Asmussen, Pletcher Bring Talented Duos Into Distaff

A battle of the ages—featuring standout 4-year-old and 3-year-old fillies—looms in the Nov. 5 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).

The 1 1/8-mile, $2 million race at Keeneland has drawn the best older dirt females in training, led by 4-year-olds Malathaat , Clairiere , and Search Results , plus the leading 3-year-old routing dirt fillies Nest , Secret Oath , and Society .

All but one of these leading ladies—the exception being Society—share a common denominator, having raced 70 miles to the west of Keeneland in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), either in 2022 or 2021. That they did is no surprise—the Oaks is the most prestigious dirt race for 3-year-old fillies in the country while the Breeders' Cup Distaff holds that distinction for females ages 3 and up.

Malathaat defeated Search Results in last year's Oaks by a neck, with Clairiere beaten three lengths in fourth. This year, Secret Oath and Nest ran 1-2.

Though Nest fell two lengths short of Secret Oath in the Oaks, she hasn't lost against fillies and mares since. Following the Oaks, she was runner-up in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) after stumbling at the start and then rattled off consecutive victories in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), Alabama Stakes (G1), and Beldame Stakes (G2) leading into the Breeders' Cup.

In turning the tables on Secret Oath in the CCA Oaks and Alabama, she vaulted to the lead in the race for a divisional championship—though the outcome of the Distaff is also likely to influence Eclipse Award voters. Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House's Nest defeated older horses in capturing the Beldame by 9 3/4 lengths, though none of those females were of the likes of Malathaat, Clairiere, and Search Results. She was the 1-20 favorite against four outclassed opponents.

Shadwell's Malathaat, like Nest, is trained by Todd Pletcher and, as with her younger stablemate, is proven over the Keeneland track. Both fillies won the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1), Malathaat in 2021 and Nest in 2022, and this year Malathaat added the Baird Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) and Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) at the Lexington oval.

"There are so many similarities between the two of them," Pletcher said. "Same stallion (Curlin  ), A.P. Indy bottom side. Very similar schedules, really, in the development, as well. I kinda hate running the two of them against each other, but it is certainly something that both of them deserve."

The Spinster win, coming Oct. 9, marked Malathaat's third start since Pletcher added blinkers to her equipment, a change he said made this summer in an attempt to get her more focused on racing.

Her initial start with blinkers resulted in a runner-up finish behind longtime rival Clairiere in the Shuvee Stakes (G2), but her two subsequent starts with the equipment led to decisive victories in the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) and Spinster.

"The one thing I liked about the Spinister is the way she finished up, really drew away from the field, which is something she typically hasn't done without blinkers," Pletcher said.

Stonestreet's Clairiere holds a 2-1 edge in head-to-head meetings with Malathaat this year after Malathaat had her number in their 3-year-old season. Malathaat was the champion 3-year-old filly in 2021.

Clairiere, another daughter of Curlin, didn't fire in her last start, the Aug. 27 Personal Ensign, running last of five, beaten 9 1/2 lengths by Malathaat and 9 1/4 lengths by runner-up Search Results.

Fractious in the starting gate before the Personal Ensign, she ended up banging the stall doors and according to Asmussen, emerged from the race with a cut tongue. She has been schooled in the gate since.

"I don't expect her to do anything like that again. The one thing I'm glad is it was that day instead of the Breeders' Cup."

She ran fourth in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Distaff, beaten three-quarters of a length, a head behind show finisher Malathaat.

"I definitely think she is considerably better than that," Asmussen said, in reference to Clairiere's accomplishments at age 4.

Asmussen, like Pletcher, has two entrants in the Breeders' Cup Distaff—also starting Peter Blum Thoroughbreds' Society, an up-and-comer. The speedy Gun Runner   filly is 5-for-6 and enters the Breeders' Cup Distaff on a two-race win streak, having triumphed in the Charles Town Oaks (G3) and Cotillion Stakes (G1), races restricted to sophomore fillies. She took the latter by 5 3/4 lengths in a dominant, front-running performance.

"She does her dad proud," said Asmussen, who also trained her sire, the 2017 Horse of the Year. "She is very similar to Gun Runner, mentally and physically. And she will definitely take it to them."

One filly she defeated in the Cotillion was Briland Farm's Secret Oath, who ran third. Secret Oath has gone 0-for-4 since winning the Oaks while racing exclusively in grade 1s.

Klaravich Stables' Search Results, trained by Chad Brown, is likely to give chase to Society.  Never off the board in 11 starts, she weakened in the Personal Ensign after pressing the pace and taking command in midstretch. 

Here’s the field for the @BreedersCup Distaff on Saturday at #Keeneland! pic.twitter.com/Kbe9hL5tS5

— Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) October 31, 2022

Entries: Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1)

Keeneland, Saturday, November 05, 2022, Race 9

• Grade I
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $2,000,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:55 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Malathaat (KY)	John R. Velazquez	124	Todd A. Pletcher	3/1
2	2Blue Stripe (ARG)	Hector Isaac Berrios	124	Marcelo Polanco	20/1
3	3Secret Oath (KY)	Luis Saez	121	D. Wayne Lukas	15/1
4	4Clairiere (KY)	Joel Rosario	124	Steven M. Asmussen	4/1
5	5Awake At Midnyte (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	121	Doug F. O'Neill	30/1
6	6Nest (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	121	Todd A. Pletcher	9/5
7	7Search Results (KY)	Flavien Prat	124	Chad C. Brown	9/2
8	8Society (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Steven M. Asmussen	6/1