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Into Mischief’s Wonder Wheel Holds on in Alcibiades

D.J. Stable's Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) cleared off and kept finding late to take Keeneland's “Win and You're In” GI Darley Alcibiades S. as the tepid 4-1 favorite. An impressive debut winner at Churchill Downs in June, the $275,000 KEESEP yearling dominated that venue's early season juvenile fillies centerpiece–the July 4 Debutante S.–before heading north to Saratoga. She was favored at 7-5 in the GI Spinaway S. on the Spa's closing weekend, but settled for second behind longshot Leave No Trace (Outwork), who returned to be third in last week's GI Frizette S.

Wonder Wheel, meanwhile, prepped for this two-turn test with a :59 1/5 bullet breeze over the Belmont training track Sept. 24, and flashed that same speed while breaking from the rail here to emerge from an early scramble for position around the first bend. She clicked off opening splits :23.49 and :47.16, and was several lengths clear after six furlongs in 1:11.60. Three rivals began to bear down on her and Wonder Wheel briefly looked to be in deep water, but when she switched leads belatedly, that gave her the burst she needed to deny Chop Chop (City of Light) by a nose in 1:45.17. Raging Sea (Curlin) and Xigera (Uncle Mo) crossed the wire third and fourth, respectively, but their positions were flipped by the stewards due to interference.

“She had a great trip today; she had a little bit of a troubled trip [in the Spinaway]. And in all honesty, the Spinaway is a big race–it's a Grade I, but it wasn't my main goal,” said trainer Mark Casse, who was celebrating his fourth Alcibiades win. “Today was it, and hopefully this will lead us into another big race coming up. She ran well, had a great trip. Some others maybe struggled and didn't, but I do think she probably lost focus a little. She would surprise me if she couldn't get a really good mile and a sixteenth. So maybe this race moves her up.”

The Green family's D.J. Stable will be seeking a second GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies trophy, having campaigned 2018 heroine and Eclipse champion Jaywalk (Cross Traffic).

“I want to thank [Len and Lois] Green and Mark Casse for giving me this opportunity,” said winning rider Tyler Gaffalione. “They've been so instrumental in my career and getting me to this point. I'm so thankful for them. This filly, she came out here and did everything right today. We always thought she had a lot of class and she really showed it today. She put in a really big performance. Visually, [the win] doesn't look as easy as it should, but she kind of just got lost coming into the stretch and there were a lot of people in the stands today, so she had every excuse.”

Friday, Keeneland
DARLEY ALCIBIADES S.-GI, $497,337, Keeneland, 10-7, 2yo, f,
1 1/16m, 1:45.17, ft.
1–WONDER WHEEL, 122, f, 2, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Wonder Gal (MSW & MGISP, $904,800),
                                by Tiz Wonderful
                2nd Dam: Passe, by Dixie Union
                3rd Dam: Gal On the Go, by Irgun
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($275,000 Ylg
'21 KEESEP). O-D. J. Stable LLC; B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC &
Clearsky Farms (KY); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Tyler Gaffalione.
$275,125. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $510,725. Werk Nick
   Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Chop Chop, 122, f, 2, by City of Light
                1st Dam: Grand Sofia, by Giant's Causeway
                2nd Dam: Sweet Trip, by Carson City
                3rd Dam: Stellar Affair, by Skywalker
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($230,000 Ylg
'21 FTKJUL). O-Selective, LLC; B-Cobra Farm & MRJ
Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $88,750.
3–Xigera, 122, f, 2, by Nyquist
                1st Dam: Argent Affair (SW, $154,895), by Black Tie
                                Affair (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Caty's Quest, by Norquestor
                3rd Dam: Cataque, by Clever Trick
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. ($190,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Rigney Racing, LLC;
B-Cedar Hill LLC (KY); T-Philip A. Bauer. $44,375.
Margins: NO, NK, 3. Odds: 4.10, 6.90, 8.81.
Also Ran: *Raging Sea, Sabra Tuff, Mustang Lady, Boss Lady Bailey, Fun and Feisty, Stellar Lady, Take Charge Briana, Kaling, Essaouira, Just Cindy, Infinite Diamond. *DQ'd from third and placed fourth. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Wonder Wheel becomes her super sire's 55th graded winner and 12th highest-level scorer. She is the first Grade I winner (fifth graded) out of a mare by precocious MGSW Tiz Wonderful.

