Maracuja Upsets Malathaat In CCA Oaks At Saratoga

Maracuja upsets Malathaat in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga.

In her much-anticipated return to the races after her April 30 victory in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, Malathaat battled Maracuja down the stretch and found herself on the losing end of a close finish for the first time in her six starts. Maracuja came away with the upset, winning the 1 1/8-mile Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks by a head at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Facing only three others, Malathaat, trained by Todd Pletcher, broke cleanly from post position one, taking a short lead over Clairiere around the first turn. John Velazquez kept the Shadwell filly on the lead throughout the race, setting early fractions of :23.38 for the first quarter and :47.13 for the half-mile. Clairiere settled in a half-length back, with Maracuja and Rockpaperscissors lingering close on the backstretch.

Around the final turn, Clairiere challenged Malathaat’s lead, Irad Ortiz, Jr. keeping pressure on the Pletcher trainee. On their outside, Maracuja accelerated, Ricardo Santana, Jr. positioning his filly for their stretch run. Into the Saratoga straight, Malathaat maintained her short lead on the rail, Clairiere unable to catch her while Maracuja moved up to confront the leader. Malathaat and Maracuja dueled through the last half of the stretch, Maracuja showing a head in front of Malathaat as they hit the wire. Clairiere was third and Rockpaperscissors fourth. The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.29.

Find this race’s chart here.

With only four horses in the field, the G1 Coaching Club American Oaks had no show betting. Maracuja paid $31.40 and $6.00. Malathaat paid $2.10.

Bred in Kentucky by River Bend Farm and Austin and Janie Musselman, Maracuja is a 3-year-old daughter of Honor Code out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Patti’s Regal Song. Owned by Beach Haven Thoroughbreds, she is trained by Rob Atras. Maracuja was consigned by Buck Pond Farm at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale and was purchased by Jason Servis for $200,000. The G1 Coaching Club American Oaks is Maracuja’s second victory in five starts in 2021. Her record is two wins in six lifetime starts for career earnings of $407,100.