Author: News

Godolphin's Kentucky homebred Pretty Mischievous, last seen posting a gutsy head victory in the Acorn (G1) on June 9 at Belmont Park, recorded her second work back with a half-mile drill in :49 flat Saturday over Saratoga Race Course's Oklahoma dirt training track. The daughter of Into Mischief worked in company with maiden Create Trouble.

Trainer Brendan Walsh said he was pleased with the move as the bay filly targets the seven-furlong $500,000 Test (G1) on August 5 at the Spa.

“She worked great and I'm very happy with her,” said Walsh. “It was just a half and we'll do more with her next week – she doesn't need to overdo it. She's doing good.”

Pretty Mischievous placed herself at the top of the sophomore filly division with a breakout score in the nine-furlong Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 5 at Churchill Downs where she bravely held off the late surge of the New York-bred Gambling Girl by a neck, providing Walsh with his first Oaks triumph.

“I've just been blessed and very lucky to have a horse of her caliber,” said Walsh. “I've been lucky that since I've started training for Godolphin, every year they've produced some very good horses. She's exceptionally good, and it's a privilege to have her.”

The Kentucky Oaks marked the farthest Pretty Mischievous has run in her eight-race career. She cut back to a one-turn 1 1/16 miles in the Acorn and posted a similar trip to the Oaks, holding onto victory by a head over the rallying Dorth Vader.

Walsh said he had been considering a cutback for the filly for some time.

“She's got bags of natural speed, so I think the timing is very good,” Walsh said. “We were able to give her a little more time between races and we've always kicked around the idea of shortening her up, so this seems like a good opportunity. She's a good horse, and most of them when they're that good can go two turns or shorten up. She's just got that natural speed, so why not try to utilize it? We can always go back to two turns if it doesn't work.”

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Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House's Nest breezed a half-mile in :50 flat over the Oklahoma training track Sunday at Saratoga in preparation for the $200,000 Shuvee (G2) there on July 23.

The 4-year-old Curlin bay, conditioned by Todd Pletcher, has not raced since finishing fourth in last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Last year, she enjoyed a season that earned her champion 3-year-old filly honors when capturing a trio of Grade 1s in the Ashland at Keeneland as well as the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama at the Spa.

“It was a good work and a nice, strong gallop out. She seemed to keep going,” Pletcher said.

Emerging from nearly an eight-month layoff will be a tall ask for Nest, who was initially targeting the Ogden Phipps (G1) at Belmont Park in June for her 4-year-old debut. But Pletcher said he has faith in his talented filly.

“We expect big things from her always,” Pletcher said. “It's a lot to ask of her, but she ran well in her debut going a mile and a sixteenth and she's basically run well pretty much every start of her career. Hopefully, we have her fit enough to perform well and this is the first step towards big goals.”

The post ‘First Step Toward Big Goals’: Champion Nest Drills Toward Return In Shuvee appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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