Dam Wonder Gal was precocious enough to take her debut in 2014 by 14 1/2 lengths in Belmont's Lynbrook S. for state-breds. She finished second in the Frizette and third in the Juvenile Fillies later that year. Hailing from the extended family of GISW turfer Force the Pass (Speightstown), Wonder Gal lost her Into Mischief foal the year after producing Wonder Wheel and was subsequently barren to Constitution.

The post Into Mischief’s Wonder Wheel Holds on in Alcibiades appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Into Mischief’s Life Is Good Wires Woodward

'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief), backed like he couldn't lose the GI Woodward S. at Belmont at the Big A, was briefly challenged by longshot Law Professor (Constitution) before ultimately shutting the door on that foe and splashing home a 1 1/4-length winner Saturday. The winner's stablemate Keepmeinmind (Laoban) was third in the four-horse affair.

Perfect in three prior Stateside starts this season, with a lone blemish a fourth in the G1 Dubai World Cup in March, the China Horse Club and WinStar Farm representative was a rare 1-9 on the morning line and garnered $364,099 of the $409,486 wagered to win on the nine-furlong event.

Away on top and quickly in command, Life Is Good was kept well off the inside by Irad Ortiz, Jr. as he doled out splits of :24.40, :48.60 and 1:13.07 over the sloppy track. Ortiz peeked back heading for home to find Law Professor in hot pursuit, and he stepped on the gas and got out the whip for the stretch drive. Law Professor–a winner of the rained-off GII Santa Anita Mathis Mile S. last December and most recently the restricted Tapit S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 1 in his first start for Rob Atras–continued to keep Life Is Good honest to midstretch, but the chalk called on his class and eventually edged away while kept to task by Ortiz.

“He's quick out of there. There was not too much speed in the race and the first part of the race, there was a lot of water–we got a lot of rain,” Ortiz said. “I wanted to get off the rail and was able to do it. He broke fast, and he stayed there [on the lead] the whole time.

“The track didn't help too much–it's not that fast. He relaxed and I didn't have use him [too much]. He just was quiet, he was relaxed and we waited and he gave me everything he had from the quarter pole to the wire. If I asked him a little earlier, he could go faster and keep going.”

With his only other defeat a neck second to formidable champion Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) in last year's GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., Life Is Good concluded his sophomore season with a romp in the GI Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile S. at Del Mar in November and picked right up where he left off when handling Horse of the Year Knicks Go (Paynter) in that one's swan song in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. in January. He faded to fourth behind Country Grammer (Tonalist) after setting the pace in the 10-furlong Dubai World Cup, but bounced back in Belmont's seven-furlong John A. Nerud S. July 2 before stretching back out to 1 1/8 miles to handle an accomplished bunch in Saratoga's GI Whitney S. Aug. 6.

“You could tell going into the first turn he had his ears straight up and was really relaxed,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “That was good, but it also maybe plays against his strength a little bit to be that turned off. Part of his brilliance is being able to go fast and keep going. It was the logical tactics for today, but I don't think it's his preferred running style. His real weapon is his high-cruising speed and the ability to keep going.

“I was confident that he would respond when asked, but it was his first time over a sealed off track, and this track has not been playing real fast since the meet began. Any time you're a prohibitive favorite like that, you're concerned about those things.

“This was one of those, where there was only one satisfactory outcome and that's to win. We wanted to make sure we did that, while also keeping in mind that we have a biggergoal in five weeks, so we tried to balance that out the best we could.”

Focus will now shift to Keeneland, where Life Is Good could take on unbeaten divisional leader Flightline (Tapit) in the Nov. 5 GI Breeders' Cup Classic–surely the route fans are rooting for–or defend his title in the Dirt Mile.

“The plan is to probably ship on Monday afternoon to Keeneland,” Pletcher noted.

It was an exacta of rooting interests for WinStar Farm, which also stands the runner-up's sire.

