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Another New Graded Winner for Into Mischief at Belmont

Bye Bye (Into Mischief) did it tough from her widest gate in a field of 11 for Saturday's GIII Soaring Softly S. at Belmont Park, but overcame a fair bit of ground loss to remain unbeaten in two turf starts while giving her all-conquering sire his second new graded winner on the afternoon.

Away alertly, the $140,000 Keeneland September yearling raced five or six off the inside as longshot Lexinator (Fed Biz) set the early pace from 'TDN Rising Star' Star Devine (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Eric Cancel allowed Bye Bye to improve while deep around the sweeping turn, forcing the hand of Jose Lezcano, who allowed Star Devine to stride into the lead perhaps a bit sooner than he may have liked fully three furlongs from the wire. Bye Bye confronted Star Devine in upper stretch, and although the latter boxed on gamely, Bye Bye had her number and scraped home best of all. Invincible Gal (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) ran on for second ahead of Candace O (Declaration of War) in third.

“I was concerned [about the outside],” said winning trainer Christophe Clement. “I'm a firm believer in saving ground, but there's only so much we can do. She was wide all the way, but she was good enough to overcome it. Eric [Cancel] did the best he could.”

As for what the future may hold, the Frenchman added: “We might try to make her a miler but not too much further than that. I'll need to think about it a little bit. Let's enjoy the moment and go on from there.”

Bye Bye debut in a six-furlong maiden over the Gulfstream main track Feb. 7, weakening to finish sixth after showing some early pace. The word was out when switching to a five-furlong turf test in Hallandale Mar. 21, as the bay validated 19-10 favoritism with a widening 2 3/4-length graduation.

Pedigree Notes:

Bye Bye is the 42nd winner at graded level for Into Mischief and brings the 16-year-old stallion to within three black-type winners of 100. Mighty Mischief took out the GIII Chick Lang S. at Pimlico earlier Saturday. She is simultaneously the 123rd SW and 49th group/graded winner out of a daughter of the late Smart Strike.

The May 14 foal is out of a daughter of Kinsman Farm SW Crystal Current, the dam of $875,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling and SP Savoy Stomp (Medaglia d'Oro) and SP Mi Vida (Distorted Humor), the dam of Gold Standard (Medaglia d'Oro), who cost $1.2 million at FTFFEB in 2018 and earned a pair of graded stakes placings.

Bye Bye's third dam, also raced by George Steinbrenner, was a two-time Grade I winner over seven furlongs and produced GISW Majestic Warrior (A.P. Indy), SW & GSP Evolutionist (El Prado {Ire}) and two other stakes performers.

Garnet, who was acquired by Spendthrift Farm for $550,000 in foal to Uncle Mo at Keeneland November in 2016, was not covered in 2018 and produced a filly by Bolt d'Oro last year before being bred to Into Mischief's son Goldencents for this season.

Saturday, Belmont
SOARING SOFTLY S.-GIII, $100,000, Belmont, 5-15, 3yo, f, 7fT, 1:21.19, fm.
1–BYE BYE, 118, f, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Garnet, by Smart Strike
                2nd Dam: Crystal Current, by A.P. Indy
                3rd Dam: Dream Supreme, by Seeking the Gold
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($140,000
Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Bach Stables LLC; B-Malibu Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Christophe Clement; J-Eric Cancel. $55,000. Lifetime Record:
3-2-0-0, $82,400. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Invincible Gal (GB), 118, f, 3, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Alsindi
(Ire), by Acclamation (GB). (200,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT).
O-Ryan, Michael J., Drown, Jeff and Team Hanley; B-Rabbah
Bloodstock Limited (GB); T-H. Graham Motion. $20,000.
3–Candace O, 118, f, 3, Declaration of War–That Voodoo
Youdo, by Speightstown. ($65,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP).
O-River Oak Farm, Medallion Racing and Olszewski, Michael
W.; B-Crosshaven Bloodstock (KY); T-H. Graham Motion.
$12,000.
Margins: NK, NK, HF. Odds: 8.50, 6.20, 10.00.
Also Ran: Star Devine (Ire), Tobys Heart, Can't Buy Love, Hit the Woah, La Libertee, Sleek Lynx (GB), Lexinator, No Ordinary Time.
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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Tribhuvan Returns In Style To Take G2 Fort Marcy

The 10-month layoff was no issue for Tribhuvan, who shook off the rust with a 1 1/2-length victory going wire-to-wire in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy, a nine-furlong inner turf test for older horses at Belmont Park.

