Champion Pretty Mischievous Back in Training for Four-Year-Old Campaign

Recently crowned champion 3-year-old filly Pretty Mischievous (f, 4, Into Mischief–Pretty City Dancer, by Tapit), off since finishing a rallying second in the GI Cotillion S. over a sloppy, sealed track at Parx Sept. 23, has begun to gear up for her 2024 campaign.

The Godolphin homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' is currently in training with Brendan Walsh at Palm Meadows in South Florida and could potentially return to action over Kentucky Derby weekend.

“She went back to Brendan a couple of weeks ago,” Godolphin USA Director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan said. “She had a nice break in the wintertime up here at Jonabell. She's a big, strong filly anyway, but she did very well with her break. He'll probably start doing a couple of little two-minute licks with her in the next couple of weeks and start to step it up.”

Banahan added, “Nothing in stone in yet, but we'll probably look at trying to get her started at Churchill, maybe the (GI) La Troienne S. or something like that.”

Led by a thrilling, neck victory from post 14 with first-time blinkers in last year's GI Kentucky Oaks, Pretty Mischievous was a slam dunk as the nation's champion 3-year-old filly.

She backed up her 10-1 upset on the first Friday in May with another game tally at the top level, this time by a head, in the GI Acorn S. during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

Following the tragic breakdown of Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic), Pretty Mischievous crossed the wire first by a head while turning back to seven furlongs in a heart-breaking renewal of the GI Test S. at Saratoga.

After losing little in defeat in the Cotillion, she shipped to Santa Anita to take on older fillies and mares for the first time in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, but was scratched after showing signs of colic following the flight from Kentucky.

“She had a bit of a belly ache and just wasn't herself,” Banahan said. “I think it was maybe just a little bit with the shipping. She had a long season up to there and she answered every call. She trained O.K. (after shipping), but she just wasn't 100 percent, and you can't be running in a race the quality of the Breeders' Cup Distaff unless you're 100 percent. It wouldn't be fair to her to be taking a chance like that.”

A daughter of the all-conquering Into Mischief, Pretty Mischievous was produced by 2016 GI Spinaway S. winner Pretty City Dancer, who was acquired by Sheikh Mohammed's operation for $3.5 million at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Pretty Mischievous currently sports a record of 10-7-2-1 and career earnings of $1,944,560.

“She's in great shape now,” Banahan concluded. “Couldn't be better. We're very happy to have her back in the barn.”

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‘Graveyard of Favorites’ Strikes Again As Chi Town Lady Sweeps to Test Upset; Matareya 3rd

The 'Graveyard of Favorites' claimed another victim Saturday at Saratoga, as Joel Rosario guided Castleton Lyons' Chi Town Lady (Verrazano) to a last-to-first 17-1 upset of overwhelming favorite Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GI Longines Test S. at the Spa.

Debuting with a three-length score last April at Keeneland, the chestnut went unseen for over four months, but returned with an impressive conquest of the Bolton Landing S. on turf. That had been her last trip to the winner's circle, however, as she concluded her juvenile campaign with a sixth against males in the GIII Futurity S. and a fourth back on dirt in Keeneland's Myrtlewood S. before running last behind Matareya in the Apr. 10 GIII Beaumont S. in Lexington and second in a Churchill allowance May 19.

Having to be backed out and re-loaded after acting up in the gate Saturday, Chi Town Lady settled at the tail of the field as Hot Peppers (Khozan) ran out to a clear lead and Matareya settled in a clear fifth over the recently-sealed track. Hot Peppers clicked off splits of :22.54 and :45.28, while Matareya slipped through at the rail nearing the lane before switching out in early stretch to challenge the pacesetter.

The outcome appeared a fait accompli approaching the eighth pole as Matareya drew on even terms, but Chi Town Lady was just getting going, and soon emerged as a major threat to the dueling leaders after Matareya had a tougher time than expected putting away Hot Peppers. The three came together and bumped at the sixteenth pole, but the contact was inconsequential, as Chi Town Lady had built up a full head of steam by then and kicked clear late, giving Rosario back-to-back graded wins on the card. A brief inquiry was posted, but no action was taken.

