into mischief | Horse Racing Free Tips

Jan. 11 Insights

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PRICEY NYQUIST DEBUTS AT LOS AL
5th-LRC, $52K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 4:58 p.m.
Mick Ruis went to $510,000 at KEESEP to acquire WAITING ON WENDY (Nyquist) and she debuts here for his daughter Shelbe Ruis. The bay is a half to GSW & GISP Divine Miss Grey (Divine Park) and GSP Divine Dawn (Divine Park). Their dam is a hald to MGSW & MGISP Noble Court (Doneraile Court). This is also the family of GISW Complexity (Maclean's Music) and GSW & GISP Valadorna (Curlin). Michael Tabor's Comedic (Practical Joke), an $800,000 FTFMAR buy, makes his third start here off a pair of runner-up efforts sprinting on turf, most recently at Del Mar Nov. 12. TJCIS PP

BAFFERT & AVENGERS GET INTO MORE MISCHIEF
8th-LRC, $52K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 6:28 p.m.
The powerhouse partnership known as the Avengers team up with Bob Baffert on another son of Into Mischief in first time starter DOPPELGANGER, who likes quite a bit like these connections' Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief). A $570,000 FTKSEL purchase, the bay is out of SW & MGSP Twice the Lady (Quiet American). TJCIS PPs

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‘Optimistic That He’ll Continue To Stretch Out’: Pletcher Aims Life Is Good At Pegasus World Cup

A year after adding the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) to his Hall of Fame resume, trainer Todd Pletcher is targeting the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) for his next conquest during the upcoming 2021-2022 Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park.

The Pegasus World Cup and the Pegasus World Cup Turf will co-headline a program with seven graded stakes Jan. 29 during Gulfstream's annual celebration of World Class Thoroughbred racing, entertainment, fashion and dining. The Championship Meet will get underway Friday and run through April 3.

Pletcher, the defending 18-time Championship Meet titlist, is preparing Life Is Good for a start in the Pegasus World Cup, as well as planning for a defense of the Pegasus World Cup Turf by Colonel Liam.

Life Is Good is fresh off a dazzling front-running victory in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar by 5 ¾ lengths

“He's an extremely impressive horse to watch train. What everybody saw in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is what we've grown accustomed to seeing in his training,” Pletcher said.

CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC's 3-year-old son of Into Mischief is on course for a clash with Pegasus World Cup defending champion Knicks Go, who captured the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in front-running style by 2 ¾ lengths over Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Medina Spirit.

Life Is Good has set the pace in all six of his career starts, including his first three races that included dominating victories over Medina Spirit in the Sham (G3) and San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita for former trainer Bob Baffert. The Kentucky-bred colt, who was sidelined with an unspecified injury, came up a neck short of holding off Jackie's Warrior in his first start for Pletcher in the seven-furlong H Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga off a 5 ½-month layoff. He came back to score a 5 ½-length victory in the one-turn mile Kelso before carrying his speed around two turns in the Dirt Mile.

“He's got a lot of brilliance. He's got speed and the ability to carry it over a route of ground. He's just a very, very talented, impressive horse,” said Pletcher, whose best finisher in the Pegasus World Cup thus far was 2017 third-place finisher Neolithic. “We're optimistic that he'll continue to stretch out. He certainly trains like a horse that wants to go further. We're excited about getting him back for next year.”

Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam surged from off the pace to defeat Pletcher-trained Largent by a neck in last year's Pegasus World Cup Turf, which the son of Liam's Map used as a springboard for victories in the Muniz Memorial (G2) and Churchill Downs' Turf Classic (G1). He has been idle since finishing off the board in the Manhattan at Belmont in June.

“He's at Palm Beach Downs now and training really well. We're looking forward to having him defend his Pegasus World Cup Turf title,” Pletcher said. “Hopefully, everything goes smoothly. He's doing well at the moment.”

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Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Sunday that Noble Damsel (G3) winner Shifty She will prep for the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G3) in the Dec. 18 Suwannee River (G3) at Gulfstream.

“She is going to run here on the 18th in the Grade 3,” said Joseph of the 5-year-old mare, owned and co-bred by Chris Pallas and co-owned by Harvey Rothenberg. “We're going to use that hopefully as a prep for the Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf.”

“She came out of her last race really well. We gave her a little freshening. We thought about going straight to the Pegasus race, but there's too much time between races. We figured we'd get a race here and then go into it.”

“She's a gutsy horse with a will to win. Even if she doesn't win, she tries hard and always shows up.”

Earlier this year Shifty She won the Ginger Punch and Powder Break at Gulfstream. The daughter of Gone Astray has won six of 10 lifetime starts.

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Baffert To Saddle Messier, Barossa In Search Of Eighth Straight Win In Los Alamitos Futurity

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will send out Messier and Barossa as he seeks his eighth consecutive victory in the Grade 2, $300,000 Los Alamitos Futurity Saturday.

The contest at 1 1/16 miles for 2-year-olds is the ninth of 10 races on the next-to-last day of the Winter Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos. Post time Saturday is 12 Noon. Scheduled post time for the Futurity is 3:58 p.m.

Baffert, who has won each of the Los Alamitos Futurities offered at Los Alamitos since daytime Thoroughbred racing returned in 2014, trains Messier for a partnership that includes Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Starlight Racing, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Robert Masterson and Jay Schoenfarber.

