into mischief | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saturday Insights: Shadwell Unveil Another Into Mischief Colt

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency
3rd-Gulfstream, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 1:05 p.m. ET
One week after ‘TDN Rising Star’ Mutasaabeq made a victorious sophomore debut in the Mucho Macho Man S., Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Stable is set to be represented by another son of Into Mischief in the form of first-time starter LAMUTANAATTY. Pegged as the 7-2 second choice on the morning line, the $177K Fasig-Tipton November weanling turned $700K Keeneland September yearling is out of a winning daughter of MSW Win’s Fair Lady (Dehere), a full-sister to MGSW/GISP Graeme Hall; and a half to GISW Harmony Lodge (Hennessy) and GSW Win McCool (Giant’s Causeway). Win’s Fair Lady is the dam of GSW First Passage (Giant’s Causeway), who bred GSW Berned (Bernardini). Lamutanaatty, who sold for $115K in utero at KEENOV in 2017, is bred on the same cross over Gone West-line mares as Into Mischief’s Grade I winners Authentic and Mia Mischief. TJCIS PPs

PRICEY NYQUIST FIRSTER DEBUTS AHEAD OF JANUARY SALE
5th-Gulfstream, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 2:05 p.m. ET
Less than a week before he sells as part of the complete dispersal of the estate of the late Paul Pompa, Jr., UNTREATED (Nyquist) gets his career underway Saturday afternoon. A son of GSP Fully Living (Unbridled’s Song), the bay colt was knocked down for $550K at KEESEP in 2019, the most expensive of his sire’s 44 first-crop yearlings reported as sold that year. Untreated’s second dam, Half A.P. (Pulpit), is a half-sister to champion Halfbridled (Unbridled). Chad Brown trains the April foal and has given the call to Irad Ortiz, Jr. Untreated, whose year-younger half-sister by Medaglia d’Oro fetched $800K as KEESEP last fall, is cataloged as hip 1564 at Keeneland next Thursday. TJCIS PPs

UNCLE MO COLTS DRAW INSIDE AND OUT GOING A MILE
7th-Gulfstream, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 1m, post time: 3:15 p.m. ET
ROSENQUIST (Uncle Mo) is a daughter of Not in Jest (Unbridled’s Song), a full-sister to ‘TDN Rising Star’ and GISW Cross Traffic, who was offered carrying this colt in utero at FTKNOV in 2017, but was led out unsold when bidding stalled out at $700K. The February-foaled bay, a $750K KEESEP acquisition, is the first foal from his dam, who is also responsible for the now juvenile colt Dr. Perry (Into Mischief), who made $690K at KEESEP in 2020; and a yearling filly by Medaglia d’Oro. First Task (Uncle Mo), a $300K KEENOV weanling, was successfully resold for $725K at KEESEP and is out of a daughter of SW Cascading (Smart Strike). The latter’s dam Teeming (Storm Cat), who produced GISW Streaming (Smart Strike) and SW Treasuring (Smart Strike), was a half-sister to GI Belmont S. winners Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy) and Jazil (Seeking the Gold), GSW Casino Drive and SW Man of Iron (Giant’s Causeway). TJCIS PPs

TOP-SELLING EXAGGERATOR COLT GETS GOING
7th-Santa Anita, $61K, Msw, 3yo, 1mT, post time: 6:05 p.m. ET
EXALTED JOY (Exaggerator) cost $400K as a KEESEP yearling, a price which was the joint most-expensive of Exaggerator’s 63 first-crop yearlings sold in 2019 and tops among his colts. The chestnut is out of Classic Joy (Kitten’s Joy), a daughter of MGSW & GISP Classic Stamp (Regal Classic), the dam of MSW Regal Conqueror (Sky Conqueror) and granddam of last year’s Breeders’ S. third English Conqueror (English Channel). Classic Joy was a $95K buyback at KEENOV in 2017. Earls Rock (Ire) (Fascinating Rock {Ire}) is an interesting foe making his U.S. debut. He was a first-out second Sept. 4 at Down Royal in Ireland to A Case of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}), who returned to take the G3 Anglesey S. in his next start. TJCIS PPs

