Giant Mischief Back With A Vengeance at Churchill

8th-Churchill Downs, $132,590, Alw (NW2X), Opt. Clm ($125,000), 9-20, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.15, ft, 2 3/4 lengths.
GIANT MISCHIEF (c, 3, Into Mischief–Vertical Oak {MGSW, $773,095}, by Giant Oak) made a triumphant return off a near seven-month absence, landing this stakes-quality sprint in sharp fashion. The 7-5 favorite was off fairly and was hustled along early, but did not quite have speed enough to head them off and settled on the heels of the leaders to the turn. Angled away from the inside and into the four path going ominously well at the five-sixteenths pole, the $475,000 Keeneland September grad swept to the lead with a furlong and a half to race and kicked home to score by an impressive 2 3/4 lengths over fellow comebacker Two Eagles River (Cloud Computing). A debut winner at Horseshoe Indianapolis this time last year, Giant Mischief outgamed future GI Woody Stephens S. hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify) in a seven-furlong allowance at Keeneland on Breeders' Cup Friday. A troubled-trip second as the 4-5 choice in the Dec. 17 Springboard Mile S. at Remington, the bay was a latest sixth in a sloppy-track renewal of the GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Feb. 25. The winner's dual graded stakes-winning dam was a acquired for $700,000 with this colt in utero at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale and is also the dam of a yearling Curlin filly and a weanling colt by Quality Road. Vertical Oak, a daughter of MSW Vertical Vision (Pollard's Vision), was covered by Into Mischief this season. Sales history: $475,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SP, 5-3-1-0, $285,320. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Spendthrift Farm LLC, Steve Landers Racing LLC, M Schwartz, M Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, J Bakke., Titletown Racing Stables, Kueber Racing, LLC, Big Easy Racing LLC, Winners Win, M Caruso & Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Brad H Cox.

#5 Giant Mischief wins off a 6-month layoff in R8 at Churchill Downs under @Tyler_Gaff for trainer @bradcoxracing and owners @spendthriftfarm and Steve Landers! 🌟

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/eGroVLMIKG

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) September 20, 2023