Grade 1 Winners Guarana, Mia Mischief Top Field For Keeneland’s Madison

Grade 1 winners Guarana and Mia Mischief head a field of nine fillies and mares for Saturday's 19th running of the $250,000 Madison (G1) that will be run over 7 furlongs on the main track at Keeneland.

The Madison, the first of three Grade 1 races on Saturday's 10-race program, will go as the afternoon's fifth race with a 3:18 p.m. post time.

Three Chimneys Farm and Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings Guarana debuted at Keeneland during the 2019 Spring Meet with a 14¾-length victory that was a springboard to Grade 1 victories in the Acorn and Coaching Club of America Oaks.

A dominating winner in her 2020 debut last month at Churchill Downs, Guarana is trained by Chad Brown and will be ridden Jose Ortiz from post position five.

Stonestreet Stables' Mia Mischief, who broke her maiden in her second start by 16¼ lengths during Keeneland's 2017 Fall Meet, won the Humana Distaff (G1) in 2019 at Churchill Downs. A winner of two of three starts in 2020, Mia Mischief is trained by Steve Asmussen and will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., from post position seven.

Other runners of note include Lothenbach Stables' Bell's the One and Novogratz Racing Stables' Amy's Challenge.

Trained by Neil Pessin, Bell's the One captured last fall's Lexus Raven Run (G2) at Keeneland and most recently won the Winning Colors (G3) at Churchill Downs. Corey Lanerie, who was aboard for both of those victories, has the mount Saturday and will break from post position eight.

Amy's Challenge, trained by Mac Robertson, finished second by a neck to Spiced Perfection in last year's Madison. Joel Rosario has the mount Saturday and will break from post nine.

The field for the Madison, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Diamond Crazy (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118 pounds), Wildwood's Beauty (Joe Rocco Jr., 118), Sally's Curlin (Joe Talamo, 118), Princess Causeway (Julien Leparoux, 118) Guarana (Ortiz, 118), Unique Factor (Flavien Prat, 118), Mia Mischief (Santana Jr., 118), Bell's the One (Lanerie, 120), Amy's Challenge (Rosario, 118).

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Gamine Shaves Over A Second Off Stakes Record, Smashes Competition In Acorn

A $1.8 million 2-year-old purchase, Michael Lund Peterson's Gamine made her graded stakes debut an impressive one in Saturday's Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park. The 3-year-old Into Mischief filly ran her opposition off their feet to win by over 15 lengths, delivering for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey John Velazquez as the 1-2 favorite.

Gamine's final time for the one-mile trip over a fast main track was a sparkling 1:32.55, shaving more than a second off the previous stakes record of 1:33.58, set last year by Guarana.

Breaking from the inside gate in the field of seven, Gamine went straight to the lead under Velazquez. She began to separate herself from the field after a first quarter in 22.48 seconds, pulling away by a length and a half to mark the half-mile in :45.28. Water White and Lucrezia attempted to go with her around the turn, but nearing the head of the lane Gamine had a three-length lead.

All alone after six furlongs in 1:09.33, Gamine continued to pull at the bridle and increase the distance between herself and her rivals down the stretch. By the wire, she was about 15 lengths ahead of Pleasant Orb in second, while Water White finished third. Lucrezia faded to fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Grace Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, Gamine is out of the stakes-placed Kafwain mare Peggy Jane. With one winner from the mare's first two foals, Gamine sold for $220,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale. Bobby Dodd prepared the filly for the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old in training sale, when her :10 flat breeze and impressive physical commanded a final bid of $1.8 million.

The filly easily broke her maiden at first asking at Santa Anita, winning by 6 1/4 lengths, before showing her determination in her second start to win an allowance race at Oaklawn Park. In that 1 1/16-mile contest, Gamine set the pace and dug in to defeat the well-regarded Speech (next-out second in the Santa Anita Oaks) by a neck on the wire.

Now undefeated through three career starts, Gamine boasts earnings of nearly $250,000.

 

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