The post Saturday Insights: Shadwell Unveil Another Into Mischief Colt appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Cox Pointing Mandaloun, Divine Comedy To Fair Grounds’ Road To The Derby Kickoff Day

Catch him if you can. From New Orleans to Hot Springs to Boynton Beach, trainer Brad Cox is logging plenty of frequent flier miles this winter while overseeing a stable that has him in contention to not only win him his first career Eclipse Award as Outstanding Trainer, but raise the bar even higher in 2021.

Front and center at Fair Grounds where he is the four-time defending training champion, Cox has Mandaloun and Divine Comedy pointing to a pair of stakes on the Jan. 16 “Road to the Derby Kickoff Day,” for what he hopes will be the start of the path to the April 30 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) and May 1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) later this spring at Churchill Downs.

Both Juddmonte Farms Inc.'s homebred Mandaloun and Godolphin LLC's homebred Divine Comedy figure to be among the favorites in their respective races on the 16th, with the former headlining the $200,000 Lecomte (G3) and the latter starring in the $150,000 Silverbulletday. Both races are important 10-4-2-1 points races for the Derby and Oaks, respectively, and will help shape the local landscape for the March 20 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) and Fair Grounds Oaks (G2).

Mandaloun, a 3-year-old son of Into Mischief, was visually impressive winning both starts in Kentucky at 2, though he's yet to go two turns or run past 7 furlongs. Cox is eagerly looking forward to giving him the chance, and expects even better when it comes.

“He's pretty good and I'm excited about him getting around two turns,” Cox said. “He's been very good in his first two but I think he's a two-turn horse and we're going to see what he's cut out to do. Knock on wood he'll have one more work this weekend and I'm excited about running him on the 16th.”

Divine Comedy, a 3-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, impressed breaking her maiden here going long Dec. 18 after running sixth sprinting on debut at Churchill. While she may not be as accomplished or as heralded at Mandaloun, she's another in a long line of potential Cox stars.

“Divine Comedy is doing well and came out of her race in good shape,” Cox said. “She had an easy maintenance half, her first work back, and we're excited to run her.”

Cox also left the door open to run Juddmonte's homebred Sun Path, a full sister to last year's Fair Grounds Oaks winner Bonnie South, in the Silverbulletday. The daughter of Munnings is 2-for-3, including a local allowance win the same day Divine Comedy broke her maiden.

Along with his Fair Grounds string, Cox has runners stabled in Hot Springs, Arkansas for his Oaklawn Park division and Palm Meadows in Boynton Beach, Florida for his Gulfstream Park contingent. Fair Grounds Media caught up with him Wednesday morning to look back on a 2020 season that sees him on the short list of Eclipse Award candidates, as well as look towards 2021, where he's beginning to plot out the paths of his top horses.

“When I started this, I had dreams of winning an Eclipse,” Cox said. “There are three things that I said I would like to do in this industry, and that's win an Eclipse Award, do enough to earn a trip to the Hall of Fame, and win the Kentucky Derby. And I've yet to do any of them. So, I've continued to work hard, try to find good horses, place them properly, and manage them right. I'm very fortunate to have great owners, a great staff, and great horses and we've had a very good 2020.”

Updates on other big-name runners from Brad Cox's barn are below:

Godolphin LLC's homebred Essential Quality, who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, is odds-on to win the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old, and is atop many Derby Future Book lists):

“He's a good colt and his work this weekend (4 furlongs in 48.80 Jan. 3 at Fair Grounds), just 'wow,' just phenomenal,” Cox said. “We didn't give him time off but we backed off on him and he seems to have responded well. He was really good this past weekend and we just need to keep him that way until the middle of February. The Risen Star (G2, Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds) is on the table, as is the Southwest (G3, Feb. 15 at Oaklawn). The one thing about the Fair Grounds race is it's a lot more points (50-20-10-5), so that makes it a little more attractive. But the distance is the question; do we want to go a mile and an eighth off not having a race in three months? We'll talk it over with the Godolphin team and make a decision probably about the 1st of February. If he goes to the Southwest, I'm 99% sure that he would go back to Fair Grounds, and the Louisiana Derby would be in play after that.”

Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables LLC, The Elkstone Group LLC, and Bethlehem Stables LLC's Monomoy Girl, who won her second Breeders' Cup Distaff in November and will earn her second Eclipse Award later this month:

“The Bayakoa (G3) on (February) the 15th (at Oaklawn) is the plan right now for her,” Cox said. “She seems to have picked up where she left off last year. Her work this weekend (4 furlongs in 48.80 Jan. 3 at Fair Grounds) was really, really good and I feel like we're ahead of schedule as far as where we need to be with her. We never took her out of training, so it's not like she lost a bunch of fitness, but her work was really, really good.”

Clint Gasaway, Lance Gasaway, Madaket Stables LLC, and Wonder Stables' Wells Bayou, who won the Louisiana Derby in March but hasn't raced since running fifth in the Arkansas Derby (G1) in May:

“(He's had 10 workouts since the middle of October) and we have a couple of options, including the Louisiana (G3 at Fair Grounds Jan. 16) and the Fifth Season (Jan. 23) at Oaklawn as well.”

OXO Equine LLC's Travel Column, who ended her 2-year-old campaign with an eye-catching win in Churchill's Golden Rod (G2):

“She's really good and she's doing really well right now,” Cox said. “Her work the other day (4 furlongs in :50 Jan. 3 at Fair Grounds) was a little slow but it was more because her workmate broke off a little slow but the rider on her did exactly what he was instructed to do and she'll pick it up and start going a little quicker and further in the future and right now we are pointing for (Fair Grounds' Feb. 13) Rachel Alexandra (G2).”

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go, who won the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in November:

“We're thinking about the Louisiana but we're pretty sure we'll end up going in the Pegasus (G1 at Gulfstream Jan. 23),” Cox said. “I told the owners I could go either way, and they thought maybe we'll wait one more week and give it a shot there and see how it goes. Then we could maybe look at the Saudi ($20 million G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse Feb. 20) race as well. We'll get the first one out of the way and then go from there. I don't think further distances will be an issue for him at all. He's doing well, he's a grade 1 race horse, and that work (at Fair Grounds Jan. 2), three quarters in 1:13.00, that's fantastic and is moving on that race track.”

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC, Peter Deutsch, Michael Kisber, The Elkstone Group LLC, and Bethlehem Stables LLC's Aunt Pearl (IRE), who completed a 3-for-3 juvenile campaign with a win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf:

“She was given some time and there aren't a lot of options with the 3-year-old fillies on the grass early in the year,” Cox said. “One of our goals is possibly (Royal) Ascot (G1 Coronation in June) and maybe the Churchill race (Tepin Stakes) this summer to start her back.”

Shortleaf Stable LLC's homebred Caddo River, a 9 ½-length MSW winner at Churchill in November:

“He's doing really well and we're going to shoot for the Smarty Jones (Jan. 22 at Oaklawn),” Cox said.

Juddmonte Farms Inc.'s Prate, a 4 ¼-lengh debut winner here Dec. 19:

“I think his next start will be around one-turn,” Cox said. “I'm not saying we wouldn't eventually try two turns, but for the time being we'll keep him around one-turn. I don't have anything picked out for him right now and I want to give him plenty of time to recover from his first race. Since he's been at Fair Grounds he's settled in really well and is moving forward mentally.”

Shortleaf Stable Inc.'s The Sound, who's won two in a row in New York:

“We'll try a second-level allowance race with him around two turns at Oaklawn and hopefully he'll gradually make the progression to stakes company before the winter is over,” Cox said.

