Into Mischief

Recently crowned champion 3-year-old filly Pretty Mischievous (f, 4, Into Mischief--Pretty City Dancer, by Tapit), off since finishing a rallying second in the GI Cotillion S. over a sloppy, sealed track at Parx Sept. 23, has begun to gear up for her 2024 campaign. The Godolphin homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' is currently in training with Brendan Walsh at Palm Meadows in South Florida and could potentially return to action over Kentucky Derby weekend. "She went back to Brendan a couple of weeks ago," Godolphin USA Director of Bloodstock Michael...

2nd-GP, $89k, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 12:39p.m. ET RABDAH (Constitution), a half-sister to GSW-Eng Toro Strike (Toronado {Ire}), debuts here for Todd Pletcher and Al Shaqab Racing. Hailing from the immediate female line of Scarlet Tango (French Deputy), who tallies GISW Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song), herself dam of GSW Capensis (Tapit); GISW Visionaire (Grand Slam); and the dam of SP Ignitis (Nyquist), among others, Rabdah has been given an 8-1 morning line appraisal with jose Ortiz in the irons. To her outside is Segesta (Ghostzapper), a homebred for Juddmonte,...

Favored in the betting right up until the final bit of money poured into the pools, Track Phantom (Quality Road) took control of Saturday's GIII Lecomte S. at a chilly Fair Grounds Racecourse right from the opening bell and never looked like losing, leading past every pole to pick up 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Having earned 10 points for his victory in the local Gun Runner S. at the tail end of 2023, Track Phantom now sits atop the leaderboard with GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile...

4th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 1-14, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:10.81, ft, 1 1/2 lengths. ROSWELL (f, 3, Into Mischief--Acoma {GISW, $1,060,898}, by Empire Maker), receiving Lasix for this career debut, broke alertly and was shuffled back to the middle of the pack up the backstretch. Taking aim at the longshot pacemaker Far and Few (Omaha Beach) heading into the far turn, the 11-1 chance ranged up on the leader at the eighth pole while under an all-out drive and took control in the final jumps to get the win by 1 1/2...

Today we conclude our survey of Kentucky stallion options with a look at the apex of the pyramid, comprising a couple of dozen standing between $60,000 and $250,000--besides whatever it might take to secure your mare an audience with Justify. It feels presumptuous enough to offer counsel even on cheaper sires, when each mating should boil down to you finding an optimal fit for an individual mare that you know inside out. Still greater hesitation, then, must precede any attempt to discover "value" among this lot. No stallion has any...

6th-Gulfstream, $72,000, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 1-11, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.36, gd, 1 length. LESLIE'S ROSE (f, 3, Into Mischief--Wildwood Rose {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) earned 'TDN Rising Star' honors when she won by 9 1/4 lengths in her first start at Aqueduct Nov. 19. Through the ring as one of the top ten prices, the Keeneland September graduate made her 3-year-old debut with Lasix and was well-backed as the heavy 1-5 favorite here. The filly allowed Gun Song (Gun Runner) to take the lead from her up the backstretch....

6th-GP, $91k, AOC, 3yo, f, 7f, post time 2:39 p.m. ET LESLIE'S ROSE (Into Mischief) cost Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm $1.15 million at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale, and despite going off at a somewhat lukewarm 9-2 facing five others at Aqueduct Nov. 19, graduated by better than nine lengths over 6 1/2 furlongs en route to 'TDN Rising Star' honors. The St. Patrick's Day foal is out of a daughter of SW & MGSP Wildwood Flower (Langfuhr), the dam of GI Florida Derby-winning 'Rising Star' Materiality (Afleet...

Into Champagne (Into Mischief) debuted a 6 3/4-length winner last summer and achieved 'TDN Rising Star' status for her efforts when the Churchill Downs meet was forced to shift to Ellis Park. Returning to the worktab in early November after nearly a five-month break, the filly was well-backed as the 3-5 choice. Tracking Let Them Watch (Maximus Mischief) from the second flight along the rail, the 3-year-old bided her time under a firm hold into the far turn. With a half-mile of :45.91, at the quarter pole the bay uncorked...

7th-Gulfstream, $72,000, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 1-5, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.55, ft, neck. CHANGE OF COMMAND (c, 3, Into Mischief--Moi, by Medaglia d'Oro) made steady improvement over a trio of maiden attempts during the NYRA meets starting in late August--the last coming with a runner-up result at Aqueduct Nov. 4. Heading to Gulfstream, the bay found his stride to graduate by 6 1/2 lengths Dec. 17. Trying two turns for the first time, the 11-10 choice paced himself into the first turn just off of Cardinale (Speightstown). Shadowing the leader,...

6th-FG, $52K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 4:15 p.m. Starting the New Year off in Louisiana, WHO'S TICKET (Quality Road) is a daughter of champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi, a mare who has changed hands for sums of $6m, $3.2m and most recently in 2021 when Three Chimneys Farm went to $1.15m for her. Who's Ticket, herself a $450,000 weanling, is a half to SW Courvoisier (Tapit). Take Charge Brandi has seen her branch of the family tree grow more fruitful recently with the success of her half-brother, freshman sire...

By this stage, we can really talk about living in "the Into Mischief era." Not just because the Spendthrift phenomenon ends 2023 by sealing a fifth consecutive general sires' title, but also because he has become the definitive stallion of our times. In some respects, New Year's Day is a more literal turning point for our sport than other walks of life. For bureaucratic purposes, the weanlings of today become the short yearlings of tomorrow; and Into Mischief himself takes one step closer to veteran status, as he enters his...

1st-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 12:20 p.m. ET. Charles Matses homebred GATE SONG (Arrogate) makes her first start for trainer Ned Allard. Out of SW Shannanies Song, she counts as half-siblings GII Summertime Oaks runner-up Bellamentary (Bellamy Road), GII Swale S. hero Favorable Outcome (Flatter), Dubai Group 3 stakes winner Mouheeb (Flatter) and GIII Fantasy S. runner-up Beguine (Gun Runner). Also making her first start is Robert Evans homebred Reconcile (War Front) for trainer Linda Rice. The gray filly's dam is a half-sister to GIII Comely S. heroine Raging...