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‘Rising Star’ Makes the Grade in Appalachian

Just a nose short of getting her first graded win in the Mar. 6 GIII Florida Oaks, Jouster offered no anxious moments this time, rolling home a comfortable winner in Saturday's GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland.

Signaling her readiness with a sharp four-furlong move in :48.46 at Palm Beach Downs Mar. 27, the 8-5 favorite went straight to the front as her partner, Luis Saez, lulled the field to sleep through initial splits of :24.82 and :49.87. With plenty in reserve kicking for home, the Starlight Racing runner built a comfortable cushion and was kept to task late, crossing the wire a geared-down 3/4-length winner over European transplant Gift List (GB) with Plum Ali third.

“She was so professional today, she broke from there so sharp,” said Saez, who was recording his third win of the afternoon. “We just tried to relax and she did it so perfect. She came into the stretch and I had so much horse, so I was just letting her be happy and we came to the end she just took off. She's good.”

Runner up in her career debut sprinting six furlongs in the Saratoga slop last August, Jouster finished fifth next time stretching to a mile at Belmont in September. Off for the remainder of the season, she kicked off the year in style, scoring by 8 3/4 lengths over the Gulfstream turf Jan. 10 and earning TDN Rising Star status in the process. She came back to make it two straight at the Hallandale oval with another confident victory Feb. 7.

Pedigree Notes:

Jouster's win in Keeneland's Appalachian makes her the third graded/group winner for her sire Noble Mission (GB), a full-brother to champion and leading sire Frankel (GB). Purchased by Starlight for $360,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale, the filly is out of Playtime, a daughter of champion 2-year-old filly Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat) and granddaughter of multiple Grade I winner My Flag (Easy Goer). A half-sister to multiple graded placed Revved Up (Candy Ride {Arg}), the 9-year-old mare produced her latest live foal, a filly by West Coast, last season. This represents the family of the undefeated Champion Older Mare Personal Ensign (Private Account).

Saturday, Keeneland
APPALACHIAN S. PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION-GII, $200,000, Keeneland, 4-3, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.83, gd.
1–JOUSTER, 118, f, 3, by Noble Mission (GB)
                1st Dam: Playtime, by Street Cry (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Storm Flag Flying, by Storm Cat
                3rd Dam: My Flag, by Easy Goer
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN. ($360,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-Starlight Racing; B-St. Elias
Stables, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Luis Saez. $120,000.
Lifetime Record: 6-3-2-0, $214,920. Werk Nick Rating: A.
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Gift List (GB), 118, f, 3, Bated Breath (GB)–Birthstone (GB),
by Machiavellian. (23,000gns Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-Amerman
Racing LLC; B-James Ortega Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Brian A.
Lynch. $40,000.
3–Plum Ali, 120, f, 3, First Samurai–Skipping, by Stroll. ($65,000
Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC &
Bethlehem Stables LLC; B-Stone Farm (KY); T-Christophe
Clement. $20,000.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 3HF. Odds: 1.70, 8.30, 2.30.
Also Ran: Saranya, Flown, Spanish Loveaffair.
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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Mischevious Alex Dominates In the Carter

Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief) took his 2021 record to a perfect three-for-three and scored a career high Saturday in Aqueduct's GI Carter H. Breaking sharply alongside the fleet-footed Chateau (Flat Out), the 4-5 chalk allowed his foe to dictate terms, sitting two lengths back in second as Chateau clocked a :23.09 first quarter and :45.89 half-mile. Chateau turned for home in front, but Mischevious Alex was just winding up. The bay inhaled the pacesetter by mid-stretch and rolled clear with ease under a hand ride from Irad Ortiz to win by 5 1/2 lengths. Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) got up for second and Souper Stonehenge (Speightstown) was third with Chateau fading to be fourth out of five. It was the second graded win on the card for both Ortiz and trainer Saffie Joseph.

“I was a little concerned early in the race,” Joseph said. “He was a little far back and I know the track has been heavy and I didn't know if he could make up that much ground. Obviously, he was giving Irad some feel and he rode him with a ton of confidence. He ran well, but I didn't expect him to win a Grade I as easy as he did. I have a lot of respect for the competition.”

