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Into Mischief’s Gina Romantica Scores ‘Special’ Victory in QEII

Trainer Chad Brown and owner Peter Brant were represented by the 1-2 finishers in last week's GI First Lady S. at Keeneland, and were right back at it again in Lexington Saturday as Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) scored a breakthrough win in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. Presented by Dixiana. The $1,025,000 KEESEP yearling was the only runner in the race carrying Brant's silks, but Brown completed the exacta himself with Klaravich Stables, Inc.'s odds-on GISW McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}). It was a record fifth win for Brown in the race named for the U.K.'s recently departed monarch. California invader Bellabel (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) completed the trifecta.

Saturday, Keeneland
QUEEN ELIZABETH II CHALLENGE CUP S. PRESENTED BY DIXIANA-GI, $569,125, Keeneland, 10-15, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:48.20, fm.
1–GINA ROMANTICA, 121, f, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Special Me, by Unbridled's Song
                2nd Dam: Delta Danielle, by Lord Avie
                3rd Dam: Domasco Danielle, by Same Direction
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($1,025,000 Ylg
'20 KEESEP). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Machmer Hall, Carrie & Craig
Brogden (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $367,350.
Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-0, $553,540. *1/2 to Special Forces
(Candy Ride {Arg}), MGSW-Can, SP-USA, $452,001; Gift Box
(Twirling Candy), GISW, $1,127,060; Stonetastic
(Mizzen Mast), MGSW & GISP, $856,062. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–McKulick (GB), 121, f, 3, by Frankel (GB)
                1st Dam: Astrelle (Ire) (GSP-Eng), by Makfi (GB)
                2nd Dam: Miss Mariduff, by Hussonet
                3rd Dam: Sopran Mariduff (GB), by Persian Bold (Ire)
(180,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Essafinaat UK Ltd (GB); T-Chad C. Brown. $98,750.
3–Bellabel (Ire), 121, f, 3, by Belardo (Ire)
                1st Dam: Fashion Line (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Shadow Roll (Ire), by Mark of Esteem (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Warning Shadows (Ire), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
(€33,000 Ylg '20 TATFB). O-Agave Racing Stable, Benowitz
Family Trust, CYBT, Michael Nentwig & Ray Pagano; B-Fergus
Cousins (Ire); T-Philip D'Amato. $49,375.
Margins: 1 3/4, NK, HD. Odds: 4.53, 0.80, 3.33.
Also Ran: California Angel, She's Gone, Paris Peacock (Ire). Scratched: New Year's Eve.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Fastest from the blocks, Gina Romantica was taken back a bit by Flavien Prat to sit fourth in the field of six as last-out Irish Group 3 winner Paris Peacock (Ire) (Muharaar {GB}) had designs on making the lead. She snuck inside of McKulick and into the pocket down the backside, and remained in that spot through a half in :48.22 and six furlongs in 1:12.83. It briefly looked like Gina Romantica could run into traffic trouble as her stablemate took the overland route, but a seam opened behind the fading Paris Peacock and Bellabel in midstretch and Gina Romantica charged through it before pulling away decisively.

“She broke really well,” said Prat. “I actually was okay to make the lead, but the pace was fast so I got myself tucked in. She relaxed well and really kicked on well when it was time to make a move. [I knew it was time to make a move] once I got the gap [at the top of the stretch]. Turning for home I got a good gap and squeezed on in and she responded really well.”

A fast-finishing debut winner sprinting on the Tampa main track in March, Gina Romantica was a well-beaten sixth when wading into much tougher waters for this venue's GIII Beaumont S. a month later. She took a rained-off and sloppy first-level allowance in her first route try at Belmont in May, and remained on the dirt to be fourth in Saratoga's restricted Wilton S. July 14. The bay was a rare $30 turf winner for Brown when she upended the Riskaverse S. (also restricted) back at the Spa Aug. 25, and was most recently second at much shorter odds in BAQ's GIII Pebbles S. Sept. 18. The Brown barn sent out the top three that day–the winner was another Klaravich colorbearer, while the third finisher carried Brant greens.

“Getting her out there in distance a little more, and she has more experience on the turf,” said Brown when asked for the reasons behind Gina Romantica's incremental improvement. “She caught a clean break and I thought Flavien rode a terrific race. She proved she can get the extra distance and step up with top-class fillies.”

