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General Jim Adds to Another Big Weekend for Into Mischief; Race Marred By Day’s Second Fatality

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Courtlandt Farms' General Jim (Into Mischief) continued his all-conquering sire's fantastic weekend with a game neck victory over Fort Bragg (Tapit) after a stretch-long battle in Saturday's GII Pat Day Mile S. at Churchill Downs. Gilmore (Twirling Candy) finished third.

“It was a magnificent win,” winning owner Don Adams said. “To win on a day like today is truly special. He's become a nice horse, very special. He's won two in a row now and hopefully we'll see good things down the road. We'll let (trainer) Shug (McGaughey) decide what's next for him.”

General Jim, a two-time winner on the grass as a juvenile, concluded his 2022 campaign with a third-place finish in the Central Park S. over the lawn at the Big A Nov. 26. Switched back to dirt for the first time since finishing a well-beaten third at Saratoga on debut and turned back to one turn, General Jim was a troubled fourth as the favorite in the Mucho Macho Man S. at Gulfstream Jan. 1. He recorded a career-high 90 Beyer Speed Figure with first-time blinkers while capturing the GIII Swale S. last out Feb. 4. He was forced to sit out the Mar. 4 GII Fountain of Youth S. with a cough and was backed at odds of 5-1 first off the bench here.

General Jim found a good spot in the deep field of 13 while racing between rivals in sixth through sharp fractions of :22.41 and :45.00. He set his sights on Fort Bragg–who made a bold move of his own to hit the front on the far turn–while five or six wide at the top of the stretch and the stage was set. Those two locked horns down the stretch, and General Jim just got the better of his rival with a late surge in a race that didn't deserve a loser.

“When he got a good spot at the half-mile pole, we knew we had a chance to win the race,” winning jockey Luis Saez said. “He has plenty of talent. It was an exciting stretch duel and Joel (Rosario) is pretty tough to ride against, but we finally got the jump. We decided to make a change after his last couple of races (and add blinkers) and I don't think he would have won without blinkers. It makes a big difference.”

Longshot Freezing Point (Frosted) went wrong inside the six-furlong marker, was pulled up sharply by Corey Lanerie and vanned off. He was subsequently euthanized, making him the second equine fatality of the afternoon after Chloe's Dream in the day's second race.

Pedigree Notes:

General Jim, an $850,000 KEESEP yearling graduate, is one of 64 graded winners for leading sire Into Mischief, who scored a Grade I double on Friday's program, led by the GI Kentucky Oaks. Broodmare sire Curlin has seven graded winners to his credit.

The stakes-placed Inspired by Grace, a full-sister to GI Mother Goose S. heroine Off the Tracks and a half-sister to MGSW Concord Point (Tapit), had a filly by Authentic in 2022 and was bred back to that same sire.

Inspired by Grace most recently brought $190,000 from Cobble View Stable at the 2015 KEENOV sale.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
PAT DAY MILE S. PRESENTED BY TWINSPIRES-GII, $500,000,
Churchill Downs, 5-6, 3yo, 1m, 1:34.43, ft.
1–GENERAL JIM, 120, c, 3, by Into Mischief
          1st Dam: Inspired by Grace (SP, $138,984), by Curlin
          2nd Dam: Harve de Grace, by Boston Harbor
          3rd Dam: Ms. Cuvee Napa, by Relaunch
($850,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam); B-Fifth Avenue Bloodstock & Centerline Breeding (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III; J-Luis Saez. $288,300. Lifetime Record: 7-4-0-2, $519,833. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Fort Bragg, 118, c, 3, Tapit–March X Press, by Shanghai Bobby. ($700,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet
Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-SF Bloodstock LLC & Henry Field Bloodstock (KY); T-Tim Yakteen. $93,000.
3–Gilmore, 118, c, 3, Twirling Candy–My Surfer Girl, by Henny Hughes. ($48,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Dividing Ridge Farm (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $46,500.
Margins: NK, 3HF, 3/4. Odds: 5.02, 5.52, 14.99.
Also Ran: Frosted Departure, Gun Pilot, Echo Again, Lugan
Knight, Curly Jack, Damon's Mound, Tall Boy, Kangaroo Court,
Bourbon Bash, Freezing Point. Scratched: Midnight Rising.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Federal Judge Drops The Hammer On Extra Anejo To Open Derby Card

