Grade 1 winner Mia Mischief broke through to the top level this spring in Kentucky, and the 4-year-old Into Mischief filly is back in the Bluegrass following a summer at the Spa. She will face eight other fillies and mares Oct. 5 in the $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) sprinting six furlongs at Keeneland.
A berth in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita Park is on the line as the TCA serves as a "Win and You're In" challenge race.
On May 4, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen saddled Mia Mischief to a victory in the Humana Distaff Stakes (G1) over grade 1 winner Marley's Freedom at Asmussen's Churchill Downs base, and Mia Mischief followed that effort with a win in the June 22 Roxelana Overnight Stakes in which she ran down record-setting and eventual grade 1 scorer Covfefe, also at Churchill.
Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Heider Family Stables, and Madaket Stables' Mia Mischief seemed set for a rewarding summer at Saratoga Race Course but finished fourth in the July 24 Honorable Miss Handicap (G2) and fifth in the Aug. 24 Ketel One Ballerina Stakes (G1).
Mia Mischief has turned in one work at Keeneland since returning from Saratoga. She worked a bullet five furlongs Sept. 28 on the main track in :59 2/5.
Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable, and Peter Deutsch's Spiced Perfection is entered for her first start since finishing fourth, 6 3/4 lengths behind Mia Mischief, in the Humana Distaff. The 4-year-old Smiling Tiger filly found success during Keeneland's spring meet by winning the seven-furlong Madison Stakes (G1). She closed her sophomore season with a victory in the La Brea Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita in late December.
If anyone deserves a breakthrough in the TCA it's Lael Stables' Chalon, who lost this race by a head last year, then missed the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint by the same margin. Chalon was second in the 2017 TCA when she fought near the lead throughout.
Lael purchased the Dialed In daughter in 2017 for $550,000 at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's breeding stock sale in Lexington. Chalon has won five stakes and placed in seven graded events. Her most recent victory came in the Sept. 2 Roamin Rachel Stakes at Parx Racing. She was second in the Honorable Miss one start earlier.
The rest of the field has its fair share of stakes experience. Danuska's My Girl is a three-time grade 3 winner, most recently taking the Aug. 11 Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) at Del Mar, and 2018 Indiana Oaks (G3) winner Talk Veuve to Me last ran second in the Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes (G2) behind defending winner Hotshot Anna. Also entered is Ours to Run, who won six consecutive stakes before finishing third in the Honorable Miss. The Louisiana-bred mare defeated Mia Mischief this year in the Carousel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Rounding out the field is stakes winner and Ballerina runner-up Dawn the Destroyer, stakes winner Pretty Greeley, and grade 2-placed Razorback Lady.
Keeneland, Saturday, October 05, 2019, Race 7Entries: Thoroughbred Club of America S. (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Ours to Run (LA)
Gabriel Saez
120
J. Larry Jones
7/2
2
2Razorback Lady (AR)
Julien R. Leparoux
120
Patrick L. Biancone
20/1
3
3Spiced Perfection (CA)
Javier Castellano
124
Peter Miller
7/2
4
4Danuska's My Girl (KY)
Flavien Prat
122
Jerry Hollendorfer
6/1
5
5Dawn the Destroyer (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
120
Kiaran P. McLaughlin
8/1
6
6Mia Mischief (KY)
Joel Rosario
124
Steven M. Asmussen
9/2
7
7Talk Veuve to Me (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
120
Rodolphe Brisset
10/1
8
8Chalon (KY)
Paco Lopez
120
Arnaud Delacour
3/1
9
9Pretty Greeley (KY)
Florent Geroux
120
John Alexander Ortiz
30/1