldn't suit her. I'm sure it's in great shape.
"She's so honest. To be truthful, I couldn't believe when I ran her in the allowance race at Keeneland that she was beaten. It turns out she was beaten by a pretty serious filly (Juliet Foxtrot). So I was very confused about her form right away because I liked her so much that I couldn't imagine her not sailing through that condition. But it's funny how things work out. She's never run a bad race, really. She's very consistent and hard-trying."
Kazushi Kimura, who won the Eclipse Award for outstanding apprentice jockey in 2019, will have the call on Malakeh from post 6.
Joining Malakeh in the field will be graded stakes winner Amalfi Coast, who finished off the board in her only start of 2020.
Trained by Kevin Attard and campaigned by Terra Racing Stable, the Ontario-bred Tapizar filly had a banner season in 2019, winning the Ontario Damsel Stakes, Carotene Stakes, and Bessarabian Stakes (G2) in quick succession at Woodbine. She has a 4-2-1 record from nine starts.
Amalfi Coast will break from post 3 under Rafael Hernandez.
Hoping to take home her second stakes win of 2020 is John McCormack's Elizabeth Way, a 4-year-old Frankel filly trained by Roger Attfield. She won the Feb. 29 The Very One Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park in her second start of the year but has not been as successful in subsequent races. Elizabeth Way finished third in the March 28 Orchid Stakes Presented by Rood and Riddle (G3T) and 13th in the May 30 Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs.
Elizabeth Way will depart from post 5 with Emma-Jayne Wilson in the irons.
The Nassau is the first leg of Woodbine's Ladies of the Lawn Series, which offers $75,000 in bonuses to the top performers based on points accumulated in the designated graded turf routes for fillies and mares. The series includes the CA$175,000 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T), CA$250,000 Canadian Stakes (G2T), and CA$600,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1T).
Woodbine, Saturday, June 27, 2020, Race 8Entries: Nassau S. (G2T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Nantucket Red (KY)
Gary Boulanger
116
Ashlee Brnjas
15/1
2
2Another Time (KY)
Jerome Lermyte
116
Barbara J. Minshall
6/1
3
3Amalfi Coast (ON)
Rafael Manuel Hernandez
118
Kevin Attard
2/1
4
4Lunar Garden (ON)
Justin Stein
116
Stuart C. Simon
20/1
5
5Elizabeth Way (IRE)
Emma-Jayne Wilson
120
Roger L. Attfield
4/1
6
6Malakeh (GB)
Kazushi Kimura
116
H. Graham Motion
9/5
7
7Eyeinthesky (FL)
Patrick Husbands
118
Mark E. Casse
8/1