1st-Churchill Downs, $95,885, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 5-6, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 1:16.08, ft, 1 length.
FEDERAL JUDGE (c, 3, Army Mule–Congarette, by Congaree) impressed in his unveiling over a quick six furlongs at Oaklawn Apr. 1, nearly going gate-to-wire in route to a 4 1/2-length win and a 97 Beyer Speed Figure. The narrow 8-5 favorite over returning 'TDN Rising Star' Extra Anejo (Into Mischief), the bay sat just off early pacesetter Olazabal (Bolt d'Oro) through a quick opening quarter in :22.09 before pouncing between rivals to take command into the far turn, going the half in :44.91. Clear from the quarter pole on, Federal Judge had more than enough of a margin built up to hold off Extra Anejo, going on to win by a measured length. His dam's first winner, Federal Judge traces back through his third dam to GISW Home At Last (Quadratic) and GSWs Niner's Home (Forty Nine) and Indy Groove (A.P. Indy). Congarette dropped a yearling Lord Nelson filly named Red Velvet Cake and foaled a colt by the Gainesway stallion Raging Bull (Fr) this year. Sales History: $40,000 Ylg '21 OBSWIN; $200,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $111,360. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC; B-Caperlane Farm (FL); T-Rodolphe Brisset.

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Kentucky Derby Day 149 is Here!

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The late B. Wayne Hughes will be smiling somewhere on this first Saturday in May.

Unbeaten GII Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo), an $800,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream breezer, will carry the famed orange-and-purple colors of Spendthrift Farm while making just his fourth career start in the 149th GI Kentucky Derby.

“Our primary business really is standing stallions, but when we can go to a sale and get a horse that has a shot to make it to the stud barn, that's what we're trying to do,” Spendthrift's General Manager Ned Toffey said. “And winning a race like the Derby is obviously a big step in the right direction if you want to stand a stallion. Kingsbarns has done everything we've asked of him so far and he's done it nicely.”

Spendthrift Farm's all-conquering stallion Into Mischief, responsible for Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), will have three chances at a third bouquet of roses with longshots Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief), Rocket Can (Into Mischief) and Sun Thunder (Into Mischief).

Into Mischief's Authentic, of course, won the 2020 Kentucky Derby for a high-profile partnership headed by Spendthrift Farm. Into Mischief is also the sire of Mandaloun, who was promoted to first via Medina Spirit's well-documented medication disqualification in the following year's Derby.

“That's what breeders are looking for, to get to the Derby,” Toffey said. “Into Mischief can get you any kind of horse. He's an amazing horse and continues to get the job done.”

What do you think Mr. Hughes would say if he were still around to see this day?

“I think Wayne would be saying 'I told you so,'” Toffey said with a big laugh.

“I literally remember him saying, 'I think we might have Bold Ruler on our hands.' He said that very early on in Into Mischief's career. Now, he's a four-time consecutive Leading General Sire and has done something that's not been done since Bold Ruler. Wayne really loved this horse. He meant a lot to him.”

Forte Heads 'Strong' Hand for Pletcher…

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Kentucky Derby twice from a record 62 starters and arguably brings his strongest hand ever to the 1 1/4-mile Classic this year. In addition to Kingsbarns, Pletcher will saddle 3-1 morning-line favorite 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) and fellow 'Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit).

Last term's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and champion 2-year-old colt Forte punched his ticket to Louisville for Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable with a valiant win with a much-discussed less-than-ideal trip in the GI Curlin Florida Derby. Only Street Sense and Nyquist have pulled off the Breeders' Cup Juvenile-Kentucky Derby double so far.

The $1.3-million Keeneland September graduate Tapit Trice will put a four-race winning streak on the line following eye-catching, come-from-behind victories in the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby and GI Toyota Blue Grass S.

“In terms of pari-mutuel support, it's probably going to be the strongest team that we've brought,” Pletcher said. “I think only one time have we started a favorite and that was in 2017, with (Derby winner) Always Dreaming. You could argue that it was possible that Forte and Tapit Trice could be the favorite and second choice or close to it. This is the deepest squad that we've put up so far.”

Derby Quartet for Brad Cox…

Brad Cox will have four of the 19 Kentucky Derby starters, including GI Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire (Classic Empire), one of three Derby entries for the Albaugh Family Stables; narrow Blue Grass runner-up Verifying (Justify); the rail-drawn GII Wood Memorial S. runner-up Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}); and Louisiana Derby third and 'Rising Star' Jace's Road (Quality Road).

While officially recognized as a Kentucky Derby-winning trainer courtesy of the previously mentioned Mandaloun, Cox is still looking to experience that thrill of a lifetime winning the historic first leg of the Triple Crown.

“There was no experience of winning the Derby,” Cox said of the 2021 renewal. “It's the thrill of the victory that you're wanting to experience. There's no thrill in saying that you won the Derby through a phone call that says you were placed first through a DQ. There's no celebration. There's no win picture.”

Cox continued, “I do look forward, hopefully, this year to winning it. I think we got some really good shots. I'm sure it'd be a feeling like no other.”

