LEXINGTON, Ky. – Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher’s favored Malthael surged to the front at the eighth pole and outdueled Cibolian by a neck to win the $88,000 Gainesway Purse allowance for 3-year-olds and up Thursday afternoon. (Click here for a video of the race.)
Trained by Mike Maker and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Malthael covered the 1½ miles on a turf course labeled as good in 2:30.08. It was the third victory of the afternoon for Gaffalione and his seventh win in two days.
Claimed for $35,000 in June, Malthael improved his record to 5-1-1-2 with Maker and boosted his career totals to 24-3-5-7 with earnings of $296,528. Malthael is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred gelded son of Noble Mission (GB) out of the A.P. Indy mare Ender’s Sister.
Malthael returned $6.40, $4.20 and $3.20. Cibolian, ridden by Florent Geroux, returned $11.40 and $6.20 with Mud Pie rallying for third and paying $3 to show under Julien Leparoux.
Racing continues Friday with 10-race program beginning at 1 p.m. ET and highlighted by the 25th running of the $150,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County (G3) for fillies and mares going 5½ furlongs on the grass. Scheduled as the ninth race, the Buffalo Trace Franklin County has a post time of 5:16 p.m.
For info on the Best Breeders’ Cup Seminar click HERE.
Keeneland Press Release
Photo: Trainer Mike Maker (Keeneland)
