Elsa Lorieul Photo

Maracuja runs down heavy favorite Malathaat in deep stretch to win G1 Coaching Club American Oaks

by Brian Bohl

Beach Haven Thoroughbreds’ Maracuja used a strong wide move out of the final turn and dueled Kentucky Oaks-winner Malathaat stride-for-stride in deep stretch before gaining the slight edge in the final jumps from the outside, posting a victory by a head in the Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-olds fillies going 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga Race Course.

Maracuja, who broke her maiden at third asking in February at Aqueduct Racetrack, earned her first career stakes win in impressive fashion, with the Rob Atras trainee capturing the 105th edition of the prestigious race at 14-1 as the longest shot on the board in the four-horse field. 

Breaking from post 2 under Ricardo Santana, Jr., Maracuja tracked in second behind 1-5 favorite Malathaat, who was kept inside by Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez from the inside post in leading the compact field through an opening quarter-mile in 23.38 seconds on the fast main track. 

Malathaat maintained the lead from the inside as Maracuja took back, allowing Clairiere to apply the pressure through a half-mile in 47.13 and three-quarters in 1:11.02. Nearing the turn, Malathaat and Clairiere were heads apart, but Santana, Jr. urged his charge up from the three-path with an aggressive hand ride. The three challengers arrive at the straightaway on near equal terms before Clairiere gave way. With Maracuja and Malathaat linking up, the former responded positively to Santana, Jr.’s left-handed encouragement, completing the course in 1:49.29 to earn the flower blanket. 

“She broke really sharp, which I was happy with, and she was kind of right there,” said Atras, who won his third career graded stakes and first Grade 1 event. “They all seemed like they were coming and I thought Ricardo made a smart move by backing off and coming around the outside. What a race.

“She loves the two turns,” he added. “She puts a lot into her gallops every day. The further, the better for her."

Maracuja was seventh in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on April 30 at Churchill Downs in a contest that Malathaat won by a neck. In the rematch on Saturday, the Honor Code filly relished her first race at the Spa, paying $31.40 on a $2 win wager and improving her record to 2-2-1 in six career starts.

 “She was very good going into the Oaks, she just broke a little flat footed and got shuffled back in the turn,” Atras said. “She really didn’t get a great trip that day and it wasn’t a true showing of her. She’s obviously improved a lot the past few months.” 

Bred in Kentucky by River Bend Farm and Austin and Jamie Musselman, Maracuja more than tripled her career earnings by bringing her bankroll to $407,100.

“The trip was perfect. She broke really well today,” Santana, Jr. said. “She was running comfortably. Rob liked the filly a lot and I was happy with her. There wasn’t much pressure in this race. He told me, ‘Just do what you have to do’ and we took the victory today. I had some pressure on the side from the 4 [Clairiere] and I just let my filly take a deep breath. As soon as I took her back out, she came rolling. She ran a great race today.”

John Sakkos, the founding partner of winning owner Beach Haven Thoroughbreds, said he was hoping for a strong bounce-back effort from the Oaks. Sakkos also said the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama contested at 1 1/4 miles on August 21 at Saratoga could be a possible next target.

“It was nerve-racking, especially after coming in seventh in the Oaks, but it was exciting,” he said. “I was just hoping we would perform better than the Oaks. She had been doing well and Rob and the team have done a phenomenal job with her. She had a good rest after the Oaks.”

Malathaat, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, was bidding to become the first horse to earn the Kentucky Oaks-CCA Oaks sweep since Monomoy Girl in 2018 in a year that netted her the first of two Eclipse Awards as Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. But the daughter of Curlin settled for second, 5 3/4 lengths in front of Clairiere. Rockpaperscissors completed the order of finish. 

“You have to play the cards you’re dealt. She was doing great,” Velazquez said about his ride aboard Malathaat. “She was comfortable in what she was doing, but she had to fight the whole way around and obviously set it up for somebody else. She’s a great horse and you can’t take that away from her.”

Sunday at Saratoga will feature a 10-race card highlighted by the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee for older fillies and mares going nine furlongs on the main track in Race 9 at 5:39 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:05 p.m.