Malathaat justifies price tag

Malathaat lived up to the golden pedigree that made her a seven-figure sale yearling with her victory in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland, as she became the third consecutive member of her direct female line to win at least one Grade 1 race.

Malathaat, by Curlin, was a $1.05 million purchase by Shadwell from breeder Stonestreet Farm out of the 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale. She punched her ticket to the Kentucky Oaks with her Ashland victory, which was her 3-year-old debut. In December, she won the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct. Malathaat is unbeaten in four starts.

The filly is out of the A.P. Indy mare Dreaming of Julia, who in turn is out of the Wild Rush mare Dream Rush, both accomplished performers.

Dream Rush was at her best around one turn, winning the Grade 1 Prioress and Grade 1 Test Stakes. Privately purchased by Stonestreet to join the broodmare band, she has produced five winners from seven starters, with Grade 1 winner Dreaming of Julia joined by Grade 3 winner Dream Pauline, stakes winner Atreides, and stakes-placed Perchance. Dream Rush is the dam of a Bernardini filly born this year.

Dreaming of Julia, racing as a Stonestreet homebred, won the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes as a 2-year-old before finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. At 3, she romped by 21 3/4 lengths in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks. Malathaat is the mare’s first starter. Malathaat is trained by Todd Pletcher, as was Dreaming of Julia.

“I see some similarities,” Pletcher said. “They are both nice fillies to be around and very professional in the mornings and very sweet around the barn. They are very easy to take care of, and they both have shown they want to run long.”

Dreaming of Julia has a yearling full sister to Malathaat and delivered a Medaglia d’Oro filly this year for Stonestreet.

Fast start for a freshman

Freshman sire American Freedom, standing at Airdrie Stud, had his first winner from his first starter as American Bound won her debut on opening day at Keeneland.

American Freedom won the Grade 3 Iowa Derby and the Sir Barton Stakes. He was second to classic winner Exaggerator in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational, and second to champion Arrogate in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes. As a stallion, he has drawn interest because he is one of the final accomplished sons of Pulpit to go to stud.

Pulpit, an A.P. Indy stallion who died in late 2012 at age 18, became a prominent sire of sires. His son Tapit is a perennial leading sire and prominent classic sire, and has turned out successful sons at stud in his own right. The late Lucky Pulpit, another son of Pulpit, sired two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome; Sky Mesa is a consistently successful sire in Kentucky; and Mr Speaker sired Grade 1 winner Speech in his first crop. Pulpit has two sons in this freshman class in American Freedom and Grade 1 winner Lord Nelson at Spendthrift Farm.

Keeneland provides the first opportunity for 2-year-olds to race in North America. American Freedom joins Caravaggio as Kentucky freshmen to produce winners. Caravaggio, now standing at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud after beginning his career in Ireland, was represented by a debut winner at Naas.

The freshman sire Klimt, standing at Darby Dan, was represented by three runners at Keeneland on opening day, none of whom hit the board. Mastery, a Claiborne Farm freshman, also had an unplaced first starter. This week will bring the first entrants for Keen Ice and Connect. American Freedom, meanwhile, has his second entrant, Another Flat Drunk, on the Thursday card.