richard mandella | Horse Racing Free Tips

Classy United Returns To Action In Saturday’s San Luis Rey Stakes

Richard Mandella's classy multiple stakes winning United, idle since early November, will square off with Richard Baltas' sharp recent winner Masteroffoxhounds, as they head a field of five older horses going a mile and one half on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita.

A winner of four out of nine Santa Anita turf starts, United has been idle since running a disappointing eighth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland—a race in which he finished second, beaten a head at Santa Anita on Nov. 2, 2019.

A 6-year-old gelding by Giant's Causeway, United enjoyed a terrific year in 2020, winning four out of his six starts, all in graded stakes, and finishing a close second in another, the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap three starts back on Aug. 22.

A gate to wire winner of the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at a mile and one quarter here two starts back on Sept. 26, United's lone “misfire” came in the Breeders' Cup Turf, a race in which he pressed the early pace but tired to be beaten 9 ¾ lengths.

Owned by LNJ Foxwoods, United will be ridden by Flavien Prat, who's been aboard for his last 11 starts, winning five of them. With two second place finishes in three tries at 1 ½ miles on turf, United is easily the leading money earner in the field with $1,453,549 from an overall mark of 17-7-4-1.

A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred colt by War Front, Masteroffoxhounds made his first six starts in Ireland, winning one of them. A non-threatening seventh in his U.S. debut going one mile on turf three starts back on Nov. 7, he's shown rapid improvement going longer distances for Baltas—airing by 4 ¼ lengths in a 1 3/8 mile turf allowance Nov. 28 at Del Mar and most recently, winning the Grade 2, 1 ¼ mile turf San Marcos Stakes here on Feb. 6 by 1 ¼ lengths.

Although ridden by Joel Rosario for the first time in the San Marcos, Masteroffoxhounds will get the first-time services of Umberto Rispoli. With an overall mark of 9-3-1-1, Masteroffoxhounds, who is owned by Rockingham Ranch, has earnings of $172,942 and will be trying a mile and one half for the first time.

As is often the case on grass at Santa Anita, trainer Phil D'Amato will be very well represented, in this case, by a pair of horses, Ontario, Canadian-bred Say the Word and California-bred Acclimate.

In his first start for D'Amato, the current Winter/Spring leader with 10 stakes wins, Say the Word, a dedicated deep closer, finished with a flourish two starts back to be third, beaten one length, in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup going a mile and one half at Del Mar on Nov. 27. Subsequently 11th going 1 3/16 miles in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Turf Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park, he's worked six times since over Santa Anita's inner dirt training track, a regimen that has worked well for D'Amato this winter.

A 6-year-old gelding by More Than Ready that is owned by his breeder, Sam-Son Farm and Agave Racing Stable, Say the Word's chances would be greatly enhanced by a lively pace. A Group 1 winner at a mile and one half on turf at Woodbine Race Course, he's got an overall mark of 27-5-2-5, good for earnings of $469,292.

With leading rider Flavien Prat opting to stick with United, Say the Word will be ridden for the first time by Mike Smith.

D'Amato will hope to “have 'em surrounded” in the San Luis Rey, as his 7-year-old gelding Acclimate, will likely go to the front and try to take the field as far as he can under Tyler Baze. Bet to the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 2 San Marcos on Feb. 6, this California-bred son of Acclamation showed the way until collared by Masteroffoxhounds in a 1 ¼ length defeat—which was his third start off a one year absence.

With four wins, two seconds and as many thirds from 13 tries over the Santa Anita turf, Acclimate's connections will hope a hillside start may bolster their front-running chances on Saturday. Owned by the Ellwood Johnston Trust, Timmy Time Racing, LLC and Ken Tevelde, Acclimate, who was bred in-part by Old English Rancho, has earnings of $439,872.

THE GRADE 3 SAN LUIS REY STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 4:00 p.m. PT

Acclimate—Tyler Baze—120
Masteroffoxhounds—Umberto Rispoli—124
United—Flavien Prat—124
Say the Word—Mike Smith—124
Multiplier—Abel Cedillo—120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. All of Santa Anita's races are offered free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can wager at 1st.com/bet. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Classy United Returns To Action In Saturday’s San Luis Rey Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Full-Sister to Mia Mischief Romps to Rising Stardom in Arcadia

Missy P. (Into Mischief) followed in the hoofprints of her Grade I-winning full-sister Mia Mischief with a dazzling, 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy graduation at Santa Anita Friday. Breaking like a shot from the outside gate, the 2-5 chalk contested the early pace alongside Reem (Danza) through the initial stages before settling a bit to be a h second through a swift first quarter in :22.16. Well clear of the rest of the field, the first timer drew even with Reem leaving the quarter pole and powered clear with ease in the lane under a motionless Flavien Prat, coasting home to an effortless 9 1/2-length victory.

