Malagacy to Return to Training After Layoff

Given the summer off, Sumaya U.S. Stable's Malagacy is expected to soon return to the barn of trainer Todd Pletcher, owner Oussama Aboughazale said Sept. 17 while attending the Keeneland September yearling sale.

The Shackleford  colt won three of his first four starts, including a two-length victory in the Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park March 18, setting him up for the Run for the Roses. However, after a fifth-place finish in the April 15 Arkansas Derby (G1), Pletcher said the colt would bypass the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1). 

"He started training and he will go to Todd Pletcher after one month. So probably he will race in December, hopefully, God willing,'" Aboughazale said. "But he is more beautiful now, he is sound, he has grown up, and he is very happy. We gave him lots of rest."

Malagacy broke his maiden on debut as a 3-year-old at Gulfstream Park by 15 lengths Jan. 4 and then took a Feb. 12 Gulfstream allowance by seven lengths before the Rebel. 

Bred by John Trumbulovic in Kentucky, Malagacy was sold three times. First passing through the ring during the 2014 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, he was purchased as a weanling for $45,000 by Stoney Lane Farm out of the Paramount Sales consignment. He was later consigned by Stuart Morris to the 2015 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's August yearling sale, where the colt sold for $130,000 to De Meric Stables, who consigned the colt to the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training, where he brought $190,000 from Steven Young, agent.

Erin Shea contributed to this article.