Since beginning her career in May 2023, Musical Mischief has run competitively for several riders, such as when she finished third in the American Oaks (G1T) at Santa Anita Park in December under Flavien Prat. But she and jockey Edgar Morales, in particular, seem to click together.
Racing Sept. 14 in the $379,340 Locust Grove Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, the jockey-equine duo combined for their fourth win, accounting for all of her victories in her 12-race career. They have just one loss together: a fourth in the one-mile Groupie Doll Stakes over the summer at Ellis Park.
Her trip on Saturday was not pretty—the rail-drawn filly was boxed in and steadied when full of run while stalking behind horses for much of the race—but once she found a seam in early stretch, the race was over. The 16-1 shot accelerated to take command, opened up, and cruised under the wire a 3 1/4-length winner over rallying 43-1 longshot Corningstone .
“She was loaded turning for home. I waited a little bit at the rail to try and find room,” Morales said. “Once we got outside and she got clear running room, she just took off.”
Favored Shotgun Hottie ran a distant third with a wide trip after a flat-footed start.
The winner ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.91 following fractions of :24.16, :48.29, and 1:12.17 set by Free Like A Girl . Musical Mischief returned $35.64 to win.
Michael McCarthy, who trains Musical Mischief for James Stone’s Stoneway Farm, gave her a freshening early this year after she ran a well-beaten fourth in the La Canada Stakes (G3) in January at Santa Anita Park.
“Early in the winter she really wasn’t herself so we sent her home, and when she came back here in Kentucky she was back to her old self,” he said.
The Locust Grove winner, bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms, is a 4-year-old daughter of Spendthrift Farm’s record-breaking sire Into Mischief out of the stakes-winning, graded-placed Bellamy Road mare Sophia’s Song . Musical Mischief is a half sister to Bright Future (Curlin ), winner of the 2023 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1).
#1 Musical Mischief checked at the top of the stretch then comes out on top at 16/1 in the G2 Locust Grove at @churchilldowns under @emoralesracing for trainer Michael McCarthy! 🎶
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/HyZ2jVSdzw
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) September 14, 2024
Happy Is a Choice Wins LOUISVILLE Thoroughbred Society
A couple of races after the Locust Grove, another longshot, Happy Is a Choice caught front-running Skelly on the wire in the $299,500 Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes with six furlongs in 1:08.97 under Ramon Vazquez. He paid $30.18 to win.
Here Mi Song ran third.
John Ortiz trains the son of Runhappy for owners Hooties Racing, WSS Racing, and 4G Racing.
What a finish in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society! 👀
#7 Happy is a Choice nails Skelly at the wire to upset at 14/1 in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society at @churchilldowns! 🏆💰
Ramon Vazquez was up for trainer @johnnyortiz24.
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/rAZa0iiPqJ
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) September 14, 2024
Zeitlos From Last to First in Open Mind
In earlier action on the card, Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel’s Zeitlos continued her excellence beneath the twin spires by rallying from last to win the $300,000 Open Mind Stakes over Positano Sunset and Happy Am I . The victory was her fourth in six starts over the Churchill Downs main track.
The Steve Asmussen-trained 4-year-old daughter of Curlin ran 6 1/2 furlongs under Cristian Torres in 1:16.87 and paid $4.88 to win.
#2 Zeitlos gets back on the dirt and takes the Open Mind S. at @churchilldowns for trainer Steve Asmussen with @cristiantorr64 aboard! 🏆
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/89GiwJpNni
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) September 14, 2024
