Godolphin’s homebred champion Pretty Mischievous is heading back to her favorite stomping grounds to kick off her 2024 campaign.
The reigning Eclipse Award champion 3-year-old filly is set to return to the site of her biggest career triumph for a planned seasonal bow in the $1 million La Troienne Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs May 3, trainer Brendan Walsh said from his base at Keeneland. The 1 1/16-mile La Troienne is one of six stakes on the undercard of the Kentucky Oaks (G1), which Pretty Mischievous captured last year.
“She’s done great, she had a great winter,” Walsh said of his stable star. “She’s been at Palm Meadows and she worked five-eighths the other day. (Jockey) Tyler (Gaffalione) worked her and was delighted with her. She’s on target. We’ll probably do two or three bits of work with her (at Keeneland) and then do her last piece over (at Churchill) and run her.
“Last year when we brought her here—she obviously had a great winter down in New Orleans—but Oaks week at Churchill, you could see she was doing really, really well. Hopefully, we can do something similar this year going into the La Troienne.”
The 2023 Kentucky Oaks was one of four graded stakes wins, including three grade 1 triumphs, Pretty Mischievous earned. Following her runner-up finish in the Sept. 23 Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx Racing, the daughter of Into Mischief was slated to start in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Santa Anita Park in November but was scratched when her connections reported she was not “100 percent” after traveling.
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The bay filly was given a couple months off to freshen up for a 4-year-old campaign and has turned in six workouts since coming back into Walsh’s care. Given that she has unfinished business where the Breeders’ Cup is concerned, this year’s edition of the Distaff has been circled as the main target for her to flex her matured muscles.
“She’s getting stronger, I think, and has filled out more,” Walsh said. “We gave her a nice break, we sent her to the farm when she got back from the Breeders’ Cup last year, so she had at least two months off. She seems as enthusiastic in her training as she’s ever been. She just loves it. She’s out there this morning in the cold air and all she wants to do is go.
“We’ll have a nice little plan of races this year, but the main thing would be to go and try and win the Distaff if she maintains her form and stays healthy. That would be the plan for sure.”
Out of the grade 1-winning Tapit mare Pretty City Dancer , Pretty Mischievous has won seven of 10 starts—including a 3-for-4 mark at Churchill Downs—with a bankroll of $1,944,560.
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