He added, “I want to thank Liz Crow and her team for picking the horse out. She was born and raised locally, right here in Lexington at Machmer Hall, and she's a Keeneland [sales] graduate. We've had so many great horses that we bought here. [Of our] five Queen Elizabeth [wins], this is probably the most memorable, obviously, with the recent passing of The Queen. What an honor even to participate in the race, but to have such success in it–we're just really lucky to work with these horses.”

Pedigree Notes:

Special Me (Unbridled's Song), who now has four graded winners to her tally, including Gina Romantica and additional GISW and Lane's End's first-crop weanling sire Gift Box (Twirling Candy), has been a truly special mare for Carrie and Craig Brogden's Machmer Hall (see The Bargain of a Lifetime and a related video, by Christie DeBernardis). Special Me slipped what would have been a 2020 foal by Quality Road and her 2021 foal by Curlin died, but she has a Feb. 26 weanling colt by Into Mischief–a full-brother to Gina Romantica–and was bred back to Twirling Candy for a full-sibling to Gift Box. Almost unbelievably, Machmer Hall picked up Special Me for $6,000 at the 2009 Keeneland January sale. The price of her offspring has steadily increased with her success, with Gina Romantica being the most recent to sell, bringing $1.025 million as a Keeneland September yearling from BSW/Crow.

Over the years, the Brogdens have publically expressed their long affinity for Unbridled's Song mares and it's hard to argue with a record of 214 black-type winners out of his daughters. Gina Romantica is one of four stakes winners out of an Unbridled's Song mare by Into Mischief, while another three (including champion Covfefe) are by his sire. Into Mischief, who is on track for his fourth general championship in North America, has 115 Northern Hemisphere-foaled black-type winners, including 23 thus far in 2022. Among his 55 graded winners are additional 2022 GISWs Life Is Good and Wonder Wheel, both pointing to the Breeders' Cup.

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Skims Becomes Newest Graded Winner For Frankel in Sands Point

Skims (GB) (Frankel {GB}) took over on the GII Sands Point S. turn under Hall of Famer John Velazquez and kept finding from there to turn the tables on Vergara (Noble Mission {GB})–who beat her by a head last time in the Dueling Grounds Oaks–while giving her superstar sire yet another graded winner. Victorious in her first two turf routes, the Andrew Rosen homebred was subsequently third in the GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland in April and again in Belmont's GII Wonder Again S. over yielding sod June 9. Fifth in the GIII Lake George S. at the Spa July 22, she disappointed as the favorite when seventh in that venue's restricted Riskaverse S. Aug. 25, but bounced back last time to be second when stretched to 1 5/16 miles at Kentucky Downs.

Away well from the rail, Skims tugged her way forward to sit just behind the leading duo and outside of familiar foe Vergara. She continued to apply pressure to the top two after an easy half in :50.90, and took over midway on the bend as frontrunner Hail To (Kitten's Joy) dropped anchor and backed up into Vergara. Skims was a couple lengths clear as she pointed for home and she comfortably fended off Vergara from there. Favored Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine, could only manage fourth from the back of the pack.

“She had really trained well since her last race,” said winning Hall of Fame conditioner Shug McGaughey, who was celebrating his second Sands Point win. “We were kind of in between this one and the [GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup] at Keeneland. [Owner/breeder] Andrew [Rosen] thought this race might be the right spot and when he said that I felt the same way. We figured it could come up a little more to our liking and all she had to do was ship down the road.”

He added, “I said from the inside, I thought if [Velazquez] broke well, then maybe he would be on the lead. He felt those two horses would go and he said he just wanted to reverse from what beat her at Kentucky Downs. He said he held her in there and then when he went, he said he had a lot of horse.”

McGaughey said the GI American Oaks Dec. 26 at Santa Anita could be a next target for Skims.

Rosen is an investor in the Kim Kardashian co-founded clothing and shapewear brand Skims.

“It's amazing. It's good to have a plan and have it come together and work out the way it did,” said Rosen, the retail and fashion executive best known for founding fashion label Theory.

“[Frankel] has really taken over, I think, as the best sire in the world. I was wondering when my Frankel was finally going to win a stake and it's exciting that it was today and I could be here.”

