Audible (Into Mischief) stalked and pounced his way to a dominating 5 1/2-length win over Free Drop Billy (Union Rags) in Saturday's GII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Park. The $500,000 FTFMAR graduate, owned in partnership by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club and SF Racing, shipped to South Florida off a pair of late-season 2017 wins at the Big A.
“We actually brought him down a little bit later because we were entered in the New York-bred stake, and then all the bad weather hit in New York and it got delayed and carried over,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Elliott Walden said, 'Why don't we just take him down to Florida and see how he trains and go from there.' Maybe it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The original plan was to run him in the New York-bred stake and then bring him down, but when all the bad weather hit, we came up with a different strategy and it seemed to work out well today.”
Off at odds of 3-1, Audible forced the issue from third through an opening quarter in :23.59 and a half-mile in :47.14. Tipped out three wide entering the far turn, Audible made his run for the lead, but was quickly joined just to his outside by GISW Free Drop Billy. The stage looked set for a stretch battle, but after a couple of quick taps of Javier Castellano's whip, Audible took off impressively to win for fun.
“He really kicked,” Pletcher said. “Javier said he kept him to task because he was kind of looking around a little bit and saw the tire marks and he didn't want him to make a mistake. He really accelerated. The final time was quite good.”
Pletcher continued, “I think the question now is do you run him two more times or one more time and we'll let him tell us kind of how he bounces out of this. He's a very kind horse to train, very easy on himself in the morning. I love the way he came over here and handled everything. He was perfect in the paddock, post parade, gate–all those little intangibles that really help with horses that are pointing for big days.”
A late-running third from far back on debut sprinting against fellow Empire-breds at Belmont in late September, Audible was along in time to earn his diploma next out going a mile at Aqueduct against native New Yorkers Nov. 15. He was last seen crushing by 9 3/4 lengths in an off-the-turf optional claimer at the Big A Dec. 6. Audible tuned up for this with a five-furlong bullet in 1:01 2/5 (1/10) at Palm Beach Downs Jan. 20.
Pedigree Notes:
Audible is the second son of Into Mischief to win a GI Kentucky Derby prep for these connections, following in the hoofprints of last year's undefeated GIII Southwest S. winner One Liner. His dam Blue Devil Bel is a half-sister to MSW & GSP Akilina (Langfuhr), who is the dam of breeder Oak Bluff Stables' SW & MGSP Governor Malibu (Malibu Moon). The 13-year-old mare aborted a foal by Munnings in 2016, produced a Lookin at Lucky filly in 2017 and was bred back to Constitution. Audible also traces his lineage back to MGISW Classy Cathy (Private Account) and GISP Noble Causeway (Giant's Causeway). Blue Devil Bel RNA'd for $55,000 at the 2017 KEENOV sale.
Saturday, Gulfstream Park
HOLY BULL S.-GII, $350,000, GP, 2-3, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:41.92, ft.
1–AUDIBLE, 116, c, 3, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Blue Devil Bel, by Gilded Time
2nd Dam: Fahamore, by Gulch
3rd Dam: Cathy's Gal, by Easy Goer
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($175,000
Ylg '16 SARAUG; $500,000 2yo '17 FTFMAR). O-WinStar Farm
LLC, China Horse Club International Ltd. and SF Racing LLC;
B-Oak Bluff Stables, LLC (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Javier
Castellano. $208,320. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $287,720.
Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating:
C+.[bullet ad=”crupi-trained”][bullet ad=”equix-optimatch”]2–Free Drop Billy, 122, c, 3, Union Rags–Trensa, by Giant's
Causeway. ($200,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Albaugh Family
Stables LLC; B-Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust (KY); T-Dale L.
Romans. $67,200.[bullet ad=”gainesway-consigned-by”][bullet ad=”berkelhammer-shell”]3–Tiz Mischief, 118, c, 3, Into Mischief–Indivia, by Tiznow.
($55,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Frank L. Jones, Jr.; B-T/C Stable,
LLC (KY); T-Dale L. Romans. $33,600.
Margins: 5HF, 7 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 3.20, 3.30, 3.10.
Also Ran: Enticed, Pony Up, Tip Sheet, Bandito, Master Manipulator, Aequor. Scratched: Mississippi, Hollywood Star.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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