Winner of Ashland Stakes at Keeneland named favorite for Kentucky Oaks
Shadwell Stable’s Malathaat, winner of this month’s Central Bank Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, was made the 5-2 morning-line favorite Monday for Friday’s $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.
Malathaat, who won the $400,000, Grade 1 Ashland on April 3 by a head in her first start of 2021, is undefeated in four career races. She won the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct last December in her only other stakes start.
Malathaat, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, will face 13 other 3-year-old fillies in a full field for the 147th Kentucky Oaks, a Grade 1 race that covers 1 1/8 miles.
Pletcher will be seeking his fourth Oaks victory, winning previously with Ashado (2004), Rags to Riches (2007) and Princess of Sylmar (2013). A victory would tie Pletcher with D. Wayne Lukas and Ben Jones for second place on the Oaks trainers wins list, behind only Woody Stevens, who has won five.
Co-second choices at 3-1 are Brad Cox-trained Travel Column and Chad Brown’s Search Results. Travel Column is one of two Oaks contenders for Cox, who will also saddle Coach at 50-1. Cox will be seeking his third Oaks victory and his second in a row, winning previously last year with Shedaresthedevil and in 2018 with Monomoy Girl.
Search Results is perfect in three starts with her most recent win coming in the Grade 3 Gazelle at Aqueduct on April 3 at the Oaks distance of 1 1/8 miles.
Fourth choice at 5-1 is Clairiere, one of two entrants for Stonestreet Stables and trainer Steve Asmussen, who is also seeking his third victory in the race. Asmussen won previously with Untapable in 2014 and Summerly in 2005.
Pass the Champagne (15-1) finished second to Malathaat by a head in the Ashland at Keeneland.
Lexington trainer Kenny McPeek, whose filly Swiss Skydiver finished second in last year’s Oaks, is back with Crazy Beautiful, also at 15-1. Crazy Beautiful arrives off a victory March 27 in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks.
Kentucky Oaks
When: 5:51 p.m. Friday
Where: Churchill Downs
TV: NBC Sports Network
Purse: $1.25 million
Distance: 1 1/8 miles
For: 3-year-old fillies
Kentucky Oaks field with odds:
1. Pauline’s Pearl (20-1)
2. Maracujá (20-1)
3. Clairiere (5-1)
4. Crazy Beautiful (15-1)
5. Pass the Champagne (15-1)
6. Travel Column (3-1)
7. Ava’s Grace (50-1)
8. Moraz (30-1)
9. Coach (50-1)
10. Malathaat (5-2)
11. Will’s Secret (30-1)
12. Search Results (3-1)
13. Competitive Speed (50-1)
14. Millefeuille (20-1)