“We got lucky. She had been training great and I was looking at this race after her last race in my mind and gave her a little time because she started coming from behind,” said winning trainer Wesley Ward. “I had Joel work her here a couple of times and she was just working phenomenal. I told the owners we were probably going to be running a 30-1 shot, but I wanted to take one shot from way back and do what she's been asking me to do, which is make a big charge and a big grind. We were hoping for a second or third–a graded placing–to see if the race fell apart, and here we are in the winner's circle. She's come a long ways. I just think that I had to kind of learn to listen to her to where she wanted to go easy the first part and come on late. This will be her running style from now on.”

“They went fast in front and she came with a run. That was an amazing race,” added Rosario. “It looked like they came out a little bit and I ran into them a little bit [in the deep stretch bumping incident], but it looked like they were coming more from the inside. My horse was kind of on the wrong lead at that point and I was correcting her trying to keep her straight. She did great.”

As for the beaten favorite, both trainer Brad Cox and jockey Flavien Prat said Matareya didn't handle the track, sealed after mid-day rain.

“My first thought was I didn't think she was traveling that well down the backstretch,” Cox said. “Flavien thought the same, she wasn't really taking them up there. I thought he did a good thing at the three-eighths pole by dropping her down to the inside. It's probably a sign of her just not getting a hold of the track. No excuse really. I think she's a very good filly. Obviously she showed up on maybe not a favorable surface for her, and she still ran a good race.”

“[The rain] changed the track and she never felt comfortable or happy on it,” Prat concurred. “She broke well and after that she spit the bit right away and I never got myself into a nice rhythm and she was just struggling.”

Pedigree Notes:

With the victory, Chi Town Lady becomes the seventh graded stakes winner and first Stateside top-level winner for 2013 GI Haskell Invitational S. and GI Wood Memorial S. hero Verrazano. Sold from Coolmore to Brazil's Haras Old Friends in 2019, Verrazano was represented by two Group 1 winners in Chile last year. Chi Town Lady is the first black-type performer from four foals to race thus far out of Toni's Hollyday, whose 2-year-old son Quincy Cafe (Mendelssohn) earned his diploma last Sunday at Laurel. Toni's Hollyday also has a yearling Liam's Map colt and foaled a filly by Game Winner this term before being bred to Not This Time.

Saturday, Saratoga
LONGINES TEST S.-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 8-6, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.87, gd.
1–CHI TOWN LADY, 118, f, 3, by Verrazano
                1st Dam: Toni's Hollyday (SP, $119,047), by Harlan's Holiday
                2nd Dam: May Day Vow, by Broken Vow
                3rd Dam: May Day Bluff, by Pine Bluff
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Castleton Lyons; B-Castleton Lyons, Kilboy Estate & Gavin Tierney (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Joel Rosario. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-1-0, $417,800. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Hot Peppers, 120, f, 3, by Khozan
                1st Dam: Friends Pro, by Friends Lake
                2nd Dam: Mama's Pro, by Proper Reality
                3rd Dam: Mama Cielo, by Conquistador Cielo
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($40,000 Ylg '20 OBSOCT; $16,000 2yo '21 OBSOPN). O-Michael Dubb and Michael J. Caruso; B-Brent & Crystal Fernung (FL); T-Rudy R. Rodriguez. $100,000.
3–Matareya, 124, f, 3, by Pioneerof the Nile
                1st Dam: Innovative Idea (GSW, $229,343), by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Golden Velvet, by Seeking the Gold
                3rd Dam: Caress, by Storm Cat
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $60,000.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 9 3/4. Odds: 17.00, 6.40, 0.30.
Also Ran: Sterling Silver, Wish You Well, November Rein, Elm Drive.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Test Winner Bella Sofia Headlines Sunday’s Gallant Bloom Handicap

Following a breakthrough triumph against her sophomore counterparts in the Grade 1 Longines Test at Saratoga Race Course, Bella Sofia will face older fillies and mares at stakes level for the first time in Sunday's 27th running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap at 6 ½ furlongs over the Belmont Park main track.