Kueber Racing LLC's Coach, who won Churchill's Rags to Riches at 2:

“She had a fantastic work (4 furlongs in a bullet 48.00 Jan. 4 at Oaklawn) and we really weren't expecting her to do as much as she did,” Cox said. “We're pointing her to the Marth Washington (Jan. 30 at Oaklawn).”

Rupp Racing's Gagetown, second sprinting in the local Dec. 19 Sugar Bowl:

“We're pointing him to an allowance race (at Fair Grounds) on the 16th (of January) going long,” Cox said. “It will be his introduction to two turns. We think he should handle it but you don't now until you try.”

The post Cox Pointing Mandaloun, Divine Comedy To Fair Grounds’ Road To The Derby Kickoff Day appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Bloodlines Presented By Diamond B Farm’s Rowayton: Life Is Getting Interesting For Life Is Good

The name of the winner of the 2021 Sham Stakes might as well be the year's motto: Life is Good.

And getting better.

The dark bay son of Into Mischief (by Harlan's Holiday) had won a maiden on his debut that staggered the speed figure makers, as the colt coasted home by 9 1/2 lengths on Nov. 22 at Del Mar. The sheets and graphs and figs were all very strong on this powerful-looking bay, and Life is Good had been working well and looking good in the meantime.

In the meantime, both the second and fourth in the maiden won by Life is Good have returned and won their maiden specials. Second-place Wipe the Slate (Nyquist) came back on Dec. 26 to win and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 88. On Jan. 3, the fourth-placed Centurian (Empire Maker) made his second start and won by 3 3/4 lengths, going a mile and a sixteenth in 1:44.88. This looks like a key maiden, and more black type is likely to come to its participants.

For his stakes debut on Jan. 2, Life is Good was the 1-to-5 favorite and won the Grade 3 Sham by three-quarters of a length over Medina Spirit in 1:36.63. The second-place finisher had 13 lengths on third-place Parnelli (Quality Road), and Medina Spirit (Protonico) was the peanut butter in a price sandwich among the top three finishers.

Whereas the winner sold for $525,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September sale and Parnelli sold for $500,000 at the same auction, Medina Spirit brought $1,000 at the 2019 OBS winter mixed sale as a short yearling, then resold last year at the OBS June (in July) sale of 2-year-olds in training for $35,000.

As a great breeder once said, “Horses can't read their pedigrees or their press clippings, and it's a good thing.”

Although the “thousand-dollar wonder” made a race of it, Life is Good was strong to the end, and the son of leading sire Into Mischief became the 84th stakes winner for the top Spendthrift Farm stallion.

Life is Good was bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West, who also bred and raced Maximum Security (New Year's Day). The Wests' racing manager, Ben Glass, said: “Life is Good was a really nice colt. We liked him a lot, but the consensus at the time was that the Into Mischiefs wouldn't go a mile and a quarter. So Mr. West told me to go ahead and put him in a sale.

“We breed enough foals every year that we have to sell some, and we have to sell some of the nicest ones because people notice if the yearlings don't include some serious prospects. For the nicer horses, we put a proper reserve on them, and if they bring it, they sell. Mr. West told me to put a half-million reserve on the Into Mischief colt,” and he brought $525,000 from China Horse Club and WinStar Farm LLC.

Owned by two of the principals behind Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy), Life is Good went into training with the man who trained the last two Triple Crown winners, Bob Baffert. The bay colt is now unbeaten in two starts and is poised to race along the same path that 2020 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Authentic (Into Mischief) trod a year ago.

Nor is Life is Good the only Into Mischief colt pointing toward the classics. On the same day and a continent's width away from Santa Anita, the bay Mutasaabeq (Into Mischief) won the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream, covering the mile in 1:35.98. This was the progressive colt's third victory in five starts, and it was his first stakes victory on dirt.

After finishing third in the G1 Hopeful last summer, Mutasaabeq had tried turf and won the G2 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland, then finished unplaced in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf after an eventful trip.

