Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Velazquez regains mount on Malathaat for Kentucky Oaks
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has regained the mount on Malathaat, one of the likely favorites for the April 30 Kentucky Oaks, after missing the ride on the unbeaten filly in the April 3 Ashland Stakes.
Joel Rosario was aboard Malathaat when the Shadwell Stable filly was up in the final jumps to win the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland. Velazquez, who had ridden her in two of her three starts at 2, was scheduled to ride Malathaat in what was supposed to be her 3-year-old debut, the March 27 Gulfstream Park Oaks, but the filly was not entered by trainer Todd Pletcher in that race because of a moratorium placed on all Shadwell runners in the aftermath of the March 24 death of owner Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum.
One week later, when the Ashland was run, Velazquez was unavailable to ride Malathaat because of prior commitments at Santa Anita that same day, including a ride on Medina Spirit, second at odds-on in the Santa Anita Derby.
Ron Anderson, agent for both Velazquez and Rosario, said Pletcher was understanding of the circumstances in giving the mount on Malathaat back to Velazquez, his longtime go-to jockey and close friend. Rosario will now ride Millefeuille for Bill Mott in the Oaks. Malathaat and Millefeuille were separated by three-quarters of a length when last they met as the onetwo finishers in the Grade 2 Demoiselle in early December at Aqueduct.
Malathaat figures to vie for favoritism in the 147th Oaks with Travel Column in what is expected to be a full gate of 14 3-year-old fillies. Travel Column, trained by Brad Cox, will be ridden by Florent Geroux, her jockey in all five prior starts. Other top Oaks contenders include Search Results and the Steve Asmussen pair of Pauline’s Pearl and Clairiere. One would-be challenger, Soothsay, was recently removed from consideration by trainer Richard Mandella. Entries will be taken Monday.
Meanwhile, Rosario will begin serving a three-day suspension at week’s end. The penalty stems from the disqualification of his mount, Tracy Flick, from second to seventh in the fourth race April 11 at Keeneland. Rosario will be unavailable the first three days of the Churchill spring meet – Saturday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. There is no racing Sunday at Churchill following the opener the previous night.
Also, jockey James Graham will serve a three-day suspension stemming from an April 14 disqualification at Keeneland. Graham will return to action Tuesday at Churchill after sitting Thursday through Saturday of this week.
Trio of Thursday allowances
The penultimate card of the 15-day spring meet at Keeneland in Lexington ought to be a good one. Three turf allowances, all for older fillies and mares, are part of a nine-race Thursday program, led by an $87,000, third-level turf route that serves as the race 8 feature.
Stunning Sky, Temple City Terror, and Winter Sunset are among the principals in what essentially is a postponement of an April 14 race moved to the main track because of rain. All three of those grass specialists were scratched that afternoon, but surely they’ll have a go on the turf Thursday, given a weeklong forecast for dry weather in this region.
Stunning Sky, with Tyler Gaffalione riding for Mike Maker, comes off a narrow defeat as the favorite in the Jan. 31 Jersey Lily at Sam Houston and likely will be favored in a field of no more than eight. Nine are entered, but Figure It Out is a likely scratch as a main-track-only designate.
The other allowances come earlier in the day. Tasaamuh is perhaps the horse to beat in race 4 when getting first-time Lasix in her stateside debut for Graham Motion following four starts in England. A field of eight is assembled for the $81,000, first-level race going 1 1/2 miles.
The other allowance goes as race 6, and it drew perhaps the deepest field of the entire card. Trainer Arnaud Delacour has a potent pair in Niceno and Curly Ruth among an oversubscribed lineup in an $83,000, secondlevel allowance going 1 3/16 miles. Family Way and Witez also deserve high consideration in quite a handicapping puzzle.
The meet ends Friday with the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes anchoring a 10-race card.
Art Collector back in training
Art Collector is back in steady training in the quiet environs of the Skylight training center just east of Louisville. Ownerbreeder Bruce Lunsford said the 4-year-old Bernardini colt will soon have his first breeze for trainer Tommy Drury, with a return to the races perhaps coming toward the end of the Churchill spring meet.
Art Collector peaked last summer with romps in the Blue Grass and Ellis Park Derby before being withheld from the Kentucky Derby with a minor foot ailment. He then ended his year by finishing fourth as the 2-1 second choice in the Preakness, then eighth as the 9-2 third choice in the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.