Mutasaabeq | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pletcher ‘Excited’ About Likely Hopeful Favorite Mutasaabeq

Seven juvenile colts will face off in a quest to garner their first respective Grade 1 victories in the 116th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Runhappy Hopeful on Closing Day Monday, September 7 going seven furlongs over the main track at Saratoga Race Course.

The historic test is the first Grade 1 event for juvenile colts on the East Coast and has been used as a stepping stone to Hall of Fame worthy campaigns for all time greats Regret (1914), Man o' War (1919), Whirlaway (1940), Native Dancer (1952), Nashua (1954), Needles (1955), Buckpasser (1965), Secretariat (1972), Foolish Pleasure (1974), and Affirmed (1978), while solidifying Eclipse Award honors for Champion 2-Year-Olds Chief's Crown (1984), Dehere (1993), Favorite Trick (1997), and Shanghai Bobby (2012).

Shadwell Stables' Mutasaabeq arrives at the Hopeful off a stylish maiden special weight victory on August 8 at Saratoga, where he drew off in the stretch to win by 4 ½ lengths on debut, garnering an 84 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who saddled Circular Quay (2006), Shanghai Bobby (2012) and Competitive Edge (2014) to Hopeful triumphs, said that has been particularly impressed by the son of Into Mischief's works from the gate. Prior to his maiden win, he worked a half-mile in a swift 46.53 seconds over the Saratoga main track.

“He had trained extremely well leading into that race,” Pletcher said. “His gate works were very impressive although his first step is not lightning quick. After that, he really gets going. I'm happy with everything he did prior to his debut, we were excited about the way he ran, we've been pointing for the Hopeful since then. He's trained accordingly.”

Pletcher said that Mutasaabeq's natural speed allows him to recover quickly.

“Once he got going, he put in an impressive run around the turn and it seemed like he had a lot in reserve,” Pletcher said. “This will be a step up in class and a stretch out in distance. There are some quality horses in there as one would imagine in a race like this, but we're excited about giving him the opportunity.

“Hopefully he jumps a little better second time out, but we'll play it by ear,” Pletcher added. “I liked the way he finished the other day, so seven-eighths should be within his range.”

Bred in Kentucky by BlackRidge Stables, Mutasaabeq is out of the Scat Daddy mare Downside Scenario and was purchased for $425,000 from the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

Jockey Luis Saez, who rode 2017 Hopeful winner Sporting Chance, will ride from post 3.

After saddling last year's winner Basin, Steve Asmussen will send out J. Kirk Robison's Jackie's Warrior as he attempts to become the first trainer to score back-to-back Hopeful wins since fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas sent out High Yield (1999) and Yonaguska (2000).

The son of Maclean's Music was an impressive winner of the Grade 2 Saratoga Special presented by Miller Lite on August 7, which garnered an 88 Beyer. He will look to become the first horse to sweep the Saratoga Special-Hopeful double since City Zip won the 2000 Saratoga Special before dead-heating for victory with Yonaguska that year.

Following a victory on debut at Churchill Downs over impressive next out winner Therideofalifetime, Jackie's Warrior bested the same foe once more in the Saratoga Special in wire-to-wire fashion, crossing the wire under a hand ride by Joel Rosario.

“It's good timing back, and he's had a race over the track,” said Asmussen's chief assistant Scott Blasi. “He's done everything right for us in the mornings and we're looking forward to running him. Seven-eighths of a mile is not going to be an issue for him.”

Rosario, the leading rider in stakes victories this meet, will return to the saddle from post 6.

Trainer Chad Brown sent out Practical Joke to a victory in the Hopeful for Klaravich Stables, who also won the 2011 Hopeful with Currency Swap. This year Brown and Klaravich will team up with Reinvestment Risk.

The son of freshman stallion Upstart won on debut and was geared down at the wire to a 7 ¾-length victory on August 1 at Saratoga, where he registered a 90 Beyer.

Bred in Kentucky by Aschinger Bloodstock Holdings, Reinvestment Risk was purchased for $280,000 from the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where he was consigned by DeMeric Sales. He is out of the Candy Ride mare Ridingwiththedevil.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be back aboard Reinvestment Risk from post 5.
Rounding out the field are Fearless Fly [post 1, Dylan Davis], Papetu [post 2, Jose Ortiz], Nutsie [post 4, Kendrick Carmouche], and Ampersand [post 7, Jose Lezcano].

The Runhappy Hopeful is slated as Race 13 on Monday's Closing Day 14-race card, which will feature a mandatory payout of the Empire 6 beginning in Race 8 at 3:39 p.m. ET. The program also will feature the $85,000 Lure for older horses going 1 1/16 miles over the Mellon turf.

