Wathnan Racing's newly minted 3-year-old Commandment (Into Mischief) ran to the billing as the 1-2 favorite with a dominating win in Saturday's Mucho Macho Man S. going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park.
Drawn on the fence, the $500,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase was fourth through opening fractions of :24.09 and :47.38. All dressed up with nowhere to go at the top of the stretch, Commandment bulled his way through in between horses beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. and leveled off beautifully from there to win going away by 6 3/4 lengths in 1:38.23. Longshot Roger That Dana (Awesome Slew) was second.
Commandment was highlighted in Steve Sherack's Second Chances series following a better-than-it looked fourth-place finish as the 5-2 favorite on debut in a live maiden special weight at Keeneland Oct. 4. He followed up with a visually impressive maiden win going seven furlongs at Churchill Downs Nov. 1.
“Big performance,” winning trainer Brad Cox said. “I started him off three-quarters and we thought that he would stretch out off his first run with the big gallop out in his race. We brought him along step by step–I guess furlong by furlong–and he's responded well.”
“He's not a great gate horse,” Cox continued. “He's good, but I just told Irad to let him break and kind of find his stride, get him in a comfortable rhythm, and he did. He was able to save ground, split horses, and finish up well.”
As for what's next, Cox added, “I really don't know. We'll talk it over with the (owners) and come up with a plan, but it will definitely be around two turns. We have to give him that shot. He acts like he's going to be able to do it. Irad seemed pretty confident after the race, so we'll see where we are.”
Commandment is out of Sippican Harbor (Orb), who carried winning breeder Lee Pokoik's kelly green-and-pink silks to a 16-1 upset victory in the 2018 GI Spinaway S. at Saratoga. Sippican Harbor, a half-sister to Japanese superstar Awesome Result (Justify), RNA'd for $1.45 million at the 2019 FTKNOV sale. Sippican Harbor had a colt by Curlin in 2024 and a filly by Elite Power in 2025. She was bred to McKinzie for 2026. Commandment is bred on the same Into Mischief x A.P. Indy cross as leading Horse of the Year candidate Sovereignty.
MUCHO MACHO MAN S., $157,500, Gulfstream, 1-3, 3yo, 1m, 1:38.23, ft.
1–COMMANDMENT, 118, c, 3, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Sippican Harbor (GISW, $262,650), by Orb
2nd Dam: Blossomed, by Deputy Minister
3rd Dam: Texas Cinema, by Mt. Livermore
($485,000 RNA Wlg '23 FTKNOV; $475,000 RNA Ylg '24
FTSAUG; $500,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN.
O-Wathnan Racing; B-Lee Pokoik (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Irad
Ortiz, Jr. $91,140. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $165,459.
2–Roger That Dana, 118, r, 3, Awesome Slew–Take Me to
Zuber, by Toccet. ($85,000 2yo '25 OBSOPN). O-Smith Ranch
Stables; B-Ocala Stud (FL); T-Luis M. Ramirez. $36,900.
3–Thunder Chuck, 118, g, 3, Good Magic–I'll Take the Cake, by
Nobiz Like Shobiz. ($160,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Lea Farms LLC;
B-Pavel Matejka & Good Magic Syndicate (KY); T-Jorge
Delgado. $14,700.
Margins: 6 3/4, 1 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 0.50, 23.90, 21.40.
Also Ran: Max Capacity, Epic Summer, Tripp's Promise, Cabourg. Scratched: Blame Yasself, Mr. Hooligan. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
WOW! 📜 COMMANDMENT ($3.00) won with conviction in the $175,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes at @GulfstreamPark. Another winner by @spendthriftfarm's Into Mischief! @bradcoxracing conditions the 3YO colt. @iradortiz coasted home on the son of G1 Spinaway winner Sippican Harbor. pic.twitter.com/GqQovRg3rn
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 3, 2026
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
