BackTrack: Mizdirection Toughs It Out in Buena Vista

Queen of Santa Anita Park's downhill turf course, Mizdirection looked for new challenges and found them in the Feb. 18 Buena Vista Stakes (G2T). She stretched out to a mile for the first time since winning the 2011 Sandy Blue Handicap at Del Mar and had to do it without a target ahead of her.

In a little tight at the start, Mizdirection grabbed a quarter of her right front foot and ended up on the lead for jockey Mike Smith.

"He kind of got her to settle," said trainer Mike Puype. "But she grabbed a pretty good-sized quarter off that foot, so we're going to have to go to work on that. It's just a testament to how tough she is."

No one went with Mizdirection, who was able to dictate fractions of :23.78 and :47. Gary Stevens on In the Stars took a run at her in the stretch, but Mizdirection held them off to win by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:33.50 as the 3-5 favorite.

"She's a much more mature horse this year," said Smith. "She's stronger, she's bigger, and she'll definitely get a mile."

Mizdirection was winning her third consecutive stakes, beginning with last fall's Breeder's Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) against males. With her victory at a mile, Puype acknowledged that options have opened for the 5-year-old mare, though she can certainly point for a second Turf Sprint, especially with the Breeders' Cup again at Santa Anita this fall.

Sports talk radio and TV host Jim Rome's Jungle Racing owns Mizdirection in a partnership that includes Bill Strauss. The two stood together in the winner's circle grinning at the mare's latest accomplishment.

"I think the mile is going to be OK—that was good," said Rome. "She came on strong, didn't she?"

Mizdirection raised her earnings to $1,094,621 with the Buena Vista. Bred by Joseph Perrota in Kentucky, she is a daughter of Mizzen Mast  —Deceptive, by Clever Trick. She has never been worse than third, with nine wins in 14 starts.