“Constitutions, you never take them lightly and Law Professor ran the race of his life,” said WinStar's Elliott Walden. “It was a great race by him. Constitutions love the mud, so I figured he'd give him a good run. He drew away from him comfortably. We wanted to win, but we didn't want to put on a show. It's on to the next one.”

Saturday, Belmont The Big A
WOODWARD S.-GI, $465,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-1, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:49.57, sy.
1–LIFE IS GOOD, 126, c, 4, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Beach Walk, by Distorted Humor
                2nd Dam: Bonnie Blue Flag, by Mineshaft
                3rd Dam: Tap Your Feet, by Dixieland Band
'TDN Rising Star'. ($525,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-CHC Inc. &
WinStar Farm LLC; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $275,000. Lifetime Record:
11-9-1-0, $4,361,700. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Law Professor, 122, g, 4, Constitution–Haunted Heroine, by
Ghostzapper. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Twin Creeks Racing
Stables, LLC; B-Twin Creeks Farm (KY); T-Rob Atras. $100,000.
3–Keepmeinmind, 122, c, 4, Laoban–Inclination, by
Victory Gallop. O-Cypress Creek Equine, Arnold Bennewith &
Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Southern Equine Stables, LLC (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 10 1/4, 8 1/4. Odds: 0.05, 26.75, 13.70.
Also Ran: Informative. Scratched: Thomas Shelby.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.

Pedigree Notes:

The second foal to race out of Beach Walk, a $435,000 KEESEP yearling who went 0-for-5 in her career, Life Is Good is one of 115 stakes victors, 54 graded stakes winners and 11 Grade I conquerors for Into Mischief. His second dam Bonnie Blue Flag was runner-up in the 2010 GI Test S. and is a half-sister to MGISW Diamondrella (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}). Beach Walk has an unraced juvenile filly named Living Good (Blame), a yearling colt by Candy Ride (Arg) and a full-brother to Life Is Good foaled Mar. 31. She returned to Into Mischief for 2023.

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Oct. 1 Insights: Half to Yaupon Debuts at the Big A

5th-BAQ, $95K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 3:05 p.m. EDT

Allen Stable's $575,000 KEESEP acquisition LIMITS OF POWER (Good Magic) makes his career bow in this spot for trainer Chug McGaughey. Out of GISP Modification (Vindication), the dark bay is a half-brother to Grade I-winning sprinter and new Spendthrift stallion Yaupon (Uncle Mo), as well as MGSP Sawyer's Hill (Spring At Last). He breezed a best-of-153 half-mile in :47 flat on the Belmont training track two works back Sept. 17. Chad Brown unveils another pricey graduate of that auction in $475,000 KEESEP buy Inflationary (Into Mischief). The Klaravich Stables colorbearer is out of a full-sister to GSW Excited (Giant's Causeway), dam of SW & MGSP Thrilled (Uncle Mo). TJCIS PPs

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Mutasaabeq to Stand at Darby Dan Farm

Mutasaabeq (Into Mischief–Downside Scenario, by Scat Daddy), a Grade II-winning juvenile, has been retired and will take up stud duty for the 2023 breeding season at Darby Dan Farm. The deal was brokered by The Stallion Company and his fee will be $7,500 S&N.

“Hailing from a sire line with a lot of upside, Mutasaabeq is a fast and precocious son of Into Mischief,” said Ryan Norton, Darby Dan Farm's stallion director. “He is an outstanding individual with all the ingredients to be a top sire, and we're excited about the opportunity to offer him to breeders in the upcoming breeding season.”

A $425,000 weanling purchase by Shadwell Stable at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale, Mutasaabeq followed a 'TDN Rising Star' performance on debut at Saratoga with a third-place finish in the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. Switched to grass, he posted a visually impressive come-from-behind victory in Keeneland's GII Bourbon S. Mutasaabeq's resume also includes a win in Gulfstream's Mucho Macho Man S. at three. All told, Mutasaabeq hit the board in four of six lifetime starts and earned $259,670.

By record-setting sire Into Mischief and bred in Kentucky by BlackRidge Stables LLC, Mutasaabeq is produced from the winning Scat Daddy mare Downside Scenario. This is also the family of this year's GI Florida Derby winner White Abarrio (Race Day) and graded stakes winner Cool Cowboy (Kodiak Kowboy).

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