Malathaat will try and stay unbeaten in the Coaching Club American Oaks
By the New York Hot List Staff // Friday, July 23, 2021
The $500,000 Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-olds fillies features the undefeated Todd Pletcher trainee Malathaat. The Shadwell Stable star will race nine-furlongs as she seeks her sixth victory in that many starts. This year the daughter of Curlin, who sold for $1.05 million as a yearling, has two victories in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and the Ashland (G1).
Many fillies have used the CCA Oaks as a steppingstone to Champion 3-Year-Old Filly honors, including Ruffian [1975], Wayward Lass [1981], Mom’s Command [1985], Ajina [1997], Ashado [2004], Smuggler [2005], and Questing [2012]. Three of the last five winners of the CCA Oaks have notched such honors with Songbird [2016], Abel Tasman [2017], and Monomoy Girl [2018].
Pletcher will be trying to win the CCA Oaks for the eighth time in his career with Malathaat.
“She’s a very gifted filly,” Pletcher said. “She’s just been perfect so far and she’s a pleasure to train, and just does everything right. When you have one that’s undefeated you just want to keep that intact and hope that everything goes smoothly and that she’s able to show her capabilities once more.”
Here are the Hot List picks for the CCA Oaks:
The $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), Saratoga, Saturday, Race 5.
(1) Malathaat (ML 2-5) is going to be very hard to beat in the CCA Oaks. She is the only Grade 1 winner in the field with two of those level victories coming this year. All of four of the fillies in this field prefer to race from off the pace but as a 2-year-old Malathaat did race more forwardly. Possibly rider John Velazquez will take the rail post position as an opportunity to take control of the race sooner than later. (2) Maracuja (6-1) was seventh in the Oaks behind Malathaat but she broke poorly that day. I give her chance to be the second-place finisher in here based on her finish just behind Search Results in Gazelle (G3) at Aqueduct on the road to the Kentucky Oaks. (4) Clairiere (9-5) is the logical second-choice on the morning-line as the only other stakes winner in the field. Early in the year, she was at the top of the division but has not won since the Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds in her 2021 debut in February. (3) Rockpaperscissors (15-1) has a maiden win and in her only start this year won an allowance by almost 10-lengths in a race that was meant for the grass at Indiana Grand.
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