Chop Chop

The betting public was pretty sure that an Into Mischief filly out of a Tapit mare would emerge victorious in Saturday's GII Rachel Alexandra S. Presented by Fasig-Tipton, but they only got it half right. It wasn't 2-5 Hoosier Philly who picked up the 50 GI Kentucky Oaks points, but instead Godolphin homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' Pretty Mischievous who starred at Fair Grounds. Pacesetting longshot Miracle (by Into Mischief's younger brother Mendelssohn) stretched Pretty Mischievous to 3/4 of a length, and was another 7 3/4 lengths clear of Hoosier...

All eyes last week were on the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs, where 38-1 shot Dreaming of Snow (Jess's Dream) scored a huge upset over 2-year-old filly champion Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) and the highly regarded Julia Shining (Curlin). That wasn't enough for Dreaming of Snow to make this week's Top 10 for the GI Kentucky Oaks, but it was certainly a herculean effort to defeat two such highly regarded horses. The spotlight this week will be on the Fair Grounds, where the mega-talented Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) will...

It's early in the season, but not too early to get excited about the group eyeing the GI Kentucky Oaks. In Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) you have a standout 2-year-old and a deserving Eclipse champion. Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) has so impressed trainer Tom Amoss that he said the GI Kentucky Derby is under consideration. Justique (Justify) has been ultra-impressive at times. They're the Top 3, but numbers four through 10 make up a group filled with potential. At least two prominent members of the division will not make it...

After romping by seven lengths to break her maiden at third asking over this same track and distance Dec. 1, The Alys Look checked in second behind 'TDN Rising Star' Pretty Mischievous in the Untapable S. Dec. 26. Going for her third straight effort at a mile and 70 yards Saturday, the Brad Cox trainee hung a length back outside of pacesetter Hayunevano through fractions of :24.37 and :48.08. As that leader began to fade past the quarter pole, The Alys Look got the first jump to take command as...

TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack reveals his selections for the 'Future Stars Friday' Breeders' Cup card. Race 3: Alw--#11 Marsalis (6-5) Have been sky high on Marsalis since his debut second (Second Chances Series) and subsequent 'Rising Star' win earlier this year. The layoff was, of course, a cause for concern, but he ran a huge one off the bench racing on a hot pace and finishing second behind big-figure repeat winner Run Classic. Take what they give you and let's get 'Future Stars Friday' started with a winner. Race...

The Brad Cox stablemates Chop Chop (City of Light) and Verifying (Justify) worked five furlongs in company Friday morning at Churchill Downs as they prepare for next Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, respectively. The pair broke off and began their breeze at the 4 1/2-furlong pole and were clocked in fractions of :11.80, :23.40, :35.80 and :47.40 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 flat, according to Churchill clocker John Nichols. Joe Talamo was aboard Chop Chop, last seen finishing a desperately close second...

This is somewhat of a watershed year for freshman sires, with six first-crop sires within the top 10 on the list of leading sires of 2-year-olds in North America through Monday. Spendthrift stalwart Into Mischief leads the group (as he has for five of the last seven years), but the same farm's freshman Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) is second, Hill 'n' Dale's Good Magic (Curlin) is third, Coolmore America's Justify (Scat Daddy) is fourth, Hill 'n' Dale's Army Mule (Friesan Fire) is fifth, Three Chimneys's Sharp Azteca (Freud) is seventh,...

Keeneland opens its highly anticipated fall meet Friday with a trio of graded stakes that each provide the winners with a spot in the gate for the Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held in Lexington the first weekend of November. The highlight of the day will be the GI Darley Alcibiades S., a qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Ken McPeek and Brad Cox have taken turns the last few years, each winning two of the last four, and McPeek has the morning-line favorite in last-out GIII...

No wind, no rain, no summer storm was stopping Chop Chop from securing a first career stakes victory for herself and her freshman sire (by Quality Road) in the Aristocrat Gaming Juvenile Fillies S. She was also the second winner on the card for City of Light, following in the hoofsteps of impressive graduate Gaslight Dancer. A stalk-and-pounce winner on debut at Ellis Park Aug. 14, Chop Chop rated kindly from third here and drafted into the turn behind a pair of dueling leaders through :24.11 and :49.99 splits. Shifting...

3rd-Ellis, $59,065, Msw, 8-14, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:38.62, fm, 1 1/2 lengths. CHOP CHOP (f, 2, City of Light--Grand Sofia, by Giant's Causeway), a $230,000 FTKJUL yearling purchase and the 2-1 favorite in this spot, was never far out of it early, stalking in third close to the pace of Guns n' Lilies (Gun Runner) through mild fractions. Moved off the rail for her stretch run, she came with a three-wide bid down the lane, out-kicking Bel Rosso (Free Drop Billy) and Don't Go Changing (Candy Ride {Arg}) and drawing...