Malathaat Made 5-2 Favorite for Kentucky Oaks

Shadwell Stable’s Malathaat , winner of Keeneland’s April 3 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) last time out, has been made the 5-2 morning line favorite for the April 30 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the daughter of Curlin will break from post 10 under veteran rider John Velazquez. Co-second choices at 3-1 in the Oaks field are Larry Best’s OXO Equine’s Travel Column  (post 6) and Klaravich Stables’ Search Results  (post 12).

The 147th Oaks, worth $1.25 million, will go as race 11 on Churchill Downs’ April 30 program with a arranged post-time of 5:51 p.m. ET.

The Oaks has been dominated of late by trainers Brad Cox and Steve Asmussen. Both have multiple entries in this year’s field.

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Cox won with champion filly Monomoy Girl in 2018 and won last year’s running, that took place Sept. 4, with Shedaresthedevil.

Shedaresthedevel defeated eventual champion and classic winner Swiss Skydiver. This year’s competitors are Travel Column and Coach  (post 9)

Asmussen also has two Oaks victories to his credit, both for Winchell Thoroughbreds: Summerly in 2005 and champion Untapable  in 2014. Asmussen’s runners this year, Pauline’s Pearl  (post 1) and Clairiere  (post 3), are homebreds for Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables. The morning-line favorite was also bred by Banke’s Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings and sold as a yearling for $1,050,000.

Pletcher is a three-time Oaks-winning trainer, having sent out Hall of Famer Ashado  (2004), classic winner Rags to Riches  (2007), and Princess of Sylmar  (2013).

Malathaat, out of grade 1 winner Dreaming of Julia  (fourth behind Princess of Sylmar in the Oaks), is undefeated in four starts. At 2 she rattled off three triumphs in New York. After breaking her maiden on the front end at Belmont Park last October, she won Aqueduct Racetrack’s listed Tempted Stakes by 7 3/4 lengths and added the grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at the Oaks trip.

At Keeneland in her seasonal bow she roared from fifth to catch Pass the Champagne ate in the short stretch of the 1 1/16-mile event.

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