‘Mighty’ Performance in Chick Lang

William and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Mighty Mischief came into the GIII Chick Lang S. riding a two-race win streak and added win number three while annexing his first at the graded level Saturday. Favored Jaxon Traveler broke fastest but it was Mighty Mischief who quickly hit the front, carving out a :23.16. Prompted by Willy Boi (Uncaptured) as Jaxon Traveler ranged up three-wide through a :45.97 half, the 9-5 second choice cornered in front and opened up a little cushion through early stretch. Given some right-handed encouragement by Ricardo Santana Jr. late, he strode clear a 1 1/4-length winner over Jaxon Traveler, recording the Steve Asmussen exacta. Hemp rounded out the trifecta.

Mighty Mischief gave Asmussen his fifth victory in the Chick Lang, including Lantana Mob (2008), Mitole (2018)–named champion male sprinter of 2019–and Yaupon last year.

“This is a nice horse,” said Santana Jr. “We have a lot of confidence in him. We've always loved this horse from Day 1. He's improved a lot. They let me walk the first quarter. I was really happy. He was really comfortable. The first quarter, when they let me walk in :23, I knew I was going slow. I knew he was going to accelerate for home, and I just waited for company to come back to me. And when they came close to me, I had a lot left.”

Added Asmussen, “The only thing that could have been better is a dead heat. I think they're both very quality horses. The race might have been a little quick back for Jaxon Traveler [winner of the Apr. 24 Bachelor S.]. He didn't have as much speed as he normally does, and the race got away from him a little bit from the half-mile to the three-eighths.”

Mighty Mischief kicked off with a runner-up finish going six panels in the Oaklawn mud Feb. 7 before going wire-to-wire next time over that track and trip Mar. 19. Favored for his latest while facing optional claiming company, he once again wired the field with ease.

Pedigree Notes:
Mighty Mischief gives his sire his 41st group/graded stakes winner and 96th black-type winner overall. The winner's dam was acquired for $230,000 with this colt in utero at Keeneland November 2017 and descends from a female family near and dear to the Heiligbrodts. Wealth Creation is a half-sister to GSP Random Walk (Super Saver) and is a daughter of Heiligbrodt homebred stakes winner Lunargal (Yes It's True), herself a half-sister to GSW & GISP Astrology (A.P. Indy), the couple's graded-stakes winning juvenile Lunarpal (Successful Appeal) and a full-sister to SW Lunarlady. Her latest live foal was produced this spring, a filly by Mitole, who won the 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint en route to his Eclipse Award.

Saturday, Pimlico
CHICK LANG S.-GIII, $200,000, Pimlico, 5-15, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.74, ft.
1–MIGHTY MISCHIEF, 122, c, 3, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Wealth Creation, by Super Saver
2nd Dam: Lunargal, by Yes It's True
3rd Dam: Quiet Eclipse, by Quiet American
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
($290,000 RNA Ylg '19 FTKJUL). O-L. William & Corinne Heiligbrodt;
B-Heiligbrodt Racing Stable (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen;
J-Ricardo Santana, Jr. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0,
$255,200. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Jaxon Traveler, 124, c, 3, Munnings–Listen Boy, by After
Market. 'TDN Rising Star' ($80,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $140,000
2yo '20 OBSAPR). O-West Point Thoroughbreds & Marvin
Delfiner; B-A. Leonard Pineau (MD); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$40,000.
3–Hemp, 120, g, 3, Super Ninety Nine–Tejano Sea, by Sea of
Secrets. O-Narrow Leaf Farm; B-David Baxter (MD); T-Anthony
Farrior. $20,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2HF, 3/4. Odds: 1.80, 1.00, 13.30.
Also Ran: Willy Boi, Palatial Times, Shackled Love.

Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Mighty Mischief Takes Rail Path To Chick Lang Stakes Victory

The shortest distance from the gate to the wire is the rail path, and Mighty Mischief took it to his first graded stakes victory on Saturday in the Grade 3 Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.

The 3-year-old Into Mischief colt was hustled out of the gate by jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., and quickly separated from a group of second-flight contenders that included Jaxon Traveler, Willy Boi, and Hemp. Mighty Mischief ran easy through an opening quarter in :23.16 seconds, while Willy Boi moved up to challenge on the outside, and Jaxon Traveler was three-wide as they headed into the turn.

Mighty Mischief held his position on the rail through the turn, and he entered the home stretch with a two-length advantage after a half-mile in :45.97 seconds. The colt remained under hand urging by Santana until the final furlong, when the jockey provided the occasional reminder with a right-handed whip.