In addition to Angel of Empire, Dennis Albaugh's operation also campaigns the Dale Romans-trained Florida Derby third-place finisher Cyclone Mischief and Jace's Road. The latter two are owned in partnership.

Outside Draws for Japanese Duo…

Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) (post 15), a dominating winner of the G2 UAE Derby, and GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby runner-up Mandarin Hero (Jpn) (Shanghai Bobby) (post 18) will look to continue the recent high-profile worldwide success for Japan. A sixth-place finish by Master Fencer in the 2019 Derby has been the nation's best finish in the Run for the Roses so far.

What's All the Buzz About…

Who's made the best impression in the mornings leading up to the main event? Last out GII Rebel S. winner Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) is certainly a good place to start after his visually impressive bullet workout beneath the Twin Spires last weekend. 'TDN Rising Star' Disarm (Gun Runner), meanwhile, has given every indication in the a.m. that he's ready to run the race of his life for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen following a flat third in the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. Impressive GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks winner Two Phil's (Hard Spun) is another who has caught the eye during his morning preparations.

Stacked Derby Undercard…

Kicking off at 10:30 a.m. with another sensational forecast calling for partly cloudy skies and a high of 78 degrees, the 14-race Kentucky Derby program also prominently features: GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint heroine Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) in the GI Derby City Distaff S.; GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Cody's Wish (Curlin) in the GI Churchill Downs S.; and the highly anticipated return of last year's GI Del Mar Oaks heroine Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) in the GII Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. The graded stakes action at Churchill Downs is rounded out by the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic; the GII Pat Day Mile S.; the GII American Turf S.; and the GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint S.

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Into Mischief Filly Gets First Oaks Win for Walsh, Godolphin and Gaffalione

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Godolphin homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) stayed out of trouble with a perfect, stalking trip from her far outside draw and gamely fended off Repole Stable's Gambling Girl (Dialed In) in dramatic fashion to capture Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks.

Drawn widest of all in post 14 and adding blinkers for trainer Brendan Walsh after a runner-up finish in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks, Pretty Mischievous broke well beneath Tyler Gaffalione and secured a fantastic spot in fifth rounding the clubhouse turn before a sun-splashed crowd of 106,381 at Churchill Downs.

Traveling smartly in that same position as the speedy Sunland Park Oaks heroine Flying Connection (Nyquist) set sharp fractions of :23.07 and :46.96, the 10-1 shot began to unwind with a four-wide blitz on the far turn and narrowly stuck her white pair of Godolphin blinkers in front passing the quarter pole.

Pretty Mischievous spurted clear under several left handers from Gaffalione in the stretch and had just enough left in the tank to defeat the Todd Pletcher-trained last out GIII Gazelle S. runner-up by a neck. Pletcher and Repole, of course, will be very well-represented by Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby favorite Forte (Violence).

The Alys Look (Connect), a well-beaten third for Brad Cox in the Fair Grounds Oaks, was another 2 1/2 lengths back in third. Wet Paint (Blame), favored at 8-5 after sweeping Oaklawn Park's 3-year-old fillies prep series for Godolphin and Cox, closed from ninth to finish fourth.

It was a first Kentucky Oaks victory for Sheikh Mohammed's operation, Walsh and Gaffalione.

“We haven't won an Oaks before,” Godolphin's Michael Banahan said. “We've been second with a filly, and it seems like it was a long time ago with Little Belle. So, to come in here with two live chances, with two homebreds, I think it means everything to us.”

He continued, “Sheik Mohammed has developed a beautiful broodmare band here in the U.S. I think we are reaping the rewards with the horses we've had over the last couple of years. But to me, there's only the one Classic for fillies in the U.S. and that's today in the Oaks. And so to be able to win that just means everything.”

Walsh and Godolphin have previously teamed up on MGISWs Maxfield (Street Sense) and Santin (Distorted Humor).

“Obviously, I have had a very close association with them my whole life,” Walsh said. “I did nine winters in Dubai. I worked for them in Al Quoz as a rider. You know, when you're there and you're doing that, it was like working for an all-star team and getting on all-stars.”

Walsh continued, “And now to actually have the opportunity to train the all-stars is just, like, that's the stuff you dream of when you're a kid. If you want to be a footballer or a coach or whatever is to be around the very best. And it's just a great opportunity for me to be able to work with horses of this caliber.”

Gaffalione rode two Breeders' Cup winners at Keeneland last year and celebrated his first win in the Triple Crown series aboard War of Will (War Front) in the 2019 GI Preakness S. Gaffalione was also the previous regular rider of last year's champion 2-year-old filly Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief), who never factored in ninth in the Oaks.

