Malathaat Kicks off 2022 Campaign in Doubledogdare
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Photo: Coady Photography
Malathaat trains April 19 at Churchill Downs
A day before Letruska , the champion older dirt female of 2021, races in the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park, her Eclipse Award-winning 3-year-old filly counterpart of last year, Shadwell Stable's Malathaaat, swings back into action in the $300,000 Baird Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) April 22 at Keeneland.
The Doubledogdare, like the Apple Blossom, is a 1 1/16-mile race on dirt with a short field. Only five fillies and mares will take on champion Malathaat, though three of them—Bonny South , Crazy Beautiful , and Lady Mystify —are graded stakes winners.
None have the class of Malathaat, who won the 2021 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland in her sophomore bow before adding the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs about four weeks later. Freshened following the Oaks, she returned with a second in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga Race Course before resuming her winning ways in the Alabama Stakes (G1). She wrapped up her year with a third in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Del Mar, the best finish of a 3-year-old filly in the 2021 race.
The now 4-year-old daughter of Curlin has breezed regularly since Feb. 18, topped by four consecutive five-furlong breezes at Palm Beach Downs for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Her most recent workout was a tandem move in 1:00.01 with grade 1-winning older male Happy Saver in which both horses came under urging by their riders. She finished just ahead of him during the breeze and gallop out.
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, aboard Malathaat in six of her eight starts, is in the irons.
Drawn on the rail, she appears likely to stalk the early pace of frontrunners Super Quick and Lady Mystify .
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Juddmonte's late-running Bonny South , the 2021 Doubledogdare winner, similarly makes her first start since November when she was second, beaten six lengths by Envoutante , in the Falls City Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. Last year at age 4, the daughter of Munnings won just once in six attempts but three times hit the board in grade 1s. All three of those top-level performances came behind Letruska.
Bonny South was also grade 1-placed at 3, the year she won the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in Louisiana. This year, she again wintered at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, though she only breezed and didn't race there. Her last three workouts have come at Churchill Downs.
Florent Geroux rides for trainer Brad Cox.
The other four Doubledogdare entrants have raced this year, though only Crazy Beautiful is a 2022 stakes winner. She won the Latonia Stakes on Tapeta at Turfway Park April 2 on the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) undercard after a fourth-place finish behind Letruska in her 2022 unveiling in the Feb. 26 Royal Delta Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
The conditioners of longshots Lady Mystify and Audrey's Time acknowledged the challenge of beating 4-5 morning-line favorite Malathaat.
Trainer Peter Eurton had hoped to run 2021 Remington Park Oaks (G3) winner Lady Mystify in an allowance race that didn't fill, while Neil Pessin, the trainer of Audrey's Time, mentioned the local opportunity of the Doubledogdare for her presence.
"This is her home base, and you've got to run somewhere," said Pessin of the Lothenbach Stables-owned 5-year-old Uncle Mo mare, whom he regards as being of grade 3 or non-graded stakes class. "I have no delusions of grandeur, and I will be the most surprised person in the grandstand if she wins."
Keeneland, Friday, April 22, 2022, Race 9Entries: Baird Doubledogdare S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Malathaat (KY)
John R. Velazquez
118
Todd A. Pletcher
4/5
2
2Super Quick (KY)
Joseph Talamo
120
Norm W. Casse
12/1
3
3Audrey's Time (KY)
Corey J. Lanerie
118
Neil L. Pessin
12/1
4
4Bonny South (KY)
Florent Geroux
118
Brad H. Cox
8/5
5
5Crazy Beautiful (KY)
Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
120
Kenneth G. McPeek
6/1
6
6Lady Mystify (KY)
Flavien Prat
118
Peter Eurton
15/1
