Mighty Mischief Sharp in Chick Lang
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Mighty Mischief leads throughout in the Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico Race Course
Trainer Steve Asmussen's stranglehold on Pimlico's Chick Lang Stakes (G3) continued May 15 when William and Corinne Heiligbrodt's homebred Mighty Mischief won the six-furlong stakes in 1:09.74 in Baltimore in his stakes debut. The Asmussen-trained Jaxon Traveler was 1 1/4 lengths back in second.
Asmussen has won the Chick Lang five times, and three of the last four with 3-year-olds for the Heiligbrodts. Eventual sprint male champion Mitole won the event in 2018 and last year Yaupon was the victor.
Mighty Mischief is a Kentucky-bred son of leading sire Into Mischief and is the first foal out of the Heiligbrodt's Wealth Creation (Super Saver ). Wealth Creation is out of the Heiligbrodt's stakes-winning Lunargal , a half sister to graded stakes winners Lunarpal and Astrology .
Mighty Mischief and the Maryland-bred Jaxon Traveler were the heavy hitters in the Chick Lang: Jaxon Traveler, winner of the April 24 Bachelor Stakes at Oaklawn Park was the even-money favorite while Mighty Mischief was the 9-5 second choice, having previously won two of three starts. They were 2 1/2 lengths clear of third-place finisher Hemp .
Jaxon Traveler, with Irad Ortiz Jr. up, broke first, but Mighty Mischief and Ricardo Santana Jr. quickly took the early advantage in the six-horse cast. He cruised along, tracked by Willy Boi , in splits of :23.16 and :45.97 over a fast track. As Jaxon Traveler advanced, Mighty Mischief shot clear and had a two-length advantage at the eighth pole after five furlongs in :57.62.
Santana scored his third victory in the Chick Lang, all coming on Asmussen trainees.
"They're both quality horses," Asmussen said of his two starters on Saturday. "The race might have been a little quick back for Jaxon Traveler. He didn't have as much speed as he normally does and the race might have gotten away from him from the half-mile pole to the three-eighths.
"They are similar in size and look," the Hall of Famer said. "When they were walking over, they were just a little bit different colored."
Mighty Mischief made his stakes debut in the Chick Lang. He ran second in his bow Feb. 7 at Oaklawn Park, the was an impressive wire-to-wire 3 1/2-length maiden winner March 19 in Arkansas going six furlongs. He returned at Oaklawn April 10 with a 4 1/2-length score at six panels against allowance optional claiming company.
The victory was worth $120,000, lifting his career earnings to $255,200.