“It's amazing. I feel so blessed,” Gaffalione said. “The trip worked out perfectly. I stayed out her way and she took me the whole way. What an incredible filly.”

Pretty Mischievous, a winner of her first two starts at Churchill Downs last fall, suffered her first career defeat finishing third in the GII Golden Rod S. beneath the Twin Spires Nov. 26. The bay enjoyed a fantastic winter at the Fair Grounds, annexing her first two career stakes victories in the Untapable S. Dec. 26 and the GII Rachel Alexandra S. Feb. 18. She looked like she was well on her way for a third straight win in the Fair Grounds Oaks, but, after hitting the front in the stretch, reported home 3 1/4 lengths behind the re-opposing Southlawn (Pioneerof the Nile). The latter finished a disappointing 10th with trouble in the Kentucky Oaks.

“This is the kind of thing you dream about, to win a Grade I, especially the Oaks at Churchill Downs, it's a long way from Cork in Ireland,” Walsh concluded. “It's indescribable, it's exactly what we're here for, and why these guys [Godolphin] breed these good horses, and why everybody works so hard.”

Pedigree Notes:

Will there be any heights left for Into Mischief to climb? Multiple leading sire titles: check. Breeders' Cup winners: check. Kentucky Derby winners: check. Seemingly one of the few holes on his CV was a Kentucky Oaks winner, but Pretty Mischievous took care of that. And perhaps, just perhaps, Into Mischief could become just the fifth sire to score a Derby-Oaks double in the same year, something that hasn't been done since Native Dancer sired the winners of both races 57 years ago. The Spendthrift sire has no fewer than three chances Saturday.

Pretty Mischievous is one of 130 black-type winners bred in the Northern Hemisphere for Into Mischief, who also has 63 graded winners, 17 at the top level, and seems to have no end to his prowess in sight. He is 18 this year, has his best books still in the pipeline, and could very well be on track to demolish just about every sire record in the books. Few stallions can keep Into Mischief's staggering pace of top horse after top horse, but if there's one, it's the Oaks winner's broodmare sire, Gainesway's Tapit. The two crossed have come up with five of the 85 stakes winners out of Tapit's daughters, including GSW and Oaks also-eligible Hoosier Philly and Saturday's GSW and Derby entrant Rocket Can.

The second foal for 2016 GI Spinaway S. winner Pretty City Dancer, who is a half to 2007 GI Gazelle S. winner Lear's Princess (Lear Fan), the Oaks winner was bred by Godolphin in Kentucky. Stroud Coleman Bloodstock acquired Pretty City Dancer on behalf of Godolphin for $3.5 million at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale while she was carrying her first foal, now the winning 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro filly named Ornamental. The mare was barren to Uncle Mo for 2021, but has a Medaglia d'Oro yearling filly and a Street Sense filly born Mar. 28. As so many of the good ones do, Pretty City Dancer directly descends from blue hen La Troienne–her seventh dam–through the Businesslike branch. The Grade I race named after La Troienne was run on the Oaks undercard Friday and was, naturally, won by another daughter of Into Mischief, Played Hard. –by Jill Williams

Saturday, Churchill Downs
LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS-GI, $1,250,000, Churchill Downs, 5-5, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:49.77, ft.
1–PRETTY MISCHIEVOUS, 121, f, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Pretty City Dancer (GISW, $286,344), by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Pretty City, by Carson City
                3rd Dam: Pretty Special, by Riverman
1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Godolphin (KY);
T-Brendan P. Walsh; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $705,250. Lifetime
Record: 7-5-1-1, $1,206,560. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Gambling Girl, 121, f, 3, by Dialed In
                1st Dam: Tulipmania, by Empire Maker
                2nd Dam: Eventail, by Lear Fan
                3rd Dam: Felicita, by Rubiano
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($200,000 Ylg '21 SARAUG). O-Repole
Stable; B-Gallagher's Stud (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $227,500.
3–The Alys Look, 121, f, 3, by Connect
                1st Dam: Foul Play, by Harlan's Holiday
                2nd Dam: Over the Edge, by Thunder Gulch
                3rd Dam: Cyber Cat, by Storm Cat
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($60,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Ike and Dawn
Thrash; B-G. Watts Humphrey (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $113,750.
Margins: NK, 2HF, NK. Odds: 10.37, 13.05, 30.28.
Also Ran: Wet Paint, Dorth Vader, Flying Connection, Defining Purpose, Mimi Kakushi, Wonder Wheel, Southlawn, Affirmative Lady, And Tell Me Nolies, Botanical, Promiseher America. Scratched: Hoosier Philly, Julia Shining, Taxed.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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