Unlike Missy P., Mia Mischief took two tries to break her maiden, but did so by 16 1/4 lengths at Keeneland in 2017. She has won six black-type events since then, highlighted by the 2019 GI Humana Distaff S. A $135,000 KEESEP yearling buy turned $300,000 FTFMAR juvenile purchase, Mia Mischief summoned $2.4-million from Stonestreet Stables at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale and was put back in training with Steve Asmussen. She concluded her career with a second in the GI Madison S. in July.

Spendthrift purchased their dam Greer Lynn privately after she RNA'd for $435,000 at the 2007 KEESEP sale and 12 years later they sold her for $700,000 to SF Bloodstock, carrying a foal by War Front, at the same auction as her daughter Mia Mischief. She went back through the ring a year later at Keeneland November, bringing $750,000 from Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Equine with a Medaglia d'Oro foal in utero. Her 2017 filly Lady Tamara (Cross Traffic), also sold at that auction, bringing $430,000 from Larry Best's OXO Equine. Greer Lynn produced a Goldencents filly in 2019, who brought $300,000 from Mike Ryan at the Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale in September. Her War Front foal died and she is still awaiting her Medaglia d'Oro foal. Greer Lynn is a half-sister to GSWs Sing Baby Sing (Unbridled's Song) and Roll Hennessy Roll (Hennessy); SW & MGISP Value Plus (Unbridled's Song); and SW & GSP Majorbigtimesheet (Carson City).

4th-Santa Anita, $62,000, Msw, 3-12, 3yo/up, f/m, 5 1/2f, 1:03.71, gd, 9 1/2 lengths.
MISSY P., f, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Greer Lynn, by Speightstown
                2nd Dam: Roll Over Baby, by Rollin On Over
                3rd Dam: Sweet Praise, by Honey Jay
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,600. O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. *Full to Mia Mischief, GISW, $1,274,934. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

The post Full-Sister to Mia Mischief Romps to Rising Stardom in Arcadia appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Mar. 12 Insights: Sharp-Working Full-Sis to Mia Mischief Debuts for Mandella at Santa Anita

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

4th-SA, $61K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 5 1/2f, 5:08 p.m. ET

MISSY P. (Into Mischief), a full-sister to GISW millionaire and 'TDN Rising Star' Mia Mischief, opens her account in this sprint for Spendthrift Farm and Richard Mandella. The lone 3-year-old in a field of seven, the bay shows a half-dozen strong works over the local main track, including a three-furlong bullet from the gate in :34 4/5 (1/47) Jan. 27 and a six-panel move in 1:11 2/5 (2/6) Feb. 26. Drawn outside, the homebred is the first foal since Mia Mischief to race out of Greer Lynn (Speightstown), who hammered to Summer Wind Equine for $750,000 at Keeneland November last fall. TJCIS PPs

—@JBiancaTDN

The post Mar. 12 Insights: Sharp-Working Full-Sis to Mia Mischief Debuts for Mandella at Santa Anita appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

From OBS March Juvenile ‘Into’ Leading Sire

The buying team at Spendthrift Farm had it down to two different 2-year-old colts from the first crop of the late Harlan's Holiday at the 2007 OBS March Sale. Did they ever pick the right one.

Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday–Leslie's Lady, by Tricky Creek), winner of the GI CashCall Futurity and the back-to-back reigning champion general sire, got the final nod of the pair, bringing $180,000 from B. Wayne Hughes's operation following a :10 2/5 breeze.

The striking blaze-faced bay–standing the 2021 season for $225,000 at Spendthrift Farm–graces the cover of this year's OBS March catalog ahead of the two-day sale, slated for next Tuesday and Wednesday in Ocala with sessions beginning daily at 11 a.m.

“I can't remember who had the other Harlan's Holiday [13 were entered], but the last day we looked, we literally went from one to the other, just to compare them directly,” Spendthrift Yearling Manager Seth Semkin said.

“They were actually very similar looking. Harlan's Holiday stamped them quite a bit as far as how they looked. At the time, Richard Mandella was coming to the sales with us. Into Mischief was over in the knee a little bit, but those were the kinds of things that were Richard's call, and it didn't bother him. We went and looked at the videos again, and at the end of that little process, thankfully, we decided on Into Mischief.”

Five juveniles shared the :10 flat bullet–two ticks faster than Into Mischief's breeze–for an eighth of a mile over the former dirt surface at OBS. The sale was topped by $900,000 Darley Stable-purchase Forest Echoes (Forest Wildcat), one of three 2-year-olds to bring half a million or higher. The topper won four of 34 career starts and posted $106,281 in earnings.

“Into Mischief was a great value and he breezed beautifully,” Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey said. “I don't think any of us realized what we had when we first got him. Other than just thinking he was a nice horse.”