Nobody emerged to directly challenge the leader, but slight post time favorite Jaxon Traveler was the only one to even be within striking distance when the wire approached, finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back to third-place Hemp, who was three-quarters of a length better than Willy Boi.

Mighty Mischief stopped the clock in the six-furlong sprint in 1:09.74 over a fast main track. He paid $5.60 to win as the field's second choice.

The Chick Lang was the first graded stakes test for Mighty Mischief, who made his first career start on Feb. 7 in a narrow second-place effort at Oaklawn Park. He then embarked on a two-race winning streak at the same track; most recently taking an April 10 allowance optional claiming race by a front-running 4 1/2 lengths.

Saturday's victory improved Mighty Mischief's career earnings to $255,200.

Mighty Mischief races as a homebred for Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, out of the Super Saver mare Wealth Creation. He is trained by Steve Asmussen, who also saddled the other part of the exacta.

To view the race chart, click here.

$200,000 Chick Lang (G3) Quotes

Winning Trainer Steve Asmussen (Mighty Mischief) and (Jaxson Traveler, 2nd): “The only thing that could have been better is a dead heat. I think they're both very quality horses. The race might have been a little quick back for Jaxon Traveler. He didn't have as much speed as he normally does, and the race got away from him a little bit from the half-mile to the three-eighths.”

(Pre-race instructions?)  “I think that's covered when you've got Ricardo [Santana Jr.] and Irad [Ortiz Jr.]. At this level, this is as good as it gets. I think where they drew made the difference in the outcome of the race.”

“The significance of this is that it's Corinne Heiligbrodt's mare and they're the breeder of this one as well. Not only for them to breed another Chick Lang winner, and I'm sure this is their third Chick Lang winner.”

“Jaxon Traveler has been a very versatile horse. He's traveled, and being a Maryland-bred, [there are] Mid-Atlantic opportunities for him. Mighty Mischief, this being his first stakes try, we'll see how he comes out of it and what we need to do with him next.”

Winning Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. (Mighty Mischief): “This is a nice horse. We have a lot of confidence in him. We've always loved this horse from Day 1. He's improved a lot. They let me walk the first quarter. I was really happy. He was really comfortable. The first quarter, when they let me walk in 23 [seconds], I knew I was going slow. I knew he was going to accelerate for home, and I just waited for company to come back to me. And when they came close to me, I had a lot left.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Jaxon Traveler; 2nd): “No excuse. He was running at the end, but the other horse [Mighty Mischief] was hard to catch. The other horse went 23 [seconds], went a little easy the first quarter.”

Trainer Anthony Farrior (Hemp; 3rd): “He ran good. There were a couple of good ones in here. [Jockey Jevian]Toledo rode a great race, sitting behind the speed and made one run. Glad to hit the board. He finished well, and we're happy with him. He's a Maryland-bred, so we'll have a little fun with him in the state. Everyone wants to run on these days. It's everyone's dream to run on Preakness Day. I'm just glad the owners gave me a horse that can run. The plan worked good. I knew Steve [Asmussen] would be tough. When he comes, he brings good horses. I am very pleased. I thought we could run third, I really did. The three horses that were favored were all going to go out there and, hopefully, one would falter and we could come running. At the top of the lane, I thought we were going to get a little more of it, but they kept running, too.”

Jockey Jevian Toledo (Hemp): “I was hoping they would stop and I could catch them. They kept running. But my horse, he ran, not 100 percent, he tried 200 percent. So he ran his race, he ran good. The other horses are really nice horses and kept going. I think with the competition here, he should be really nice next time.”

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First Foal by Sprint Champion Mitole A ‘Good-Sized Colt With A Nice Hip’

The first reported foal by Spendthrift Farm's Mitole, 2019 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) hero and Champion Sprinter in North America, is a colt that was born at Ballyrankin Stud in Lexington.

“He's a very attractive, good-sized colt with a nice hip and a lot of quality. I'm very pleased with him,” said Sally Lockhart of Ballyrankin Stud.

Bred by Jeff Ganje, the dark bay colt is out of the Mineshaft mare Kiss Mine, a multiple graded stakes-placed performer that earned nearly half a million dollars on the racetrack.

Mitole was the only male to win four Grade One races on dirt in 2019, including the aforementioned Breeders' Cup Sprint-G1, the prestigious Met Mile-G1, Churchill Downs S.-G1 on Kentucky Derby day and Saratoga's Forego-G1 – breaking a 40-year stakes record in the latter, en route to becoming a Horse of the Year finalist and runaway winner of Champion Sprinter honors.

