Torres-Ridden Flash of Mischief, Lovely Ride Win Stakes
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Photo: Coady Photography
Flash of Mischief wins the Ring The Bell Stakes at Oaklawn Park
Flash of Mischief rebounded from a ninth-place finish in the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) and returned to the winner’s circle after the inaugural running of the $150,000 Ring The Bell Stakes at Oaklawn Park Dec. 10.
The Jeremy Namy’-owned homebred has captured five stakes races in his 23-start career, with three of those coming at a distance of a mile or longer. However, after his 7 3/4-length blowout on Saturday, he solidified his prowess over a shorter trip.
“(Trainer Karl) Broberg told me he has wanted him to sprint since the beginning,” jockey Christian Torres said. “They tried running him long, and he ran good, but we knew he was going to better sprinting and he’s showing up in the races now.”
Contested over a soupy main track, Torres tucked Flash of Mischief, breaking from post 1, just behind the pacesetters Chattalot and Kavod . The only 3-year-olds in the seven-horse field sparred through the slop, clicking off early fractions of :22.47 and :46.25.
“There was plenty of speed in the race, and my horse has speed, but when he runs short, he’s better behind the pace, "Torres said. “We were hoping for a good trip and to get him out since the rail hasn’t been so good today, so everything worked out perfectly."
As the youngsters held command into the turn, Torres angled Flash of Mischief three-wide into the lane and turned him loose. The son of Into Mischief took over in a matter of strides and dashed toward the wire.
Flash of Mischief ($5) was timed covering six furlongs in 1:11.13 on a sealed, sloppy track.
“I was very thankful once (Flash of Mischief) got tipped out,” Broberg said. “It looked like the race was over very quickly after he got him moved out... Going into the race, I didn’t think we stood a chance because of the way the track was playing, so I’m incredibly impressed with that win.”
Kavod battled Chattalot to the finish, clearing that rival for runner-up honors by 2 1/4 lengths.
The connections of Flash of Mischief enjoy the trophy presentation for the Ring The Bell Stakes
In his final rehearsal prior to his Breeder’s Cup Sprint bid, Flash of Mischief raced to a near-track record time when taking Remington Park’s David M. Vance Stakes. Boosting his bankroll to $774,901 with his Ring The Bell score, the 4-year-old figures to be a contender for Oaklawn’s winter sprint series for older horses. Concluding with the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 15, the preceding races in the series include the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes Jan. 29and the $200,000 Whitmore Stakes March 19.
Flash of Mischief is the first stakes winner produced from the Political Force mare Flashy Campaign , who is also the dam of stakes-placed runners Royal Mesa and War Campaign .
Video: Ring The Bell S. (BT)
Lovely Ride Follows Plan
Two races later, Torres added to his spectacular Saturday with his fourth win and second stakes win on the card in the $150,000 Mistletoe Stakes aboard Lovely Ride .
Breaking on top, Lovely Ride bounded to the front over second choice Coach and skipped through splits of :23.97 and :48.20. While favored Le Da Vida appeared to be struggling over the swampy footing in mid-pack, Lovely Ride found a new gear turning into the stretch, sailing under the wire a 3 1/2-length winner.
Coach, racing in the Mistletoe off a three-week turnaround, ran gamely down the lane but couldn’t make much of a dent in the winner’s margin. The Brad Cox trainee was a clear second over Will's Secret , who staved off Le Da Vida in fourth.
Lovely Ride goes wire-to-wire in the Mistletoe Stakes
Lovely Ride, a 4-year-old filly, earned her third stakes triumph in the Mistletoe after finishing third in the race last year.
“She’s versatile, but before the race some of the partners and myself talked, and we decided her best running style is on the lead,” trainer Robertino Diodoro said. “With the track conditions and the way the race looked on paper, I thought we could be on the lead, and that was the plan.”
Owned in partnership by John Holleman, Flying P Stable, and Larry Nafe, Lovely Ride ($11.40) stopped the timer in a final time of 1:39.77 for the mile. She scored her first win for her new connections since being transferred to Diodoro’s barn from trainer Bret Calhoun’s stable earlier this year.
A daughter of Candy Ride and out of the grade 2-winning Tiznow mare Lovely Lil , Lovely Ride is a half brother to 2021 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity (G1) third-place finisher American Xperiment (Nyquist ). She was bred in Kentucky by Allied Racing Stable, who raced her before the current ownership