As for what's next, Joseph said, “[Part-owner] Chuck [Zacney] has always wanted to go to the [GI] Met Mile because we want to make him [Mischevious Alex] a stallion. Winning a Grade I today takes a lot of pressure off. In my opinion, he wants to sprint six or seven furlongs. Can he get a mile? Yes, against the right company. But it all depends on who shows up. The Met Mile is definitely under consideration and then the two Grade Is at Saratoga [Forego and Vanderbilt]. Hopefully, he comes out of it good and then we'll make a game plan.”

“He came to Saffie's barn in December and he took it from there,” Zacney said. “This was always our goal. We felt this horse deserved a Grade I. That's what we were shooting for, and now he has it.”

Romping by seven lengths in Gulfstream's GIII Swale S. in February of last year, Mischevious Alex followed suit with a facile score in Aqueduct's GIII Gotham S. a month later. With COVID-19 halting racing in much of the country, he did not make his next start until June 20, finishing fourth in Belmont's GI Woody Stephens S. Sixth next out in the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. at Saratoga Aug. 1, the $75,000 KEESEP buy was subsequently shelved for the season and transferred from John Servis to Joseph in the interim. Kicking off 2021 with a decisive optional claimer score at Gulfstream Jan. 10, Mischevious Alex captured the GIII Gulfstream Park Sprint S. last time Feb. 13.

Pedigree Notes:

Mischevious Alex is the ninth Grade I winner by leading sire Into Mischief and is also one of 39 graded winners and 92 black-type scorers by the red-hot stallion. He is also the fourth Grade I winner out of a daughter of Speightstown and one of 11 graded winners and 30 black-type victors out of mares by that WinStar stalwart. The winner is bred on the same Into Mischief/Speightstown cross as MGISW Mia Mischief and MGSW & MGISP Engage. His dam White Pants Night is a half-sister to GSW Hebbronville (Majesticperfection); MSW & GSP Master of Disaster (Dance Master) and SW A Day For Dancing (Dance Master). Mischevious Alex was her second foal and she has since produced the 3-year-old gelding Great Gasby (Tiznow); a juvenile colt by Outwork; and a yearling colt by Wicked Strong. White Pants Night was bred back to Audible last season.

Saturday, Aqueduct
CARTER H.-GI, $291,000, Aqueduct, 4-3, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:23.97, ft.
1–MISCHEVIOUS ALEX, 123, c, 4, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: White Pants Night, by Speightstown
                2nd Dam: More d'Amour, by Tour d'Or
                3rd Dam: Love Connection, by Master Derby
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($75,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $140,000 RNA
2yo '19 OBSAPR). O-Cash is King LLC and LC Racing; B-WinStar
Farm, LLC (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $165,000.
Lifetime Record: 12-7-1-1, $614,730. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mind Control, 123, h, 5, Stay Thirsty–Feel That Fire, by
Lightnin N Thunder. O-Red Oak Stable (Brunetti) & Madaket
Stables, LLC; B-Red Oak Stable (KY); T-Gregory D. Sacco.
$60,000.
3–Souper Stonehenge, 118, g, 5, Speightstown–
Onepointhreekarats, by Medaglia d'Oro. O-Live Oak
Plantation; B-Live Oak Stud (FL); T-Mark E. Casse. $36,000.
Margins: 5HF, 1, HD. Odds: 0.85, 2.60, 18.00.
Also Ran: Chateau, Shoplifted. 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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Classic Bound Sophs Highlight Saturday Worktab

On a brisk spring morning, Juddmonte Farm's Mandaloun (Into Mischief) began his serious preparation toward the GI Kentucky Derby with a half-mile breeze in :49.80 under jockey Florent Geroux Saturday. The GII Risen Star S. winner worked outside of stakes winner Australasia through a moderate :25.40 opening quarter-mile fraction. The duo galloped out together through five furlongs in 1:02.60 and completed the work with a six-furlong time of 1:16.40, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols. Trained by Brad Cox, Mandaloun was the 6-5 favorite in the Mar. 20 GII Louisiana Derby, but finished a disappointing sixth.

“There really wasn't an excuse in the Louisiana Derby,” Cox said. “I hate to use the cliché of drawing a line through the race, but that is what we are doing. At the half-mile pole, he really didn't continue to put himself into the race and was out of gas. We had high hopes, obviously, that he would run better in that race. We talked it over with the folks from Juddmonte and if he continues to train well, we are going to pursue the Derby.”

