Malathaat Earns Second Consecutive Eclipse Award

Malathaat  capped her season—and her career—with a brilliant surge to victory in the 2022 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Keeneland, but it was her consistent performance throughout the year that carried her to the title of champion older dirt female.

Shadwell Stable's 4-year-old daughter of Curlin   put together a three-race win streak during the second half of the season, taking the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) in August at Saratoga Race Course, the Spinster Stakes (G1) in October at Keeneland, and the Distaff back at the Lexington track over which she was never beaten.

Off a 2021 campaign that saw Malathaat crowned champion 3-year-old filly, Todd Pletcher started her next season in April at Keeneland, where she delivered in the Doubledogdare Stakes (G3). Clairiere  proved her toughest rival, edging her by a head in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park in June and turning her back in the Shuvee Stakes (G2) at Saratoga in July. But from August to November, there was no denying the big bay with the unmistakable blaze.

Malathaat ran six times in 2022 and was no worse than second twice, with season earnings of $2,055,675. After her Breeders' Cup Distaff thriller, which saw her edge Blue Stripe  by a nose with Clairiere another nose back in third, she was retired to join Shadwell's broodmare band with a career record of 10-3-1 from 14 starts, with earnings of $3,790,825. She will be bred to Into Mischief   this year.

Malathaat was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings out of the grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Dreaming of Julia , herself a daughter of grade 1 winner Dream Rush . She brought $1.05 million from Shadwell Estate, which bought her from Denali Stud's consignment to the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. One of the final horses purchased in person by the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, she began racing in October of 2020. Sheikh Hamdan died in March of 2021, and Malathaat remained a special runner for Sheikha Hissa bint Hamdan Al Maktoum, his daughter who took over Shadwell.

"My late father was the best horseman I've ever known, and he only spoke fondly about a handful of his mares... and I heard him talking about Malathaat even before she started her 3-year-old career," Sheikha Hissa told Michael Adolphson for BloodHorse. "He was a reserved and quiet man, so for him to speak so fondly about a 2-year-old who still arguably had a lot to prove surprised me. I'm thrilled that she's as good as he believed she was."