Monday's card offers a first post of 11:30 a.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Pletcher Eyeing Runhappy Hopeful With Sharp Debut Winner Mutasaabeq

Following a highly impressive debut victory on the Runhappy Travers Day undercard at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Shadwell Stables' Mutasaabeq will attempt to make the grade in the Grade 1, $250,000 Runhappy Hopeful on Monday, September 7.

The Todd Pletcher trained son of Into Mischief, out of the Scat Daddy broodmare Downside Scenario, arrived at his career debut off two sharp bullet works from the gate, where he went five furlongs in 59.03 and a half-mile in 46.53.

Since his maiden win, he worked a half-mile in 48.88 seconds on Monday over the Saratoga main track.

In his career debut traveling 5 ½ furlongs, Mutasaabeq broke a step slow out of the gate, was four wide in pursuit and powered away to a 4 1/2-length score that garnered an 84 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He had been touting himself in the morning, so we were hoping for a good debut out of him. His first step isn't that quick, we knew that going in. But once he gets going, he gets to be pretty fast,” Pletcher said. “He seemed to emerge from his race well and so right now we're pointing towards the Hopeful. We're very pleased with him. He definitely has trained as though the stretch out won't bother him, so we're excited about the way he's doing and we're looking forward to it.”

Bred in Kentucky by BlackRidge Stables, Mutasaabeq was purchased for $425,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

Pletcher is a three-time winner of the Runhappy Hopeful, scoring with Circular Quay (2006), Shanghai Bobby (2012), and Competitive Edge (2014).

On Saturday, Pletcher will be sending out Harrell Ventures' Halladay in the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave Handicap at one mile over the inner turf at Saratoga.

The consistent 4-year-old son of War Front arrives at the Fourstardave after finishing fourth beaten 1 ¼ lengths in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch, where he tracked a slow pace in second behind gate-to-wire winner Somelikeithotbrown.

A two-time stakes winner going 1 1/16 miles over the Gulfstream Park turf, Halladay has only finished off the board twice in 13 starts.

Halladay has posted two half-mile breezes over the Saratoga main track since his last effort going 48.55 seconds in his most recent move.

“We'll play it on the break, but if he's the main speed we won't take that away from him,” Pletcher said. “He's been doing well. I liked his two breezes since the race. It's a very tough race, but hopefully he's able to step up.”

Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Farm and Winchell Thoroughbreds, Halladay is out of two-time graded stakes winning Tapit broodmare Hightap.

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Mutasaabeq Becomes Newest Rising Star For Into Mischief

Hammered down to 85 cents on the dollar off a worktab that shouted ready, Shadwell Stable’s Mutasaabeq (Into Mischief) was not the quickest out, but was fastest late as he raced away to score by 4 1/2 lengths and the ‘TDN Rising Star’ designation.

Drawn widest in the field of seven, the $425,000 Keeneland November weanling acquisition broke near the back of the pack and was under a hustling Luis Saez ride as American Gentleman (American Pharoah) showed the way through an opening couple of furlongs in :22.21. Responding to his jockey’s busy ride, Mutasaabeq rolled up four deep on the turn, challenged wide and hit the front in upper stretch and ran up the score from there. The Wesley Ward-trained filly Guana Cay (Air Force Blue) plugged on gamely late to be second.

While Mutasaabeq legged up for the debut over the Belmont training track in June and over the Oklahoma Training Track for his first couple of breezes in July, it was over the Saratoga main track that he truly showed some spark, working a best-of-17 five furlongs from the gate in :59 2/5 July 19 and capping his tab with a half-mile from the gate that was clocked in :46 2/5 (1/50) Aug. 1

A 16th Rising Star for Into Mischief, Mutasaabeq is out of a half-sister to MGSW Cool Cowboy (Kodiak Kowboy) who was acquired with this foal in utero for $180,000 at the 2018 Keeneland January sale. The winner has a yearling half-sister by California Chrome and a foal half-brother by Uncle Mo. Downside Scenario was most recently bred to Into Mischief’s GI Xpressbet Florida Derby-winning son Audible.

5th-Saratoga, $72,000, Msw, 8-8, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:03.55, ft.
MUTASAABEQ, c, 2, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Downside Scenario, by Scat Daddy
2nd Dam: Grand Breeze, by Grand Slam
3rd Dam: Breeze Lass, by It’s Freezing
Sales history: $425,000 Wlg ’18 KEENOV. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $39,600. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Shadwell Stable; B-BlackRidge Stables LLC (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.

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