Moments before Mandaloun's work, Cox's top GI Longines Kentucky Oaks contender Travel Column (Frosted) breezed a half-mile in :48.60. She began the work with a :24.60 quarter-mile time and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.

Other stars that recorded works Saturday morning at Churchill Downs included 2020 GI Preakness S. winner Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who worked a half-mile in :48 under jockey Robby Albarado and undefeated GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf hero Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire)), who worked a half-mile in :48.60 under Geroux.

On the West Coast, Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) worked four furlongs Saturday morning in :49.40 under Flavien Prat, while Derby-bound GII Rebel S. winner Concert Tour (Street Sense) went six furlongs in a bullet 1:12.80 for Bob Baffert.

“He went the last eighth in :11 and change,” trainer Doug O'Neill said of Hot Rod Charlie. “I'm very happy.”

Of the 145 recorded workouts, including 25 on the training track, 21 were for runners conditioned by O'Neill. Baffert also sent Rebel runner-up Hozier (Pioneerof the Nile) four furlongs in a bullet :46.60 as the colt prepares for next Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby. It was the fastest of 67 drills at the distance and almost three seconds quicker than the average time of :49.26

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Bankruptcy Judge Grants Extra Time to Probe Zayat’s Finances

The federal judge overseeing Ahmed Zayat's Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition has ordered that the trustee in the case will now have through Apr. 30 to pore over financial documentation to make sure the allegedly insolvent owner and breeder of Triple Crown champ American Pharoah isn't hiding assets.

In a court order dated Mar. 31 that was filed Apr. 2 in United States Bankruptcy Court (District of New Jersey), Judge Vincent Papalia wrote that “the Trustee's time to file a complaint objecting to the Debtor's discharge is further extended…”

In the same order, the judge also denied a cross-motion that Zayat had filed Mar. 16 asking the court to put a stop to the discovery process, which is now nearing the seven-month mark since Zayat filed for bankruptcy protection.

According to documentation that Zayat filed back in September, he allegedly has $19 million in debt but only $314.22 in assets.

MGG Investment Group, LP, the lender who is separately suing Zayat and his family members for allegedly obtaining a $24-million loan by fraud and then not repaying it, told the court Mar. 23 that the trustee's probe must be allowed to go forward with the extra time granted because Zayat's attempt to put an end to the discovery process “does nothing more than establish that Ahmed Zayat is a perpetual liar determined to hinder and obstruct the Trustee, the Court and creditors at every turn.”

MGG has previously asserted that loans it made in 2016 to Zayat's racing and bloodstock business were the product of years of systematic fraud that Zayat allegedly orchestrated, including Zayat Stables' desperate selling-off of equine assets that had been pledged to MGG as collateral.

Because MGG is seeking to recover that money, it does not want Zayat's debts to be declared legally forgiven under the Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection he is seeking.

MGG has specifically alleged that the trustee needs to examine bank accounts in the names of Zayat's wife (Joanne Zayat) and son (Justin Zayat) because “they appear to have been used as conduits through which Sherif El Zayat, the Debtor's brother, loaned money to Ahmed Zayat.”

Ahmed Zayat's Mar. 16 cross-motion included a letter from his attorney, Jay Lubetkin, who wrote that the trustee's request for the banking documents of family members didn't “have any apparent relevance to the Trustee's decision whether to file an objection to discharge complaint.”

Lubetkin also wrote that “The Debtor has been extremely cooperative with the Trustee [and has] provided to the Trustee significant documentation respecting his financial affairs….”

The primary role of a trustee in bankruptcy cases is to ensure that a debtor who files for federal bankruptcy protection is not hiding assets that could instead be used to pay creditors. An objection can be filed to the proceedings if a trustee believes aspects of the filing are not on the up-and-up. A judge can either dismiss a case on his own or by acting on a trustee's objection. A judge can also deny the discharge of a particular debt.

If alleged fraud is uncovered in a bankruptcy filing, the Federal Bureau of Investigation can investigate, and the U.S. Department of Justice can prosecute if it believes a crime has been committed.

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