Trained by Todd Pletcher for Shadwell Stable, Mutasaabeq was bred in Kentucky by Black Ridge Stables LLC. He is out of the Scat Daddy mare Downside Scenario, a half-sister to G3 stakes winner Cool Cowboy (Kodiak Kowboy). Winner of a maiden special, Downside Scenario sold to Black Ridge for $250,000 at the 2018 Keeneland January sale when she was carrying Mutasaabeq.

Expectations are that Mutasaabeq will try the classic trail, and he and Life is Good are two more examples of why Into Mischief is such a popular stallion: his racers are fast, enthusiastic competitors and everybody wants one.

Not surprisingly, the dam of Life is Good is already booked back to Into Mischief for a 2021 mating. Beach Walk is in foal to Candy Ride, carrying a colt, and due in the coming weeks. For breeders, it's simple. Glass said, “We love Into Mischief. We bred three mares to him in 2017, including Beach Walk, and bought a share in him. Then we sold the best one, and if we had to do it again, we'd probably do the same thing.”

The post Bloodlines Presented By Diamond B Farm’s Rowayton: Life Is Getting Interesting For Life Is Good appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Triple Crown Weekend Prep Report Card: Life Is Good, Not Great, So Far

As we moved into the first weekend of 2021 (anyone sorry to leave 2020 behind?), there were three races that can be looked upon as early-season preps for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby that is scheduled to be run on May 1.

Only one of the three preps – Saturday's Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita – was graded, and two of the races – the Sham and the Jerome at Aqueduct – received a total of 17 qualifying points for the Derby on a 10-4-2-1 basis for the top four finishers.

The third contest, the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park, was neither graded nor an official points race, but it is the first leg of the South Florida track's road to the G1 Florida Derby, which has become the major East Coast prep for the Kentucky Derby.

Here is my first report card on the major Triple Crown prep races of 2021. Grades are entirely subjective and based on my personal “eyeball test,” Beyer Speed Figures, historical significance of the race, and perceived quality of the fields. Please keep this caveat in mind: I am not particularly easy on my “grading curve” and am not easily impressed.

Jan. 1: Jerome Stakes, one mile, Aqueduct

Capo Kane is a California-bred colt by Street Sense who handily defeated a pair of New York-bred stakes winners and two other maiden winners in a race that has had no historical impact on the Kentucky Derby since moving to early January at Aqueduct in 2011. Trained by Parx-based Harold Wyner, Capo Kane eased to the front shortly after the start under Dylan Davis, went quarter miles in :23.53, :24.30, and :24.79 for the first six furlongs in the one-turn mile before running his final quarter mile in :25.40 to win by 6 1/4 lengths. He was coming off a similar front-running score at Parx on Nov. 25 when he beat maidens by 4 1/2 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 73. He was given a Beyer of 84 in the Jerome.

Visually, Capo Kane looked OK, racing comfortably on the lead, but then drifted out in the stretch, probably more a matter of losing his focus more than anything else. He was the fourth betting choice in a five-horse field, with 7-5 favorite Swill chucking it in after prompting the early pace. Weak field in a historically weak race.

Grade: C-

Jan. 2: Mucho Macho Man Stakes, one mile, Gulfstream Park

Mutasaabeq was made the 11-10 favorite in this one-turn mile stakes at Gulfstream Park in his return to the dirt after two turf races, including an impressive last-to-first victory in the G2 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland. He then finished 10th in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the Into Mischief colt was purchased by Shadwell as a weanling for $425,000 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale and won his debut on dirt at Saratoga Aug. 8 as a well-intentioned 4-5 favorite. Next out he was third of seven runners in the G1 Hopeful on dirt, then shifted to turf for his next two starts.

Nine horses broke from the gate in the Mucho Macho Man, including two other stakes winners: Pickin' Time, winner of the G3 Nashua Nov. 8 at Aqueduct; and Big Thorn, who won a Florida-bred event at Gulfstream Nov. 22.

