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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