'TDN Rising Star' My Prankster put it all together Saturday to make the grade. A jaw-dropping, 10-length, 92 Beyer-earning debut graduate at Saratoga in August, the bay was a distant fourth behind impressive winner and fellow 'Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings) in Belmont's GI Champagne S. over a one-turn mile Oct. 2. He was a close second as the chalk in Keeneland's sloppy six-furlong Bowman Mill S. 28 days later, and was 1-9 when annexing an optional claimer going a furlong shorter here Dec. 10.
Off as the second choice behind Oaklawn invader In Dreams (Frosted), was away sluggishly from the rail and had to be hard ridden by Luis Saez to keep pace in second last early. He was guided out into clear down the backside and began to make some headway, but still seemed to be spinning his wheels somewhat as they entered the turn. My Prankster ground his way into third past a :44.87 half, and joined Dean Delivers to that one's outside as they tackled pacesetting In Dreams. The favorite checked out of it and Of a Revolution put in a bid up the fence, but My Prankster leveled off well down the center and had a bit more to give when it mattered.
“We were concerned about the '1' draw. It cost him a little position early and you could see when he was getting dirt in his face, he wasn't liking it. He was climbing the first eighth of a mile,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, whose excellent last weekend included a smashing victory in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. with fellow Into Mischief colt Life Is Good. “Luis was able to get him out in the clear. The key part of the race, in the middle of the turn, he put in a big run to catch up.”
Pletcher added, “Luis said he got there a little sooner than he wanted and he idled a little when he made the lead, but it was another professional effort. He's a nice horse.”
Saez said, “The [last] work was pretty good, pretty easy (:49 3/5, 3/22 at Palm Beach Downs Jan. 29). I felt like he was ready for this race. He always tries. He's an honest horse. I'm so glad to be part of the team.”
As for what may be next, Pletcher said, “We'll play it by ear. He gives me the impression that he's a one-turn horse, but we won't rule anything out yet.”
Saturday, Gulfstream Park
CLAIBORNE FARM SWALE S.-GIII, $100,000, Gulfstream, 2-5, 3yo, 7f, 1:23.13, ft.
1–MY PRANKSTER, 120, c, 3, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: My Wandy's Girl (Ch. 3yo Filly-PR, GSW &
GISP-US, MSW-PR, $638,710), by Flower Alley
2nd Dam: Unbridled Secret, by Unbridled's Song
3rd Dam: Storm Dust, by Easy Goer
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN. ($600,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-Lawana L & Robert E Low;
B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd A
Pletcher; J-Luis Saez. $61,380. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0,
$208,780. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Dean Delivers, 118, g, 3, Cajun Breeze–Slick and True, by Yes
It's True. 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE. O/B-Stonehedge LLC (FL);
T-Michael Yates. $19,800.
3–Of a Revolution, 120, c, 3, Maclean's Music–Hot Spell, by Salt
Lake. 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE. ($35,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP).
O-Bassett Stables, Madaket Stables LLC & Wonder Stables;
B-Nursery Place (KY); T-Saffie A Joseph Jr. $9,900.
Margins: HF, 2HF, 9 3/4. Odds: 1.00, 6.70, 4.30.
Also Ran: In Dreams, Graphic Detail, Mr. Bouma. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
Pedigree Notes:
My Prankster becomes the 47th graded winner and 107th stakes winner for the incomparable Into Mischief. He is the fourth graded winner and stakes winner for former Pletcher trainee Flower Alley, who is best known as the sire of GI Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another and is also responsible for the dams of Japanese champion and MG1SW Lucky Lilac (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and last year's GI Shoemaker Mile S. winner Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute).
The cross of Into Mischief over Flower Alley's sire Distorted Humor has been a particularly potent one, producing the likes of Life Is Good and MGISW and successful young sire Practical Joke.
Just a $15,000 OBSMAR graduate, My Prankster's dam My Wandy's Girl was dominant in Puerto Rico before joining the New York-based barn of Mike Hushion. Her signature Stateside win came in the 2014 GII Barbara Fritchie H. over the same seven-furlong distance. Stonestreet purchased her for $700,000 at KEENOV '14. My Wandy's Girl's now 2-year-old Curlin colt cost $850,000 from the SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, et al partnership nicknamed The Avengers. The mare aborted to Munnings in 2021 and was bred back to Tapit.
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