Saturday, Belmont
SANDS POINT S.-GII, $200,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-15, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:51.14, gd.
1–SKIMS (GB), 118, f, 3, by Frankel (GB)
          1st Dam: Royal Decree, by Street Cry (Ire)
          2nd Dam: Ticker Tape (GB), by Royal Applause (GB)
          3rd Dam: Argent Du Bois, by Silver Hawk
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($235,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). O/B-Andrew Rosen (GB); T-Claude R. McGaughey III; J-John R. Velazquez. $110,000. Lifetime Record: 9-3-1-2, $281,485. *1/2 to War Decree (War Front), GSW-Eng, GSW-Ire, $312,212. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Vergara, 118, f, 3, Noble Mission (GB)–Figure of Beauty, by Street Cry (Ire). ($130,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Gary Broad; B-Neil Jones (KY); T-H. Graham Motion. $40,000.
3–Eminent Victor, 118, f, 3, Mr. Z–Juliet Victor, by Unusual Heat. O-Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, LLC (Stuart Grant), Louis Lazzinnaro LLC and Michael J. Caruso; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $24,000.
Margins: 1, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 4.60, 3.65, 4.20.
Also Ran: Pizza Bianca, Spirit And Glory (Ire), Canisy, Hail To, Lady Baffled. Scratched: Baby Man, Golden Rocket.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

It's a rare weekend that doesn't have a group/graded winner by Frankel, who ranks among the elite sires in the world with his 103 black-type winners from a mere seven crops of racing age. Skims is the Banstead Manor Stud's 73rd group/graded winner worldwide and he's one of the truly special stallions who can boast Grade/Group 1 winners on four continents: Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America.

Skims is out of an unplaced Street Cry (Ire) mare, a $385,000 Keeneland November broodmare purchase by Hugo Merry Bloodstock in 2012. Now the dam of two GSWs, including War Decree (War Front) in England, Royal Decree is out of Ticker Tape (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}), whose GISWs included the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. in 2004. Ticker Tape traces to the spectacular mare Terlingua (Secretariat), her fourth dam, through that legend's GSW daughter Chapel of Dreams (Northern Dancer). English G1SW Crowded House (GB) (Rainbow Quest) and French G1SW Brando (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) are part of this family, but most significant is Terlingua's GISW and breed-shaping son, Storm Cat (Storm Bird).

Royal Decree had fillies the last two years: a now-yearling by Lope de Vega (Ire) and a foal by Kingman (GB). She is back in foal to Too Darn Hot (GB). Skims is the 120th black-type winner out of a Street Cry daughter, four of which have been by Frankel.

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Flightline Heads BC Breezers Saturday

Unbeaten sensation Flightline (Tapit) headed a bevy of Breeders' Cup workers across the country Saturday. The likely favorite for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic covered six furlongs at Santa Anita in 1:11.80 (1/3).

Flightline entered the main track via the quarter-mile chute with John Sadler assistant Juan Leyva aboard just prior to 6:35 a.m. Accompanied by a stable pony, he galloped under the wire and around the clubhouse turn and was set down approaching the five-furlong pole.

From there, he clicked off splits of :23.60, :35.40, :47.80 and :59.40 en route to the seven-furlong pole, where he stopped the clock for six furlongs in 1:11.80. Clocker Gary Young had the 'TDN Rising Star' galloping out seven furlongs in 1:24.80 and one mile in 1:38.60.

“Perfect,” said Sadler, who noted that Flightline will have his final Santa Anita work next Saturday, Oct. 22. “It was another routine work from him. He always works the same and we're not looking to do anything different from what we've been doing. As you saw, he went six [furlongs] in :12, out [seven-eighths] in :24 and a mile in :38 and three. Just a nice steady work pattern.”

He continued, “All's good. That's him, that's the way he works. He'll have one more here and then he goes to Keeneland after his next work. He'll have one work over there.”

Flightline is expected to ship to Lexington a week from Sunday, Oct. 23.

Among the many Breeders' Cup hopefuls who stretched their legs at Keeneland Saturday were:

  • Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), last seen taking a controversial renewal of the GII Lukas Classic S. at Churchill Oct. 1, had his first work back at Keeneland Saturday morning as he points for the Breeders' Cup Classic. The Doug O'Neill pupil was clocked in :49.40 (47/80) under Tyler Gaffalione, who was reunited with the $5.5-million earner last out for the first time since they finished second together in the 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at 94-1 over the same strip. “It was a good, relaxed work,” Gaffalione said. “He went well within himself. I'm very happy right now. He's in a great mindset.” The leading Kentucky-based rider added, “He's grown up a lot [since the Juvenile]. He's much bigger, much more powerful and much more mature. Right now, it seems like he's the complete package.”