Campaigned by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Mitole retired to Spendthrift with earnings of $3,104,910 and covered 230 mares in his first season at stud, making him the second most popular freshman sire in 2020. He is set to stand his second season this year for a fee of $15,000 S&N.

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Uncle Mo’s Yaupon Stays Perfect in Chick Lang

L. William & Corinne Heiligbrodt’s Yaupon (c, 3, Uncle Mo–Modification, by Vindication), an impressive last out winner of Saratoga’s GII Amsterdam S. Aug. 29, made it a perfect four-for-four with a powerful, front-running victory while equaling the stakes record in Thursday’s GIII Chick Lang S. at Pimlico.

The 3-5 favorite blasted out to the front from his outside draw, and was ridden along by John Velazquez to hold a narrow advantage. He began to shake free as they straightened for home and wasn’t for catching in the stretch, rolling to a four-length victory.

Double Crown (Bourbon Courage) was second; Relentless Dancer (Midshipman) was third.

“Put him on the lead and keep him on the lead, and he keeps running,” Velazquez said. “You’ve got to ride him the first part. For the first three-sixteenths of a mile, I had to ride him just to keep his head on the business. Even at the three-eighths pole I am reminding him, ‘Hey, keep your mind on your business.’ Then when he switched down the lane, he knew. It was ‘OK, time to go.'”

The winning time of 1:09.10 for six furlongs matched Lantana Mob from 2008 for the fastest in stakes history.

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen also trained Lantana Mob, as well as 2018 Chick Lang winner and 2019 champion sprinter Mitole for these same connections.

Yaupon, a narrow debut winner at Churchill Downs June 20, took his game to the next level in his next two starts at Saratoga this summer, adding an allowance over older horses July 18 and the Amsterdam, with Beyer Speed Figures of 101 and 100, respectively.

Pedigree Notes:

The dual-graded winner Yaupon is one of 38 such winners for Uncle Mo, whose 67 black-type winners from six crops to race have him positioned in third among North American sires for 2020. Yaupon, a $255,000 OBS June acquisition (:10), is out of a Vindication mare in Modification, and Uncle Mo has crossed well with the Seattle Slew sire line previously. The Indian Charlie stallion also has the listed Canadian black-type winner Absolutely Stylish out of a Vindication mare, and has three stakes winners out of another Seattle Slew son in Bernardini: Mo Town (GI), Mopotism (GII), and Modernist (GII). Yaupon is also the second graded runner out of Modification, whose Sawyer’s Hill (Spring At Last) was second in both the 2014 GII Del Mar Derby and GII Twilight Derby. Her yearling filly by American Pharoah brought $1.2 million from Mike G. Rutherford at the recent Keeneland September sale. The mare, who is a half-sister to GSW Sky Alliance (Sky Classic), delivered a colt by Good Magic this year. She was bred back to Uncle Mo for 2021.

Thursday, Pimlico
CHICK LANG S.-GIII, $200,000, Pimlico, 10-1, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.10, ft.
1–YAUPON, 124, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Modification (GISP, $166,116), by Vindication
2nd Dam: Swift Alliance, by Afleet
3rd Dam: Stately Bride, by Tom Rolfe
($350,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP; $485,000 RNA 2yo ’19 FTFMAR;
$255,000 2yo ’19 OBSOPN). O-L. William & Corinne
Heiligbrodt; B-Betz, Lamantia, CoCo Equine, Magers, Burns
(KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-John R. Velazquez. $120,000.
Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, $288,264. *1/2 to Sawyer’s Hill
(Spring At Last), MGSP, $366,705. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Double Crown, 124, g, 3, Bourbon Courage–Two Columbus,
by Two Punch. O-Reeves Thoroughbred Racing; B-Dr. & Mrs.
Thomas Bowman & Rebecca Davis (MD); T-Katherine Ritvo.
$40,000.
3–Relentless Dancer, 124, c, 3, Midshipman–Passion for Words,
by Benchmark. ($80,000 Ylg ’18 ESLYRL; $85,000 2yo ’19
OBSAPR). O-Jana Wagner & Paradise Farms Corp.; B-Paul
Pruett (LA); T-Michael J. Maker. $20,000.
Margins: 4, 1 1/4, 1. Odds: 0.60, 12.30, 17.70.
Also Ran: Little Menace, Dreams Untold, Captain Bombastic, Pitching Ari, Arkaan, Lebda. Scratched: Blackberry Wine.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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