A son of Empire Maker and the Smart Strike mare Cherokee Past has won two of three and earned $105,600. After finishing second as the odds-on favorite in his debut June 27 at Los Alamitos, the Canadian bred has gone back-to-back, prevailing by a combined 10 lengths. In his most recent appearance, Messier won the Grade 3 Bob Hope by three lengths Nov. 14.

An Into Mischief colt out of the Flower Alley mare Bouquet Booth, Barossa, who has the same ownership group as Messier, finished ninth of 11 in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 5.

He's won once in four starts and earned $69,200. He broke his maiden at eight furlongs two starts back at Santa Anita.

Trainer Doug O'Neill, who was second in the 2020 Futurity with The Great One, will be represented by Durante and Slow Down Andy.

A son of Distorted Humor and the Pioneerof the Nile mare Seahawk Girl, Durante graduated as the 1-2 favorite in his most recent start at one mile Nov. 14. He's earned $54,700 in three outings for Roadrunner Racing and William Strauss.

A California bred son of Nyquist and the Square Eddie mare Edwina E, Slow Down Andy is 1-for-2 for owner-breeder J. Paul Reddam's Reddam Racing LLC. The chestnut colt won by nearly five lengths in his debut Oct. 9, then was second as the 11-10 favorite in the Golden State Juvenile four weeks later. He's banked $69,850.

Completing the field is Olympic Legend, a Street Boss colt out of the Mingun mare Brilliant Future.

Owned by breeders Lawrence Opas and Frank Sinatra and trained by Luis Mendez, Olympic Legend is the only member of the field with a win at Los Alamitos. He upset a field that included Messier when nearly 11-1 June 27. He's been idle since finishing a distant third in the Capote Stakes locally Sept. 18.

Olympic Legend is 1-for-4 with earnings of $38,500.

From inside out, the field for the Los Alamitos Futurity: Olympic Legend, Jose Valdivia, Jr. rides, 120 pounds; Durante, Umberto Rispoli, 120; Messier, Flavien Prat, 120; Barossa, Juan Hernandez, 120 and Slow Down Andy, Mario Gutierrez, 120.

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Oaklawn Park Kicks Off December Racing With Ten 2-Year-Olds In $150,000 Advent Stakes

Friday's $150,000 Advent, Oaklawn's first stakes race for 2-year-olds in almost 50 years, has drawn of a field 10, including unbeaten maiden special weights graduate Higher Standard for trainer Tom Amoss.

Probable post time for the 6-furlong Advent, is 3:46 p.m. (Central). It goes as the eighth of nine races for Oaklawn's first of 66 scheduled live programs during the expanded 2021-2022 season.

Higher Standard, a son of super sire Into Mischief, was a 5 ¾-length debut winner sprinting Nov. 14 at Churchill Downs for Amoss. Higher Standard recorded a 5-furlong bullet workout (:59.20) Nov. 24 at Churchill Downs in advance of the Advent.

“Getting him ready to run at the Churchill Downs fall meet, he did everything right,” the Fair Grounds-based Amoss said. “We were really excited about our first start with him. First-time starters, sometimes they don't perform up to standards and they need that race to learn from. He was a real pro. He broke very sharp. He took it to that field and he really won with ease. I don't usually come back with a horse that quick off a debut win. But assessing our options, and hoping to get black type, this seemed like a really good fit.”

Advent entrants from the rail out:

Charter Oak, Luis Contreras to ride, 117 pounds, 5-1 on the morning line
Kavod, Francisco Arrieta, 117, 6-1
Forty Stripes, David Cohen, 117, 10-1
Ruggs, Martin Garcia, 117, 10-1
Oro Azteca, Ramon Vazquez, 117, 10-1
B Sudd, David Cabrera, 117, 6-1
Sonnyisnotsofunny, Cristian Torres, 117, 15-1
Impulsus, Luis Quinonez, 114, 30-1
Cairama, Ricardo Santana Jr., 117, 5-2
Higher Standard, Florent Geroux, 117, 3-1

“I think outside posts at Oaklawn, the farther you get outside, the worse off you are,” Amoss said. “But I'm hearing the rumor that there will be a couple of scratches and it will be a more compact field, so I will say, based on that, it's a good post to have. We're an athletic and quick horse at the gate. There are a few others that are, also, and normally when you get into that situation, it's nice to have that outside post to be able to kind of look over and see what everybody's doing before you make your decision whether to continue forward or sit off the pace a little bit.”

Cairama, a supplemental nominee, will be racing on Lasix for the first time for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Cairama cuts back to a sprint after finishing fifth in the $150,000 Nashua Stakes (G3) at 1 mile Nov. 7 at Belmont Park.

Ruggs was a three-length debut winner Nov. 15 at Remington Park for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs. Ruggs is the first scheduled Oaklawn starter for Gun Runner, the 2017 Horse of the Year and North America's leading freshman sire in 2021.

The inaugural Advent is among three 2-year-old races on Friday's card, which marks Oaklawn's earliest season opener in history. Oaklawn's last stakes race for 2-year-olds was the split Ballerina for fillies April 5, 1973. Oaklawn's last race for 2-year-olds was March 27, 1975.

First post Friday is 12:30 p.m. (Central).

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