  • Rich Strike (Keen Ice), the GI Kentucky Derby upsetter who came up a head short of Hot Rod Charlie in the Lukas despite leaning on his rival, also got back to work Saturday. The chestnut, who could go in the Classic or wait for the Nov. 25 GI Clark S. at his favorite track, Churchill Downs, covered a half-mile in Lexington Saturday in :47.60 (4/80) first thing in the morning. He galloped out five panels in 1:00 flat. “I didn't think that I'd get nervous for only a maintenance work,” trainer Eric Reed admitted. “I was hoping for :48 or :49, but he was doing it so easy and as long as he wasn't fighting him, I was good with that. He handled the track well and whatever decision we make, he'll be ready to run.” Of what will go into that next race call, Reed said, “The decision would be easier if the Breeders' Cup was at Churchill Downs and there wasn't a Flightline. And it is not only Flightline, but there is Life Is Good (Into Mischief) and Olympiad (Speightstown) and Epicenter (Not This Time).”
  • Leading conditioner Chad Brown sent out a number of Breeders' Cup-bound workers at Keeneland Saturday, including 'Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings, GI Sprint or GI Dirt Mile, 1:00 {1/67}); Search Results (Flatter, GI Distaff, 1:00.60 {5/67}); Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper, GI F/M Sprint, 1:00.60 {5/67}); and Blazing Sevens (Good Magic, GI Juvenile, :48.60, {21/80}). Jack Christopher's work came in company with fellow stakes-winning sophomore Artorius (Arrogate), who is expected to contest next Saturday's Perryville S. Last-out GI Champagne S. hero Blazing Sevens worked in company with GII Pilgrim S. runner-up and fellow 'Rising Star' I'm Very Busy (Cloud Computing), who is pointing for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. “Everything was smooth this morning,” Brown said. “All of the horses have settled in nicely.”

  • Unbeaten Iowa-bred Tyler's Tribe (Sharp Azteca) tested out turf for the first time on Saturday, working three furlongs on the Keeneland lawn in :39.80 (1/1) ahead of a likely start in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. The dark bay gelding has won his five starts, all at Prairie Meadows, by almost 60 lengths combined. Tyler Tribe's regular rider Kylee Jordan, who lost her bug earlier this season, was aboard for the work. “Kylee was comfortable with him out there,” trainer Tim Martin said. “I was a little concerned when he bobbled a bit, but he was trying to jump the cones [on the course that were set up near the outer rail]. Maybe he has a future as a jumper.” Martin said he was not at all concerned about the slow time: “He always works in :38 or :39. If he gets with another horse, he'll work a bullet. I know he is a fast horse and I know he can run.”

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‘Rising Star’ Strobe Returns with Style in Keeneland Allowance

8th-Keeneland, $110,000, Alw, 10-14, (NW2L), 3yo/up, 6f, 1:10.46, ft, 6 lengths.
STROBE (c, 3, Into Mischief–Flashing {MGISW, $633,226}, by A.P. Indy) hoisted his 'TDN Rising Star'-dom even higher for all to see with this monster return off the layoff after needing some more time to overcome minor issues. Sporting an eye-catching 99 Beyer for his unveiling May 7 on the Derby Day undercard–a race where he dominated a field which included eventual GSW Elite Power (Curlin), currently on a four-race win streak–the Godolphin homebred was hammered down to overwhelming 1-5 favoritism here and made it look like a gift. Breaking well and tugging his way to the lead early, he put up a :46.55 half and rolled into the lane well in-hand before producing a second wind when lightly asked to put distance on a chasing Classic Moment (Classic Empire) and won by a widening six lengths. A half to Floodlight (Medaglia d'Oro), SW & MGSP-Fr, $111,885, Strobe is the most recent winning edition for Flashing, whose 2020 Include foal was stillborn but had a 2022 weanling by Street Boss. She visited Liam's Map for 2023. This is the female family of Canadian Champion 3-year-old filly and 1990 Broodmare of the Year, Kamar. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $133,398. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.

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