A few days ago, trainer Brendan Walsh squeezed in close to a filly named Pretty Mischievous. When asked what he was whispering to his 3-year-old bay, Walsh chuckled.
"I told her to win by 10 (lengths)," Walsh said and smiled some more. "She hasn't done me any favors on that front the last couple of starts. She does make things interesting."
What Pretty Mischievous has done, besides giving Walsh double doses of anxiety, is win. In her last two starts, the daughter of Into Mischief has posted victories by the slightest of margins, and, in the process, vaulted to the head of the class in the 3-year-old filly division.
The Godolphin runner will attempt to stay there when she leads a field of eight to the starting gate in the $500,000 Test Stakes (G1) Aug. 5 at Saratoga Race Course.
Pretty Mischievous, who will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione and start from the rail, has won three of four starts this year. The two big ones were the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 5 and the 1 1/16-mile Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on June 9. She won the Oaks by a neck; the Acorn by a head.
The Test will be the first time Pretty Mischievous has shortened to seven furlongs since the second start of her career, a victory at Churchill on a sloppy track in October of 2022. Godolphin also owns Wet Paint, who won the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga on July 22 and is being pointed to the Alabama Stakes (G1) on Aug. 19. For now, the plan is to keep her and Pretty Mischievous separated.
"(Pretty Mischievous) has had a great year so far," Walsh said. "To win the Oaks and then follow that up with the Acorn was pretty impressive. She should have a good chance to win the Test as well."
Walsh said he is not concerned with the cutback in distance.
"She has tons of natural speed and I think she has matured; she might even have more speed now," he said. "The seven (furlongs) here is a stiff seven. It's more like a one-turn mile. There is plenty of pace here that should set it up good for her."
One of the ones that should show speed is Maple Leaf Mel, owned by Bill Parcells' August Dawn Farm. The New York-bred gray, trained by Melanie Giddings, has won all five of her career starts, the latest being the Victory Ride Stakes (G3) at Belmont July 8. She will be ridden by Joel Rosario, who has been in the saddle every start.
Maple Leaf Mel, a daughter of Cross Traffic , won both of her starts last year at Saratoga.
"I am not worried," Giddings said about running against Pretty Mischievous. "That's why they run the races. We will see how we do. (Pretty Mischievous) is a well accomplished filly but I love my horse."
This will be the first grade 1 race for Giddings, who started her own barn in January after having worked for Hall of Famers Mark Casse and Steve Asmussen as well as Al Stall Jr. and Jeremiah Englehart.
Speed is the biggest asset for Maple Leaf Mel, who figures to be tested in the Test more than ever. The seven furlongs will be the farthest she has ever gone.
"It's always hard to know, right?," she said when asked how fast Maple Leaf Mel is. "I guess we'll find out this time. The last time, Joel asked he for a little bit at the end, but he still ended up wrapping up on her."
John Ropes' Dorth Vader has chased Pretty Mischievous in her last two starts, getting beat a head in the Acorn and 3 1/4 lengths when fifth in the Kentucky Oaks. She is trained by George Weaver and will be ridden by John Velazquez from post 6.
"We are looking forward to the rematch," Weaver said. "I think she ran a big race (in the Acorn) and will handle the seven eighths. There are a bunch of good fillies in this race every year and there are again this year. You are going to have to earn it."
Also expecting to show speed is Robert and Lawana Low's Munnys Gold, who set the pace in the Acorn before settling for fourth as the 8-5 favorite. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, she will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. and will leave from post 7.
The Acorn was the longest of Munnys Gold's five-race career. The daughter of Munnings has three wins by a combined total of 38 lengths.
"I think (the Acorn) proved to be a little far for her," Pletcher said. "I'm looking forward to getting her back to seven furlongs. She's fast and a little headstrong, so it's kind of five and take with her."
Also running are the Michael McCarthy-trained Clearly Unhinged, who has won two of three career starts and will be ridden by Javier Castellano; Klaravich Stables' Interpolate, who was fourth for trainer Chad Brown in the Victory Ride in her last start, She will be ridden by Flavien Prat.
Also entered is Jersey Pearl, owned by Silverton Hill, and trained by Darrin Miller. She will be ridden by Luis Saez in her first graded stakes race. Tappin Jose, owned by Darryl E. Abramowitz and trained by Horacio De Paz, will make her 15th career start in the Test. She has run mainly at six furlongs or shorter in her career.
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 5, 2023, Race 8Entries: Test S. (G1)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Pretty Mischievous (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 124 Brendan P. Walsh 9/5 2 2Clearly Unhinged (KY) Javier Castellano 118 Michael W. McCarthy 12/1 3 3Tappin Josie (PA) Kevin Gomez 118 Horacio De Paz 50/1 4 4Jersey Pearl (KY) Luis Saez 118 Darrin Miller 15/1 5 5Interpolate (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Chad C. Brown 15/1 6 6Dorth Vader (FL) John R. Velazquez 122 George Weaver 6/1 7 7Munnys Gold (FL) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Todd A. Pletcher 7/2 8 8Maple Leaf Mel (NY) Joel Rosario 120 Melanie Giddings 2/1
