By Joe Bianca
Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Mia Mischief (Into Mischief), a Grade I winner earlier this year, will look to bounce back from a pair of poor Saratoga efforts as a likely favorite in Saturday's GII Thoroughbred Club of America S. at Keeneland, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
Capturing the GI Humana Distaff S. May 4 at Churchill, the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream buy repeated in the Roxelana S. there June 22, edging out subsequent GI Longines Test S. heroine and likely F&M Sprint favorite Covfefe (Into Mischief). Backed down to 6-5 off of those efforts in the GII Honorable Miss H. July 24 at the Spa, Mia Mischief retreated to finish fourth, and then was last of five in the GI Ketel One Ballerina S. there a month later. Not usually a quick worker, she may have signaled a return to top form when blowing out five furlongs in a bullet :59 2/5 (1/21) here Sept. 28.
A pair of California invaders loom large, particulary Spiced Perfection (Smiling Tiger). Annexing the GI La Brea S. last winter for trainer Brian Koriner, she was subsequently privately purchased and transferred to Peter Miller's outfit. Running a close second in the GIII Barbara Fritchie S. Feb. 16 at Laurel, she conquered the GI Madison S. at this oval Apr. 6 before flattening out to be fourth behind Mia Mischief when last seen in the Humana. Bad Boy Racing's Danuska's My Girl (Shackleford) reeled off three Golden State Grade III scores this spring and summer and gets a stiffer class test here for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.
Lael Stables' Chalon (Dialed In) looks to break through locally after running second in the TCA the past two years to go with a runner-up finish in the GII Lexus Raven Run S. She also filled the exacta in last year's F&M Sprint and sports victories in the Skipat S. and Roamin Rachel S. this season.
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