The Breeders’ Cup Distaff is building into one of the highlights at next month’s world championships, with the victory of Malathaat in the 2022 Juddmonte Spinster at Keeneland on Sunday setting her up for a fascinating duel with brilliant barnmate Nest. On the undercard, promising juveniles Andthewinneris (G2 Bourbon) and Private Creed (Indian Summer) punched their tickets to the big show with win-and-in performances.
2022 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes
Malathaat romp sets up big clash
The scene is set for a mighty match-up between barnmates in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff after Malathaat won the Spinster at Keeneland on Sunday with the minimum of fuss, cruising to her fifth G1 success.
She won as a 2-5 favorite should, stalking the boilerplate fractions set first by Played Hard and then by Letruska before moving up around the turn and breezing past Letruska at the top of the lane. Then it was just a case of how far and how fast, Malathaat drawing right off under John Velazquez to win by five and a quarter lengths in 1:51 and change.
Army Wife, last to well past halfway, kept on through beaten horses to be runner-up, three and a quarter lengths ahead of Played Hard. The second-choice Letruska was so brilliant last year but no longer has any magic left, trailing in a weary fourth.
Malathaat, whose glittering resume reads nine-for-13 and never off the board, with $2.75m in the bank, will be back at Keeneland in four weeks’ time for a mouthwatering clash in the Distaff with her barnmate Nest, who has a lock on three-year-old divisional honors and won the G2 Beldame at Aqueduct on Sunday.
“I love both of them,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, winning his fifth Spinster and third G1 of the weekend at Keeneland. “We’re so blessed to have them. They both seem to like Keeneland, so we’re excited about it.” So is everyone else.
2022 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes Horse Race Video
@horseracingtote Malathaat secures her spot in the BC Distaff with Spinster victory #Horseracing #Horseracingtips #Horsesoftiktok #Horses #FYP #sport #Horse
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Bourbon Stakes
Andthewinneris is the winner
There was an award-winning performance in the Bourbon from Andthewinneris, who maintained his steady rise up the ladder with an authoritative victory, earning a paid berth into the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf back here on November 4.
Flavien Prat played patience aboard the son of Oscar Performance – hence the name – when keeping the 4-1 favorite closer to the back than the front as Panama set the pace. That changed on the turn when Andthewinneris came running round the outside, six wide into the stretch and hitting the front at the eighth pole, whereupon he rolled on strongly to win by two and three-quarter lengths from third-choice Deer District, stopping the clock in 1:41 and one-fifth. Really Good rallied hard for third, three-quarters of a length back.
“The way he was training, I thought we were going to win,” said trainer Wayne Catalano. “Today we had pace to run at and everything came together like it should.”
Andthewinneris is now two-for-four and has moved forward with every race, coming here off third spot in the G3 With Anticipation at Saratoga. He’ll now get the chance at a G1, bidding to follow in the footsteps of his sire who won the BC Juvenile Turf in 2016.
Bourbon Stakes Horse Race Video
@horseracingtote Andthewinneris takes the 2022 Bourbon Stakes a Win & You’re In for the Juvenile Turf #Horseracing #Horseracingtips #Horsesoftiktok #Horses #FYP #sport
♬ original sound – horseracingtote
Indian Summer Stakes
Creed lands knockout blow
This race changed completely with the scratch of morning-line odds-on favorite Love Reigns, and Private Creed was the one to take advantage and earn a free pass into the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
The 5-2 second-choice has made a big move up following the addition of blinkers and was happily tracking the pace set by Ghent before closing up at the top of the lane. It took a while for the overdrive to click in but when it did the response was impressive, Private Creed finishing off strongly for Joel Rosario to win by three-quarters of a length from the rallying third-choice Mo Stash.
The favorite No Nay Hudson – who had finished ahead of Private Creed, the winner’s only defeat so far, in a stakes at Saratoga – faded in the closing stages but kept the show spot, a length further back. The time was 1:02 and one-fifth.
“The blinkers make the difference between getting beat and winning,” said trainer Steve Asmussen. “He acts like he’ll go further, but we’re very happy to keep doing this with him at the moment.”
This was the second stakes score for Private Creed following a victory at Kentucky Downs, and he is now three-for-four as connections plan a return for the world championships in four weeks’ time.
@horseracingtote Private Creed is headed to the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint after winning the 2022 Indian Summer Stakes #Horseracing #Horseracingtips #Horsesoftiktok
♬ original sound – horseracingtote
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