Owned by Wonder Stables, Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso, Tribhuvan was one of three Fort Marcy aspirants trained by Chad Brown, who also sent out Rockemperor and Devamani.

Tribhuvan made his first start since posting a narrow allowance optional claiming score over graded stakes winner Ballagh Rocks on July 4 at Belmont over the Widener turf course. The victory was a fourth lifetime win, and first at graded stakes level for the French-bred son of Toronado, who won twice in his native land for former conditioner Henri-Alex Pantall. He competed in last year's edition of the Fort Marcy, but was pulled up in mid-stretch after a buckle on his reins broke when hitting the gate at the start.

Tribhuvan broke sharply from post three under Eric Cancel, and commanded the field into the first turn with a six-length advantage through an opening quarter-mile in 23.56 seconds and the half-mile in 47.89 over the firm turf.

Down the backstretch, the field began gaining on the frontrunner, with New York-bred stakes-winner City Man poised to pounce in second along the hedge with Wissahickon to his outside.

Cancel was relaxed aboard his charge until upper stretch when he gave Tribhuvan his cue. City Man made a bid but was unable to catch the leader who completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:46.11. City Man finished another two lengths clear of third-place finisher Rockemperor.

Completing the order of finish were Devamani, winner of last year's G2 Knickerbocker, and Wissahickon.

“They said they wanted me to go, and I did what I was told to do,” said Cancel, whose first graded stakes triumph came aboard Smooth Daddy in the 2017 Fort Marcy. “The trip worked out very well. I settled on the pace and got my horse to relax. He made a really nice run from the quarter-pole to the wire.”

Brown won his fourth consecutive Fort Marcy – and fifth overall – adding to a list which includes Big Blue Kitten [2015], Robert Bruce [2018], Olympico [2019] and Instilled Regard [2020].

Tribhuvan, along with Brown's other two runners, were saddled by his assistant Dan Stupp.

“I expected all three to run well as they all had trained well,” Stupp said. “The winner got a little lost in the wagering but he's a horse last year that we had high hopes for. He had a little trouble in this race last year when the buckle on the rein broke coming out of the gate, so it was nice to see him come back and start the year off the right way.

“There was no pace on paper and he's a horse that's very sharp in his training,” Stupp added. “He has a lot of energy and he was the logical horse to let him have his head a little bit and go to the front and back it down a bit. Eric did a great job executing that plan.”

Tribhuvan, who returned $22.40 as the longest shot in the field, improved his record to 17-4-2-3 and nearly doubled his lifetime earnings to $221,154.

Dan Stupp, assistant to trainer Chad Brown of winner Tribhuvan (No. 3, Tribhuvan, $22.40), third-place Rockemperor (No. 2) and fourth-place Devamani (No.1): “I expected all three to run well as they all had trained well. The winner got a little lost in the wagering but he's a horse last year that we had high hopes for. He had a little trouble in this race last year when the buckle on the rein broke coming out of the gate, so it was nice to see him come back and start the year off the right way.”

On sending Tribhuvan to the lead: “There was no pace on paper and he's a horse that's very sharp in his training. He has a lot of energy and he was the logical horse to let him have his head a little bit and go to the front and back it down a bit. Eric [Cancel] did a great job executing that plan.”

Eric Cancel, winning jockey aboard Tribhuvan (No. 3): “They said they wanted me to go and I did what I was told to do. The trip worked out very well. I settled on the pace and got my horse to relax. He made a really nice run from the quarter-pole to the wire.”