Hughes was the sale's leading buyer, purchasing four head for a total of $1.05 million. The quartet also included the following year's GII Robert B. Lewis winner Crown of Thorns (Repent) ($300,000 OBS March 2yo), who came within a nose of upsetting the 2009 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Into Mischief was the least expensive acquisition of the group.

“It was a strong work,” Semkin said of Into Mischief's breeze. “When it was still dirt there, it was very sandy and it depended on where you were in the set and what the track was like at the time you worked. It was an impressive work. He was a hard trier even when he breezed there.

“We also bought Crown of Thorns that year,” he continued. “That was the horse that we really wanted out of that sale and we ended up paying a lot more for him than we did for Into Mischief. All the credit goes to Mr. Hughes. He was game enough to do it and trusted us and allowed us the freedom to go to those sales. It goes to his desire to get racehorses and his willingness to bid the way he does.”

Into Mischief was no worse than second during his six-race career for the aforementioned Hall of Fame trainer carrying Hughes's famed orange-and-purple colors. His resume also included a win over subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Sprint upsetter Dancing in Silks (Black Minnaloushe) in the Damascus S. at three and a second-place finish in his career finale in the GI Malibu S. at Santa Anita.

Into Mischief was sidelined following a runner-up finish as the favorite in the GII San Vicente S. and was forced to sit out the spring Classics. His CashCall win over Colonel John was his lone career attempt around two turns.

“He was underrated, even as a Grade I winner,” Toffey said. “He was underappreciated as a racehorse. Richard would be forthright with you that the horse got into some foot problems that were really not what you would label as 'unsoundness.' That really kept him off the Derby trail and out of the majority of his 3-year-old year and he had a fairly abbreviated career. If you looked at his race record, you might assume he was unsound, but he absolutely was not. He was a very talented and very honest racehorse.”

Bred in Kentucky by James T. Hines, Jr., Into Mischief first brought $80,000 from the late, great bloodstock agent Buzz Chace as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall yearling. He was consigned as Hip 22 to OBS March as a pinhooking prospect by David McKathan's former nom-de-course M&H Training and Sales. Along with Jody Mihalic, McKathan currently operates under the Grassroots Training and Sales banner.

“Buzz bought him as a yearling and he was pinhooking him,” McKathan said. “That's how I came to have him. Obviously, he was a pretty nice horse. And back then, that was good money. He came to me and I broke him and we took him over to March. I was always proud of Buzz for buying the horse. He loved him. I was with Buzz when he bought him up there. The reality of it, the horse walked dead at 'ya, but he had a lot of action in his walk. I remember commenting to Buzz, 'That doesn't bother you?' He said, 'Nah, he'll move good.' Buzz had a great eye for a horse.”

McKathan added with a laugh, “I know I started to buy them when they walked like that from then on.”

Hines campaigned Into Mischief's dam Leslie's Lady (Tricky Creek), a $27,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, to five wins from 28 starts, led by a win in the 1998 Hoosier Debutante S. and runner-up finish in the following year's Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn.

After Hines's passing in February 2006, Leslie's Lady, in foal to Orientate, realized $100,000 from Clarkland Farm at that fall's Keeneland November Sale, a year after producing Into Mischief. Hines was best known for breeding and racing champion older horse Lawyer Ron (Langfuhr).

Leslie's Lady, of course, has since gone on to also produce the brilliant four-time champion Beholder (Henny Hughes) ($180,000 yrl '11 KEESEP purchase by Spendthrift Farm) and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) ($3 million yrl '16 KEESEP purchase by M.V. Magnier). She was named the 2016 Broodmare of the Year.

Her unraced American Pharoah 3-year-old filly America's Joy was a record $8.2-million purchase by Whisper Hill Farm as a Keeneland September yearling.

“I often think if Beholder had come ahead of Into Mischief, you might have had to add a zero to that $180,000 [for Into Mischief at OBS March],” Toffey said. “Ironically, Beholder was the same price, so that's been a good number for us. They are two of the least expensive horses that we've bought over the years.”

With Horse of the Year Authentic and champion female sprinter and 'TDN Rising Star' Gamine leading the way, Into Mischief established the all-time single-season record for a sire in North America with $22,506,085 in progeny earnings in 2020. He is the only stallion ever to eclipse $20 million in earnings in a year.

Into Mischief, already the sire of 90 stakes/38 graded/eight Grade I winners, has 11 juveniles–Hips 10, 85, 224, 275, 291, 296, 315, 399, 453, 456, 497–consigned to this year's OBS March Sale.

“Share the Upside was one of the programs we started to try to convince breeders to breed to him,” Toffey concluded. “It just shows you, as Mr. Hughes likes to say, 'Nobody really knows.' We weren't quite sure what we had until he proved it to all of us. We're glad he's on our team.”

The post From OBS March Juvenile ‘Into’ Leading Sire appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post