Bella Sofia, a Rudy Rodriguez-trained daughter of Awesome Patriot, has won 3-of-4 lifetime starts by a combined 22 lengths and registered a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for her triumph in the seven-furlong Longines Test on Aug. 7.

The dark bay or brown filly displayed stalking tactics down the backstretch in the Test, establishing command in upper stretch and drawing off to a decisive 4 ¼-length conquest against four graded stakes winners.

Bella Sofia broke her maiden at first asking against older company, winning by 11 ¼-lengths going six furlongs on May 6 at Belmont Park. She won a first-level allowance against elders at the same distance and track on July 11 by 6 ½ lengths. Her lone defeat was a runner-up effort in the June 6 Jersey Girl over Big Sandy.

Rodriguez said he considered two-turn options out of town for Bella Sofia, but decided the Gallant Bloom was the best spot given the distance and the homefield advantage.

“This was the best race for her coming up,” Rodriguez said. “We could have run her in the Cotillion or gone to the Spinster, but it made more sense for us to run her here at home. We know she likes Belmont. She's been here all along. We're just happy she's coming into the race in good shape.”

Bella Sofia is owned by Michael Imperio, Vincent Scuderi [the owner of 2016 Gallant Bloom winner Paulassilverlining], Sofia Soares, Gabrielle Farm, Mazel Stable Partners and Matthew Mercutio.

“The Test was a huge, huge win for us, because we don't have these kinds of horses in the barn,” Rodriguez said. “To win a Grade 1 at Saratoga, especially a prestigious race like the Test, everything was amazing. We're still dreaming.”

Rodriguez said Bella Sofia is not as enthusiastic during morning training as she is on race day in the afternoon.

“We've been very, very lucky with her,” Rodriguez said. “She just destroyed the field in her first race. She doesn't put much into her training in the mornings, but in the afternoon she's a completely different horse. We just have to keep her happy, stay out of her way and let her do all the talking. She's still young so there's still plenty of growing ahead of her.”

Luis Saez, the leading rider at Saratoga this summer, will return to the irons from post 1. Bella Sofia will carry 119 pounds.

Coming off a triumph against fellow Pennsylvania-breds is Don't Call Me Mary, a winner of three of her last four starts, including a last-out win in the Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial on August 23 over a sloppy and sealed track at Parx.

Owned by Stuart Grant's The Elkstone Group and trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old El Padrino chestnut made her lone start at Belmont a winning one, defeating a second-level allowance optional claiming event at the Gallant Bloom distance by 4 ½ lengths over next-out stakes winner Truth Hurts.

In her recent stakes coup, Don't Call Me Mary handed ultra-consistent Chub Wagon, a five-time stakes-winner, her only loss in ten starts.

“She beat a good filly who was undefeated and came back and won an open company stake after that, so I thought it was a good race,” said Pletcher, who saddled Harmony Lodge to victory in the 2003 Gallant Bloom.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez, a five-time winner of the Gallant Bloom, will ride Don't Call Me Mary [118 pounds] from post 5.

Godolphin's Lake Avenue seeks her first graded stakes victory since capturing the Grade 2 Demoiselle in December 2019 for Hall of Famer Bill Mott, a two-time winning trainer of the Gallant Bloom.

The regally-bred Tapit chestnut, out of two-time Grade 1 winner Seventh Street, was a last out second to Gamine in the Grade 1 Ketel One Ballerina, where she finished 1 ¾ lengths behind the defending Champion Female Sprinter.

Winless in five starts during her sophomore season, Lake Avenue recaptured her winning form in her 2021 bow going a one-turn mile against optional claimers at Gulfstream Park en route to a stakes score in the Heavenly Prize Invitational on April 3 at Aqueduct. She added black type later in the year with two second-place finishes in the Grade 3 Bed o' Roses at Belmont and Grade 2 Honorable Miss at Saratoga.

Lake Avenue, carrying a field-high 121 pounds, will exit post 4 under Jose Ortiz.

