When it comes to making a race schedule for Mischief Magic, the connections of the 4-year-old colt have the luxury of being able to look everywhere for options that best suit the son of Exceed And Excel. Throughout his 14-race career, the Godolphin homebred has traveled to eight different tracks across the globe, from England to Dubai to Qatar to North America.
On May 4, Mischief Magic will add a ninth venue to his CV when he ventures onto the Churchill Downs course against a field of 13 others for the $600,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes (G2T) on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Though he has only made two prior starts in the United States, Mischief Magic has left a strong impression each time he has traveled across the ocean. The Charlie Appleby trainee captured the 2022 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) at Keeneland in his North American debut, making a memorable rally from last in the 12-horse field to get up by a length.
When he returned to the States for his most recent start in the Shakertown Stakes (G2T), also at Keeneland, he again uncorked his signature kick but came up a length short of Arzak in the 5 1/2-furlong test that day.
"He's come out of that race well, he's been training really nicely," said Chris Connet, assistant to Appleby. "We thought he ran a very strong race last time and unfortunately the gaps didn't kind of open for him like we hoped in the Shakertown. But he's a horse of real high quality. He's never going to be a horse who jumps and really runs early. But he sure finishes."
Mischief Magic scored his biggest win since his Breeders' Cup triumph when he took the Dubai Sprint at Meydan Racecourse by three-quarters of a length Feb. 2. That effort came over six furlongs, but the 5 1/2-furlong distance of the Turf Sprint may be better suited to giving the colt the pace he needs.
"He's pretty versatile," Connet said. "I think going from six to 5 1/2, they should be going nice and hard up front and hopefully we'll be running them down at the end. He's a very nice, compact type of animal. He's not overly big but he can sure run along quite quickly."
Mischief Magic will have Frankie Dettori in the irons in the Turf Sprint out of post 8 and brings a record of six wins from 14 starts with $811,802 in earnings. Connet added that should all go as expected this weekend, the colt will likely head to Saratoga Race Course with Appleby's string there.
Among those Mischief Magic will have to run by is the Phil D'Amato-trained Motorious, the 7-2 choice on the morning line. The Muhaarar gelding will be making his first start since finishing fifth as the favorite in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T).
Motorious has two prior graded wins to his credit, including a victory in the five-furlong Green Flash Handicap (G3T) at Del Mar last September, and was second in the 2023 running of the Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 4, 2024, Race 5Entries: Twin Spires Turf Sprint S. presented by Sentient Jet (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Candy Man Rocket (KY) Junior Alvarado 121 William I. Mott 30/1 2 2Front Run the Fed (KY) Umberto Rispoli 121 Caio Caramori 30/1 3 3Coppola (KY) Martin Garcia 121 Dale L. Romans 10/1 4 4Motorious (GB) Flavien Prat 121 Philip D'Amato 7/2 5 5Mo Stash (KY) Luis Saez 121 Victoria H. Oliver 20/1 6 6Filo Di Arianna (BRZ) John R. Velazquez 121 Mark E. Casse 12/1 7 7Our Shot (PA) Javier Castellano 121 John P. Terranova, II 10/1 8 8Mischief Magic (IRE) Lanfranco Dettori 121 Charles Appleby 4/1 9 9Bad Beat Brian (KY) Christopher A. Emigh 121 Brittany A. Vanden Berg 20/1 10 10Big Invasion (KY) Joel Rosario 125 Christophe Clement 5/1 11 11Mister Mmmmm (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 121 Joe Sharp 20/1 12 12Arrest Me Red (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 121 Wesley A. Ward 10/1 13 13Eamonn (KY) Paco Lopez 121 Joseph F. Orseno 12/1 14 14Cogburn (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 121 Steven M. Asmussen 8/1 15 15Axthelm (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 121 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 30/1 16 16Panther Island (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 121 Laura Cazares 20/1 17 17Sketch (IRE) Declan Cannon 116 Conor Murphy 30/1