Trevor McCarthy, jockey aboard runner-up City Man (No. 4): “I can't knock him. He got a great trip. It was a fast pace in front of us and every time I got to Chad's horse [Tribhuvan], he seemed to have a little bit more. My horse was coming off a little bit of a layoff, so I was happy with him.”

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Bourbonic, Crowded Trade Light Up Tote Board As Pletcher Longshots Run 1-2 In Wood Memorial

Trainer Todd Pletcher has saddled the most Grade 1 Kentucky Derby starters in history. With almost a month until the 2021 “Run for the Roses” on May 1, the veteran conditioner could add to that total thanks to a pair of upset efforts on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., with 72-1 longshot Bourbonic making a furious rally from the outside to edge 15-1 stablemate Dynamic One by a head in a thrilling finish to the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino.

The 96th running of the Wood Memorial, offering 100-40-20-10 Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers, was not contested in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But Bourbonic, making his first stakes appearance in his sixth start, ensured the 729-day gap between runnings was memorable, rallying from last-of-nine at the top of the stretch before jockey Kendrick Carmouche tipped him out and saw his charge pick off rivals one-by-one.

Calumet Farm's Bourbonic surged through the wire from the middle of the fast main track, besting Dynamic One in the final jumps to complete the 1 1/8-mile course in 1:54.49 and earn the triple-digit Derby points for the Kentucky homebred.

It marked the sixth Wood Memorial victory for Pletcher, who previously won with Eskendereya [2010], Gemologist [2012], Verrazano [2013], Outwork [2016] and Vino Rosso [2018]. Pletcher's 55 Derby starters are a record that could soon be bolstered.

“We always felt this horse would handle added distance,” said Pletcher, who trails only Hall of Famer Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons' record eight Wood Memorial wins for the most all time. “He was able to get a perfect trip and sit back and make one late run. He was able to get there just in time. It was a big effort.

“To have any chance, I think the only way he could be successful was to stay back and make one late run,” he added. “He doesn't have any early speed.”

The Wood Memorial – the signature race for the 126-year-old racetrack – saw a fellow longshot, 70-1 Market Maven, break sharp from the outside post and go to the lead around the near turn, going the opening quarter-mile in 24.88 seconds and the half in 50.18. Weyburn, a nose winner of the Grade 3 Gotham last out, continued to pressure the pacesetter in second position, with three-quarters going in 1:14.98.

Out of the turn, Dynamic One worked to gain the edge to the outside of Weyburn at the top of the stretch, with Bourbonic still bringing up the rear.

But Carmouche said he knew his horse still had plenty left in reserve, and Bourbonic quickly erased the deficit when angled to the outside, capitalizing on the daylight under heavy encouragement by Carmouche to get up at the right time, winning for the third time in his last four starts.

“Todd asked me what I was going to do and I told him I wouldn't move,” Carmouche said. “I was just going to sit, sit, sit, sit and hopefully get out the last quarter of a mile. I knew he would go on from there. My horse was in a good stride. Each pole I was picking them up one by one without even asking.”

The victory was Carmouche's first Wood Memorial win and came one week after the Vinton, Louisiana native completed a winter meet campaign in which he finished second in the standings. Carmouche, who has more than 3,300 wins in his career, has never had a Derby mount.

Carmouche also had another milestone riding for Calumet Farm, building on his win on True Timber in the Cigar Mile in December that marked the 37-year-old's first career Grade 1 win, capping his fall meet that saw him secure his first career NYRA riding title.

“I'm thrilled for Calumet Farm. I won my first Grade 1 with True Timber in the Cigar Mile for them and now I won the Wood for them,” Carmouche said. “These past six months of my career have just been what you dream of.”

Bourbonic, who could have been claimed for $50,000 out of a maiden race on December 6 at Aqueduct, returned $146.50 on a $2 win wager. The victory upped his career earnings to $465,800.

