Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff

Malathaat edged Blue Stripe and Clairiere by the slimmest of margins in a three-way photo finish to capture the Grade 1 $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 5 at Keeneland. With John Velazquez in the irons, Malathaat stopped the clock in 1:49.07 to win by a nose. Malathaat is trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Shadwell Stable.

Society led the field a half-mile in :47.29 while under pressure from Blue Stripe and Search Results as Malathaat raced near the back of the eight-horse field. Society carried her lead to the top of the stretch where 2022 Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath and favored Nest challenged to her outside and Blue Stripe surged on the inside.

Secret Oath took over at the three-sixteenths pole but was quickly confronted by Blue Stripe to her outside while Malathaat rallied three-wide and Clairiere slipped through along the rail. Secret Oath dropped out at mid-stretch leaving Blue Stripe in charge until the final jump when Malathaat got up.

Now four-for-four at Keeneland, Malathaat is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Curlin out of the A.P. Indy mare Dreaming of Julia. The victory was worth $1,040,000 and increased Malathaat’s earnings to $3,790,825 with a record of 14-10-3-1 that includes five Grade 1 victories.

"She had a lot of momentum and I was hoping she had enough time to get there," said Pletcher. "She got her head down at the right moment."

It is the third Distaff win for both Pletcher and Velazquez. The two teamed up in 2004 with Ashado with Pletcher getting his second Distaff victory at Keeneland in 2015 with Stopchargingmaria while Velazquez got his second in 2017 with Forever Unbridled.–Tim Wilkin