Malathaat Listed As Outright Favorite For Kentucky Oaks After Drawing Post 10

The draws for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, which will take place on the eve of the Kentucky Derby, were decided on Monday afternoon. The announcement has immediately had a positive impact on Malathaat’s odds for the featured race on Friday, as she is now a short-priced favorite to win her fifth straight race.

She is certainly the one to beat given the form that she has shown throughout her career to this point, and victory in the Kentucky Oaks will be expected by many.

Todd Pletcher will be searching for a fourth win in the Grade 1 race on Friday, and it is proving difficult to find holes in Malathaat’s form. She has won on all four starts to date, which includes Grade 2 success in last year’s Demoiselle Stakes. Her form has continued so far this season, as she was the Grade 1 winner of the Central Bank Ashland Stakes last time out.

That run was at the beginning of April, and she traveled extremely strong before staying on to win by a head from Pass The Champagne. Pletcher was certainly not arguing with the post position that she was drawn, as he admitted it was ‘fine.’ He did claim that he would have been happier with a position more central, but history does suggest that the draw does give her the best possible chance of claiming the Grade 1 victory on Friday.

The announcement on Monday would have been something that all gamblers would have been waiting on before making their pick for the Kentucky Oaks. Malathaat’s chances of victory have certainly been increased by drawing post ten, as a huge 70% of the winners from the last ten renewals of the race have been drawn in post nine or higher. Two of the only exceptions to the rule came in 2013 with Princess of Sylmar and last year’s winner Shedaresthedevil.

Last year’s winner of the race was drawn post seven, which has also been the most successful winning post in the previous six years, as two winners, including Shedaresthedevil, have won from that position. The other winner to have won from that starting post was Lovely Maria in 2015. Post number 13 has been the most successful over the past ten years, as three winners have won from that starting position. Serengeti Empress (2019), Abel Tasman (2017), and Untapable (2014) have all won from that starting position.

We have mentioned the success that has been achieved by post seven and 13 in the past. The horse that will be starting in seven on Friday will be 50/1 shot Ava’s Grace for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

Meanwhile, the horse that drew number 13 is also an outsider, with Competitive Field being valued around 50/1. Another leading chance for the race is Search Results, who drew post 12 for trainer Chad Brown.

Other leading contenders in the betting may have been less pleased with their draw. Clairiere for trainer Steve Asmussen will be starting in three, while Travel Column for trainer Brad Cox has the sixth starting post. Crazy Beautiful will start at post four, while Pass The Champagne, who was narrowly beaten by Malathaat last time out, is in post five.

Meanwhile, other horses to have drawn lower posts include Pauline’s Pearl (1), Moraz (7), and Maracuja (2). Will’s Secret remains among the prominent horses in the betting and will start in trap 11, while connections of Millefeuille (14) and Coach (9) would have been pleased with their draws.