First-crop sires: Maximus Mischief is riding a hot streak

TwinSpires.com will follow prominent first-crop sires whose two-year-olds are hitting the track this season. This installment is the fourth on 2018 Remsen (G2) winner Maximus Mischief.

After siring only two winners between the middle of September and the middle of October, first-crop sire Maximus Mischief is on fire again, regaining the momentum that made him the leading sire by progeny earnings through much of summer and early fall.

Between Oct. 16 and Nov. 11, sons and daughters of Maximus Mischief visited the winner’s circle 11 times, allowing him to comfortably maintain his lead among first-crop sires of 2023 by total number of winners sired (28). Furthermore, a couple of Maximus Mischief’s runners managed to win or place at the stakes level, boosting his progeny earnings to $1,731,169 per the first-crop sire rankings compiled by Bloodhorse.com. That’s good for second place at the moment, only $17,606 behind top-ranked Vino Rosso.

Glengarry remains undefeated

When Maximus Mischief’s son Glengarry dominated the Sept. 30 Iowa Cradle S. against Iowa-breds by 12 3/4 lengths, we noted that his “margin of victory and fast winning time suggest he’s talented enough to compete against non-state-restricted stakes competition.”

That proved to be true. Glengarry successfully stepped up in class for the Oct. 28 Bowman Mill S. at Keeneland and battled to victory by half a length in the time of 1:11.52 for six furlongs. Now undefeated in three starts, Glengarry ranks as Maximus Mischief’s top earner with $177,501 in the bank.

Miss Sayely nabs a stakes placing

Miss Sayely didn’t care for running long on Tapeta last month, finishing sixth in an allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park. But she’d previously dominated a seven-furlong dirt sprint by 11 lengths, and returning to that configuration for the 5 1/2-furlong Juvenile Fillies Sprint S. against Florida-breds at Gulfstream last Saturday triggered a rebound.

Miss Sayely didn’t win her stakes debut, but she ran a much-improved race, pressing the pace while racing wide before staying on to finish third by 3 1/4 lengths. A ground-saving run in the future might be all she needs to get back in the winner’s circle.

Ms. Tart leads bevy of allowance competitors

After scoring plenty of success in maiden races during the first nine months of the year, the progeny of Maximus Mischief are starting to make noise against allowance competition.

Ms. Tart was the most successful. Rebounding from an 11th-place finish in the Natalma (G1) on turf, Ms. Tart proved best in a six-furlong $62,500 allowance optional claimer on Oct. 17 over the Presque Isle Downs Tapeta track, unleashing a fast finish (final quarter-mile in about :23.14) to win by a neck in 1:09.78.

At Del Mar, Cheeky Gal nearly won a Nov. 10 $80,000 allowance optional claimer sprinting five furlongs on turf. Trying grass for the first time after finishing last in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) and Anoakia S. on dirt, Cheeky Gal gained 1 3/4 lengths through the final furlong to finish second by a neck.

Escape Room was beaten by the same margin when second in a $75,000 allowance optional claimer racing one mile and 70 yards over the Gulfstream Park Tapeta, charging from sixth place to fall just short at the finish of the Nov. 10 contest. Kelly’s Kidz wasn’t quite as competitive in a six-furlong, $75,000 allowance optional claimer on Oct. 25 at Parx Racing, but the pace-pressing filly held on for third place (beaten 5 1/4 lengths) in her first start since winning her debut 4 1/2 months earlier.

Shake It Baby tons the best at Parx

Two days before Kelly’s Kidz took to the Parx main track, Shake It Baby dominated a six-furlong, $25,000 starter optional claimer over the Pennsylvania oval, pressing the pace before taking over to win by 8 3/4 lengths in 1:15.65. The Jamie Ness trainee is now 2-for-5 lifetime, with her previous victory coming in a $30,000 maiden claimer sprinting six furlongs at Ellis Park.

Maiden winners galore

The above-mentioned stakes and allowance competitors notwithstanding, the majority of Maximus Mischief’s recent success at stud has come courtesy of maiden winners:

• On Oct. 21, True Princess wired a five-furlong maiden special weight at Delta Downs by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:00.49. She subsequently finished seventh against tougher competition in the Nov. 10 My Trusty Cat S. at Delta.
• Madness debuted in an Oct. 22 maiden special weight sprinting five furlongs over the Gulfstream Tapeta and rallied from sixth place to score by two lengths in :57.61.
• Fourth, second, and third in her first three starts, Ginuccha completed her collection of superfecta finishes in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on Oct. 24 at Parx, leading by daylight at every call to dominate by four lengths in 1:08.13.
• On Oct. 26 at Laurel Park, second-time starter Regalo smashed a seven-furlong maiden special weight by 5 1/4 lengths in 1:25.01.
• Also on Oct. 26, Storm Catcher dropped from maiden special weight company into a $20,000 maiden claimer sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs at Remington Park, and the result was an eye-catching 14 1/2-length win in 1:04.82.
• At Camarero in Puerto Rico on Oct. 27, Cobain had no trouble winning a $14,000 maiden claimer sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs over a muddy track, tracking the pace before kicking clear in the final furlong to prevail by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:21.42.
• Wee Bit O Mischief lost his first four starts, but graduated without issue in a one-mile maiden special weight on Oct. 30 at Horseshoe Indianapolis, rallying home on top by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:40.09.
• On Nov. 2 at Santa Anita, Don’t Bring Crazy tackled a $62,500-$50,000 maiden optional claimer at Santa Anita and rallied easily to win the 6 1/2-furlong sprint by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:18.19. It was her first triumph from five starts.