Into Mischief
Call it the year of authentication. After sealing his giddy rise with a first sires' championship last year, Into Mischief has retained his title in 2020 with spectacular ease. Indeed, while several of his predecessors have required a single outstanding earner to elevate them above their rivals, this most remarkable of stallions would have secured the laurels even without the $7.17 million banked by a son on the point of formal anointment as Horse of the Year. As it is, we can instead treat his latest champion, Authentic, as immediate...
Prate (Into Mischief) was quoted at 6-1 on the morning-line ahead of this debut, but was hammered down to even-money favoritism by post time and ran to the money with a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy graduation. Away alertly from the nine-hole, the Juddmonte homebred saved ground in a joint third, keeping a close eye on the leaders through a swift first quarter in :21.26. Tipped out two wide as the half went in :44.92, the gray split foes exiting the bend and charged clear with powerful strides in mid-stretch to win...
5th-Aqueduct, $80,000, Msw, 12-19, 2yo, 6f, 1:13.58, ft, 5 1/4 lengths. BY GEORGE (c, 2, Into Mischief--Phoenician Moon {SW}, by Malibu Moon), given a 5-1 chance in this debut run for a barn firing on all cylinders with its firsters, was hustled out from his rail draw and maintained a narrow advantage through a :23.23 opening quarter and :47.64 half-mile. The $190,000 KEESEP yearling purchase took no prisoners from there and bounded clear impressively in the lane to don cap and gown by 5 1/4 lengths over Too Boss (El...
7th-Fair Grounds, $47,000, Msw, 12-18, 2yo, f, 1m 70y, 1:44.37, ft, 5 1/4 lengths. DIVINE COMEDY (f, 2, Into Mischief--Via Strata, by Street Cry {Ire}) could only manage sixth in her 6 1/2-panel unveiling at Churchill Downs Sept. 17 and received Lasix for this first try at two turns. Going straight to the front, the 3-1 shot walked the dog through a half-mile in :48.40 and continued unchallenged into the lane, cruising clear to a 5 1/2-length success. Wicked Bisou (Wicked Strong), the half-sister to champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute),...
GEORGE ADAMS, Housatonic Bloodstock Instagrand (Into Mischief), $7,500, Taylor Made Of the first-years, Instagrand is a really interesting horse and priced competitively at $7,500 at Taylor Made. If he'd retired after his first two starts, folks would have knocked him on soundness but they'd have bred to him because of that brilliance and the Into Mischief factor, and his fee would've been higher. Nothing he did after that changes anything about his juvenile campaign, and physically he's a beast. Plus, Into Mischief has only gotten hotter. I think the commercial...
Sent off at odds of 16-1 as the lesser-fancied of a pair from trainer Todd Pletcher in Saturday's GII Ft. Lauderdale S., Largent (Into Mischief) settled in the latter half of the field and took advantage of a fast pace up ahead of him to cause the upset and likely earn a spot in the field for the $1-million GI Pegasus World Cup Turf next month. Largent landed behind midfield as Halladay (War Front) set a searching pace in advance of the fleet-footed Factor This (The Factor) with the equally...
As we approach the end of the calendar, we turn our attention to the incoming sire class of 2021. We asked several judges who their favorite incoming sire is for next year and if there are any other stallions, new or otherwise, that have caught their eye as under-the-radar picks. ANDREW CARY, Cary Bloodstock McKinzie (Street Sense), $30,000, Gainesway This is a very strong group of incoming freshman sires and it's very hard to just pick one, but I am a huge fan of McKinzie. I think had he retired...
As we approach the end of the calendar, we turn our attention to the incoming sire class of 2021. We asked several judges who their favorite incoming sire is for next year and if there are any other stallions, new or otherwise, that have caught their eye as under-the-radar picks. JUSTIN CASSE Authentic (Into Mischief), $75,000, Spendthrift Farm The easy answer to this is Authentic, based on the obvious. His connections, his accomplishments in the summer and fall, as well as his sire. He's the leader of the pack in...
As we approach the end of the calendar, we turn our attention to the incoming sire class of 2021. We asked several judges who their favorite incoming sire is for next year and if there are any other stallions, new or otherwise, that have caught their eye as under-the-radar picks. AIDAN O'MEARA, Stonehaven Steadings Authentic (Into Mischief), $75,000, Spendthrift Farm The horse we're most excited about this year is a bit of an obvious one, but it has to be Authentic. His sire has developed into the preeminent sire of...
Two-year-old sensation and 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) will likely make his next start in the GIII Sham S. on Jan. 2 at Santa Anita, reports trainer Bob Baffert. The one-mile event carries a purse of $100,000. "If all is going well, it looks like the Sham will be his next race," Baffert said. "It will give me a chance to stretch him out. Then I will decide on what's next and look at races like the Rebel at Oaklawn." Owned by WinStar Farm and the China...
Juddmonte homebred Mandaloun (c, 2, Into Mischief--Brooch, by Empire Maker) overcame an eventful trip to graduate at first asking at Keeneland Oct. 24, good for 'TDN Rising Star' honors, and stayed perfect in an optional claimer at Churchill Downs Saturday. The even-money favorite kept the early leaders within his scope from his outside draw from fourth. The handsome bay was under a ride on the far turn, began to respond with a three-wide move, and kept on coming in the stretch to reel in Twilight Blue (Air Force Blue) and...
Rowayton (Into Mischief--Rosemonde, by Indian Charlie), who placed behind champion Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI Del Mar Futurity and GI American Pharoah S., will enter stud in 2021 at Glenn and Becky Brok's Diamond B Farm in Mohrsville, PA. He will stand for $5,000. A $320,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate, Rowayton broke his maiden at first asking at Del Mar and was third to Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) in the GIII Dwyer S. last season. The bay was beaten a neck into fourth in the GI...