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations won last year's Gallant Bloom with Frank's Rockette and will look to double up with Lady Rocket, a 4-year-old Tale of the Cat filly. Trained by Brad Cox, the four-time winner from eight starts took the Pink Ribbon on August 27 at Charles Town in wire-to-wire fashion in her most recent start.

A winner over four different tracks, Lady Rocket defeated second-level allowance optional claiming company at Churchill Downs prior to her last out win. She made her career debut a winning one travelling 6 ½ furlongs in August 2020 at Saratoga en route to a next-out score against winners in October at Keeneland.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will pilot Lady Rocket [118 pounds] from post 2.

Saul Kupferberg's veteran mare Honor Way, second in last year's Gallant Bloom, rounds out the field as she seeks to make amends following two fifth-place finishes at stakes level for trainer Charlton Baker.

The 7-year-old daughter of Caleb's Posse racked up two stakes victories on the NYRA circuit following last year's Gallant Bloom, including a 4 ½-length win in the seven-furlong Pumpkin Pie on November 1 at Belmont, and a 1 1/2-length score in the six-furlong Garland of Roses on December 6 at Aqueduct.

Through a record of 44-13-8-8, Honor Way boasts a field-best $717,692 in lifetime earnings.

Honor Way [118 pounds] will break from post 3 under Jorge Vargas, Jr.

The Gallant Bloom is named in honor of King Ranch's multiple champion filly, who won 12 straight races, including an unbeaten season in seven starts in 1969 when she was named Champion 3-Year-Old Filly over that year's Triple Tiara winner Shuvee. Trained by the late Hall of Famer Max Hirsch, Gallant Bloom was named 1968 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly with victories in the Matron and Gardenia, and put together an illustrious sophomore campaign, capturing the Gazelle, Delaware Oaks, Monmouth Oaks, and Spinster. She was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1977.

The Gallant Bloom is slated as Race 9 on Sunday's 10-race card, which also features the $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard for New York-bred juveniles travelling seven furlongs over the main track in Race 4. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Indiana Trainers Express Concern About Testing In The Wake Of Earlier Post Times

Several trainers with horses entered at Indiana Grand on Wednesday and Thursday are concerned that the track's decision to move up post times, from 2:25 p.m. to 10:00 a.m., could cause their horses to test above the state's threshold for therapeutic medications.

Indiana Grand management officially announced the time change on Monday, due to projected high temperatures. By that point, however, trainers had already treated their horses with legal medications on Sunday, 72 hours out from the original post time for Wednesday's races.

That 4 1/2-hour difference in post times could prove to be significant in post-race testing — especially, trainers argued, considering the extremely small amounts at which the lab is able to test for therapeutic medications.

Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing at Indiana Grand, said that while he understood the trainers' concerns, there would be no special dispensation from the commission, and that the allowable thresholds for those medications would remain at their present levels. If trainers did not believe their horses would pass post-race testing, or were concerned, Halstrom indicated that there would be no penalty for scratching.

In this heat, for the last couple of weeks, the stewards have been letting anybody out because of the heat,” Halstrom said. “I'm more than supportive of them scratching, if that's what they feel they need to do.”

Indiana Grand does have lights on the dirt course, but not on the turf, and a pair of state-bred turf stakes races scheduled for Wednesday's card would have to have been moved had the track chosen to push the post times back, instead of moving them up.

“Those people have been paying into those races, and they deserve the right to run in them as scheduled,” said Halstrom. “Essentially what it came down to, we were either going to have to cancel, or we were going to do this.”

Wednesday's card saw a total of 18 scratches from 101 entries. Four of those were main-track-only entrants, and two were from the also-eligible list. The average field size was 9.18 starters before scratches; after scratches, average field size decreased to 7.54 starters, a difference of 17.9 percent.

By way of comparison, Monday's card, which was held at the regularly-scheduled post time of 2:25 p.m., saw eight scratches, including two also-eligibles. The average field size was 8.2 starters before scratches; after scratches, average field size decreased to 7.4 starters, a difference of 9.8 percent.

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