Following a rail-riding triumph in Saturday's $100,000 Maddie May against fellow New York-bred fillies, trainer Chris Englehart said Gary Barber's Make Mischief could return to open company in the $250,000 Busher Invitational on March 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y
The Busher is a qualifying prep race for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on April 30 at Churchill Downs and awards the top-four finishers points on a 50-20-10-5 scale. The most recent winner of the Busher to win the Kentucky Oaks was King of Prussia Stable's Princess of Sylmar in 2013.
Make Mischief, a daughter of Into Mischief, secured an early stalking position behind pacesetter Brattle House, who commanded leisurely fractions. In mid-stretch, jockey Eric Cancel had just enough room to the inside of the frontrunner to take advantage a few strides outside the wire and win by a neck. Make Mischief, who earned a 71 Beyer Speed Figure in victory, has never finished worse than second in six of seven lifetime starts while boasting $207,750 in earnings.
Make Mischief earned graded stakes black type during her juvenile campaign when finishing second in the Grade 3 Schuylerville and Grade 2 Adirondack for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, both at Saratoga Race Course.
Casse sent Make Mischief to Englehart's care for a winter campaign launched by an allowance victory going seven furlongs on January 31 at the Big A.
“We were pretty confident with her going in,” Englehart said. “We thought she would run well, and she did. It was a little worrisome when [Brattle House] went slow up front, but she came through really well like she was supposed to.”
Englehart said he would monitor the filly's energy level before making a decision on her next start, but did not rule out the Busher Invitational.
“We're invited to the Busher,” Englehart said. “We'll keep our options open with her and see how she trains, but that would be something we'll consider.”
Bred by Avanti Stable, Make Mischief is out of the Speightstown mare Speightful Lady and was bought by Flamingo Bloodstock for $285,000 from the 2019 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Paramount Sales.
Miss Brazil Breezes For Busher
Miss Brazil won her stakes debut last out in the Ruthless on February 8 at Aqueduct and returned to the work tab for the first time since that 6 1/4-length score, breezing four furlongs in 48.89 seconds over the Belmont Park dirt training track on Saturday.
Trainer Tony Dutrow said the sophomore Palace Malice filly came out of that effort in good order and continues to progress heading into her expected start in the $250,000 Busher Invitational on March 6.
Miss Brazil, owned by Team D, capped her juvenile campaign with a maiden-breaking win at second asking on November 29 at the Ozone Park-based track, earning a 93 Beyer. In her 3-year-old debut, she wired a three-horse field in her first start stretching out to seven furlongs.
In the Busher, she will compete at a one-turn mile for the first time and face more challenging competition, as the race is a qualifier for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, offering 50-20-10-5 points to the top-four finishers.
“She leads us to believe that seven furlongs to a mile is within her ability, but we'll find out for sure,” Dutrow said. “She'll probably meet the best horses she's ever faced before, and with an added distance, so we know we have to past this test. But I'm happy with how the progression has gone so far.”
Miss Brazil, who ran third in her debut in October over Belmont's Big Sandy, was bred in Kentucky by Haymarket Farm. Dutrow said he's been pleased with her improvement, including besting Gulf Coast, who had won a stakes at Gulfstream Park in the Cash Run before competing in the Ruthless.
“I feel good about the way she handled a Gulfstream Park-stakes winner in her last race and I feel good about what she's accomplished so far,” Dutrow said. “We're very happy with the way she's been training on the track at Belmont Park and the way she broke her maiden there; those were the factors in keeping her in New York this winter. She stays very good training there and she has a fondness for the Aqueduct surface. That's why we went the New York route this winter.”
Impressive Maiden Winner Mo Desserts 50-50 For Busher
Trainer Jimmy Jerkens said plans are currently in flux for impressive maiden winner Mo Desserts.
Owned by Late Night Stables, Mo Desserts tasted sweet victory in her second start, where she stretched out to a one-turn mile in style with a pacesetting 15 ½-length romp over a fast main track on February 8 at the Big A, garnering an 81 Beyer.
The chestnut daughter of second-crop sire Nyquist could race back in the $250,000 Busher Invitational, but Jerkens said plans are still up in the air.
“We're fifty-fifty right now,” Jerkens said. “She ran really well when she broke her maiden, but there was a bit of a rail bias that day, so we took that into consideration. It was still, all in all, what we were hoping for.”
Mo Desserts returned to the work tab on Thursday morning with a three-furlong move in 37.70 seconds over the Belmont Park training track.
“We weren't looking for much the other day,” Jerkens said. “She's not the heftiest thing in the world, she's kind of slight.”
Bred in Kentucky by DJ Stable, Mo Desserts was purchased for $300,000 from the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency. She is out of the Dynaformer mare Frozen Treat – a full-sister to dual turf graded stakes winner Masseuse.
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