Mia Mischief, Separationofpowers Face Off in Ballerina

Two grade 1-winning fillies approaching the million-dollar milestone are set to battle in the $500,000 Ketel One Ballerina Stakes (G1) Aug. 24 at Saratoga Race Course. A spot in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mares Sprint (G1) awaits the winner, as Saturday's seven furlongs serve as a "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup challenge race.

Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Heider Family Stables, and Madaket Stables' Mia Mischief scored at the highest level this year when she pressed the pace and took over to win the May 4 Humana Distaff Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs, the same distance as the Ballerina. Trainer Steve Asmussen then sent out the 4-year-old Into Mischief filly in the June 22 Roxelana Overnight Stakes at Churchill, where she sat off record-setting Covfefe and came out on top.

"She's gorgeous physically and has run some excellent races. We're expecting her to repeat her (Humana) Distaff performance," Asmussen said. "Her two most impressive wins, the Humana Distaff and the (2018) Eight Belles (G2), both came at seven-eighths of a mile. And she has been training beautifully and was second in the Test (G1) last year."

Mia Mischief was fourth last out in the July 24 Honorable Miss Handicap (G2) at the Spa, finishing 2 1/4 lengths behind upset gate-to-wire winner Minit to Stardom, who also is entered Saturday. Mia Mischief will aim to rebound as the 124-pound Ballerina highweight with regular pilot Ricardo Santana Jr. aboard from post 5. Mia Mischief has $969,540 in earnings.

Defeating Mia Mischief on this course and over this distance last summer in the Longines Test was Klaravich Stables' Separationofpowers, who rallied to win by a neck. Chad Brown trains the 4-year-old Candy Ride  filly, who led every step of the seven-furlong Bed o' Roses Invitational Stakes (G3) June 7 at Belmont Park.

"It gives me a lot of confidence," Brown said of the Bed o' Roses effort. "At her age now, she appreciates more time between races."

Separationofpowers, who won the Frizette Stakes (G1) at 2, has bankrolled $934,000. Jose Ortiz retains the mount from post 4.

"We really like the way she's training," Brown said. "We came from Belmont for this race because she's a bit of a quirky horse to train and she found her comfort zone training there. So we just stayed with it."

Brittlyn Stable's homebred Minit to Stardom rolls into the Ballerina with a three-race win streak. The 4-year-old Star Guitar  filly bred in Louisiana has been perfect since being moved to Jose Camajo's Mid-Atlantic base. The Ballerina will be the second start at seven furlongs for Minit to Stardom, who finished sixth in the Test a year ago. She won going 5 1/2 furlongs at Laurel Park June 7 before taking the six-furlong Honorable Miss by 1 1/2 lengths.

Blue Devil Racing Stable's Come Dancing reverts to a one-turn distance after setting the pace in the June 8 Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park and finishing second to Midnight Bisou. The 5-year-old Malibu Moon  mare romped to a 7 3/4-length win in the April 5 Distaff Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack, run at the Ballerina distance, and won by 6 3/4 lengths going an extra furlong in the Ruffian Stakes (G2) on a sloppy Belmont surface.

Pacific Gale and Dawn the Destroyer are not strangers to taking on the graded winners in the field. The former has placed in grade 3 company multiple times and enters off a sixth-place run in the Honorable Miss. Dawn the Destroyer, winner of the Interborough Stakes Jan. 25 at Aqueduct, last ran third in the Bed o' Roses.

Entries: Ketel One Ballerina S. (G1)

Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 24, 2019, Race 6

• Grade I
• 7f
• Dirt
• $500,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 2:23 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Special Relativity (KY)	David Cohen	120	Robertino Diodoro	12/1
2	2Come Dancing (KY)	Javier Castellano	122	Carlos F. Martin	6/5
3	3Pacific Gale (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	John C. Kimmel	20/1
4	4Separationofpowers (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Chad C. Brown	9/5
5	5Mia Mischief (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	124	Steven M. Asmussen	5/1
6	6Minit to Stardom (LA)	Alex Cintron	122	Jose M. Camejo	8/1
7	7Dawn the Destroyer (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	15/1