Naughty Gal

A talented field of 10 juvenile fillies will throw down in Sunday's featured GI Spinaway S. at Saratoga. Kaling (Practical Joke) will exit from the rail following a 'TDN Rising Star' performance on debut for Todd Pletcher at the Spa July 24. Pletcher's former boss D. Wayne Lukas will be very well-represented as well via last out GIII Adirondack S. Aug. 7 heroine Naughty Gal (Into Mischief). The duo share a co-leading six Spinaway victories. "I enjoy it and I pull for him," Lukas said of facing the aforementioned fellow...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - Here we are on the final weekend of the Saratoga season and--no surprise--D. Wayne Lukas is ready to take swings in both of the historic Grade I races for 2-year-olds. The Hall of Fame trainer, who turned 87 Friday, will saddle Holy Cow Stable's Naughty Gal (Into Mischief) Sunday in the GI Spinaway S. The next afternoon, Lukas will send out BC Stable's Bourbon Bash (City of Light) and Western Ghent (American Pharoah) in the GI Hopeful, the final stake of the 154th season of Saratoga...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - This has been a turn-back-the-clock, very D. Wayne Lukas-like, summer at Saratoga for the Hall of Fame trainer. As he approaches his 87th birthday on Sept. 2, the racing legend has won a graded stake, finished second in two others, and made his presence felt at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale with the purchase of five yearlings for $2.725 million, led by of a son of Medaglia d'Oro for $1.35 million. After skipping the past two Saratoga seasons due to a combination of the Covid-19 pandemic and...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas thought Naughty Gal (Into Mischief) was so good in the GIII Adirondack S. Sunday that her next start ought to be in the GI Spinaway S. Summer Promise (Uncle Mo), runner-up in the GIII Schuylerville S. on opening day was being pointed to the $300,000 seven-furlong Spinaway Sept. 4, but Lukas said Wednesday that he was reconsidering that approach. "I've kind of changed gears after I watched Naughty Gal run the other day and win," he said. "I might...

Holy Cow Stable's Naughty Gal (Into Mischief) certainly lived up to her name Sunday at Saratoga, as she took the GII Adirondack S. despite bearing out badly in the stretch. Bidding to increase legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas's record wins in this race to seven, the 7-5 favorite broke well and tugged Luis Saez up to take a narrow lead through an opening quarter in :22.46. She started trying to get out midway along the bend, but remained several lengths clear as she posted a :46.15 half. Out in the...

A half-dozen 3-year-old fillies, topped by the one-two finishers in the July 9 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S., will do battle in Sunday's GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S., one of three graded stakes taking place on the first Sunday in August. Highly-regarded McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}), named after trainer Chad Brown's first employee when he struck out on his own, was an impressive debut winner last summer at the Spa, but went winless in her next three starts while placing in the GII Miss Grillo S., GII Edgewood S. and...

4th-Churchill Downs, $88,002, Msw, 7-4, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.35, ft, 9 1/4 lengths. NAUGHTY GAL (f, 2, Into Mischief--Conway Two Step {SW, $102,605}, by Spanish Steps) tracked the pace before flattening out to fourth on debut here June 10 and was made the 14-5 second choice off an 8-1 morning-line quote in this spot. Dueling with favored firster Stunningly (Gun Runner) through a :22.18 quarter, the $350,000 OBS March purchase started to get the better of that rival while in hand past the three-eighths pole, took charge leaving behind a...