The son of Bernardini improved to 3-1-0 in six starts and three wins in four starts since going back to dirt after running 11th in a turf start on November 14 at Aqueduct.

“Sometimes the worst thing you can have is a hot hand in January and February,” Pletcher said. “We were hoping something would come together and we always thought he had potential to step up. It was good to see him do it.”

Dynamic One, ridden by Jose Ortiz, was also making his stakes bow for Pletcher and garnered the 40 qualifying points by topping Crowded Trade by 1 1/4 lengths for runner-up honors.

Owned by Repole Stable, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, Dynamic One broke his maiden at fourth asking in his previous start going the Wood Memorial distance on March 7 at the Big A. The Union Rags colt, a $725,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, handled the step up in class.

“The one thing we were concerned about is if he made the lead he might idle a little bit,” Pletcher said. “Jose said he tried to time it as well as he could and he was hoping the leader would carry him to the wire more than he did. It was another step forward for him.”

Crowded Trade, trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Eric Cancel, picked up 20 points by finishing 1 3/4 lengths clear of Weyburn for third. Weyburn, who earned 50 points for his Gotham win, brought his total to 60.

Updated Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

“It looked for a moment like he had dead aim to maybe even win the race, but he just hung a little bit down the lane and ran a little bit evenly,” Brown said. “I was really proud of his effort. I thought he ran his race despite missing the break a bit and falling a little bit too far back. Watching his race, I think you'd have to be concerned how far he'll run. He had dead aim and didn't really close any ground from the eighth pole home.”

The New York-bred Brooklyn Strong finished fifth, with Prevalence, the favorite Risk Taking, Market Maven and Candy Man Rocket completing the order of finish.

Sunday will not feature racing at Aqueduct because of the Easter holiday. The 11-day Big A spring meet, which runs through April 18, will resume on Thursday with an eight-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Jockey Of The Week: Eric Cancel’s Big Sunday Nets Emotional First Aqueduct Riding Title

Capping a remarkable week in the 24-year-old's riding career, Eric Cancel was voted Jockey of the Week for March 22 through March 28. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Cancel entered the 8-race card on Sunday in second place in the jockey standings four victories behind Kendrick Carmouche. In dramatic fashion through rainy and foggy conditions, Cancel won the opener on Sono Grato for trainer Cleveland Johnson. Starting in race three, he reeled off five winners in a row, riding Lobsta for Gary Sciacca, Kith for Robert Ribaudo, City Temper for Jorge Abreu, Make Mischief for Chris Englehart and My Boy Tate for Michelle Nevin in the Haynesfield Stakes. He finished in-the-money in all eight races. Six wins for six different trainers catapulted Cancel to the top of the standings at Aqueduct's winter meet and his first leading jockey title at a NYRA track.

“I'm filled with emotions. I worked very hard for this and being able to compete with a guy like Kendrick, who is a very hard-riding guy, it feels wonderful,” said Cancel. “Yesterday (Saturday) I didn't think I was going to get it. But today (Sunday) I just woke up and said to keep on swinging and go for it. I want to thank my agent and all the owners and trainers who gave me the opportunity to be here and win this meet.”

Cancel continued: “I was just trying to win as much as I can and go home happy.”

Cancel had two stakes wins on Saturday during New York Claiming Championship Day with Air Attack for John Toscano, Jr. in the Stud Muffin and Fox Red for Linda Rice in the Dads Cap.

Weekly stats for Cancel were 28-13-4-3 for a 46.4% win percentage, an impressive 71.4% in-the-money percentage and total purses of $509,975.

Cancel out-polled jockeys Adam Beschizza who tied for second in wins with 10, Julien Leparoux who won two graded stakes races, Irad Ortiz, Jr. with two stakes wins including the Grade I Florida Derby and set a single season win record at Gulfstream Park and Jose Ortiz who won three stakes including the Gr. II Gulfstream Park Oaks.

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