Unlike the Bourbon Stakes, where Mutasaabeq displayed a brilliant turn of foot from the three-eighths pole to the furlong marker to gain the advantage and draw off by 2 1/4 lengths, he was more of a grinder in the Mucho Macho Man.

Under Luis Saez, Mutasaabeq was kept in the clear to the outside of pacesetter Awesome Gerry in the long run down the backstretch. He engaged the leader on the turn for home under aggressive handling from Luis Saez and was kept to his task down the stretch to win off by 1 1/2 lengths. Papetu, a 20-1 outsider who hadn't raced since running fifth in the aforementioned Hopeful, kept Mutasaabeq honest down the lane, ultimately finishing 1 1/21 lengths back.

Final time was 1:35.98, with quarter-mile fractions of :23.70, :22.45, :23.81 and :26.02. The Beyer Speed Figure team gave Mutasaabeq an 87 for the effort, three points above his maiden-breaking effort at Saratoga last August.

Grade: C

Jan. 2: Sham Stakes, one mile, Santa Anita

There was a lot of hype here. The Sham Stakes has had some very good winners in the past (Colonel John, Tapizar, Goldencents, McKinzie), but Authentic put the race on the map in 2020 when he won by 7 3/4 lengths despite nearly going over the rail while goofing off down the stretch. The Into Mischief colt went on to win the G2 San Felipe, G1 Haskell, G1 Kentucky Derby, and G1 Breeders' Cup Classic for trainer Bob Baffert and is the Horse of the Year favorite.

Authentic earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure in the 2020 Sham off a maiden win sprinting at Del Mar.

Life Is Good, like Authentic a son of Spendthrift Farm's leading stallion Into Mischief, earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure while breaking his maiden for Baffert in a Del Mar sprint on Nov. 22, drawing off by 9 1/2 lengths. Bred by Mary and Gary West Stable, Inc., he was purchased for $525,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland September Sale.

It's not surprising for Baffert to have the favorite in a graded stakes for horses being pointed toward the Kentucky Derby, but the debut of Life Is Good had the aura of a horse that was something special. He did not disappoint that day.

In the days leading up to the Swaps, Baffert downplayed Life Is Good's superiority, saying you never know if a horse can stretch out from sprint distances to two turns until they try it. Nevertheless, he went off the 1-5 favorite in a five-horse field that didn't include a single stakes winner. Second choice was Parnelli, a John Shirreffs-trained colt who needed four starts to break his maiden, earning a 79 Beyer for his win. Third choice was a second Baffert runner, Medina Spirit, a Florida-bred son of Protonico who sold for $1,000 as a yearling at the OBS winter sale and $35,000 at the OBS July Sale as a 2-year-old. He'd broken his maiden at Los Alamitos on Dec. 11 by three lengths, getting a 76 Beyer.

Under Mike Smith, Life Is Good broke from the outside No. 5 post and was in front into the first turn while four wide. Never challenged through the first six furlongs, he set fractions of :23.56, :23.11 and :23.99 while leading by three to four lengths, according to the Equibase chart.

With a furlong left and a four-length advantage, Life Is Good looked home free. But Abel Cedillo aboard Medina Spirit, who chased from second throughout, cut into that margin — gradually at first and then more dramatically in the final yards. As Medina Spirit gained on Life Is Good in the final sixteenth of a mile, Smith went to work on his mount (much as he did when he thought Authentic was home free in the Haskell, leading by 2 1/2 lengths at furlong pole and then barely holding on against Ny Traffic to win by a nose).

Life Is Good drifted out several paths late, possibly intimidating Medina Spirit and Cedillo, who wasn't able to give the most aggressive ride in the final yards. The winning margin was three-quarters of a length and the final quarter mile was run in :25.97. This was not the performance I was expecting to see.

The Beyer team gave Life Is Good a 101 Speed Figure, by far the fastest of the three weekend Derby preps.

Grade: B-

The post Triple Crown Weekend Prep Report Card: Life Is Good, Not Great, So Far appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post