Downtown Mischief runs record to 3-for-3 in Saturday’s Cicada Stakes at Aqueduct. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.
Like mother, like daughter.
Downtown Mama, a $440,000 2-year-old in training purchase for Sheila Rosenblum’s Lady Sheila Stable, started her career with three straight wins in 2017. She retired with those three wins from seven starts in 2018 and now her first foal, the 3-year-old Into Mischief homebred filly Downtown Mischief, is off to a 3-for-3 start to her career.
The latest came in her first try in a stakes and against open company in Saturday’s $100,000 Cicada Stakes at Aqueduct, where Downtown Mischief overcame what her trainer called a “complicated situation” to defeat five foes in the 6-furlong event.
“She worked her way through it,” winning trainer Linda Rice said. “I was really proud of her as well. She doesn’t need the perfect trip to get there.”
Rice said she expected Downtown Mischief and Lezcano to track the early speed of Hot Little Thing early in the Cicada. That plan went out the window when Hot Little Thing, a stakes winner at Horseshoe Indianapolis last fall, came away last at the break. Fabulously Funny broke well and took the early lead, just ahead of Musicmansandy before Downtown Mischief asserted herself to take the lead.
“It totally went upside down,” Rice said. “(Hot Little Thing) doesn’t break and then she comes rushing up through, but Jose is such a pro and he never loses his cool. When he needed to hold his ground, he did. That makes a difference.”
That advantage also didn’t last long with Hot Little Thing and Alex Achard rushing up to lead through the opening quarter-mile in :22.89. Downtown Mischief retook the advantage between the first and second quarters and led by a head over Fabulously Funny through the half in :47.19.
Downtown Mischief widened her lead from there, clicking past 5 furlongs in 1:00.02 and up 2 1/2 lengths. Lezcano stayed busy down the lane without asking too much and Downtown Mischief hit the finish in 1:13.72. Tappin Josie, coming off 11 days’ rest and a win in the Society Hill Stakes at Parx Racing, rallied for second, 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Fabulously Funny in third.
“She broke a little slow; she didn’t break that sharp,” Lezcano said. “(Hot Little Thing) didn’t break either, so I had to go for my position. When I asked her, she gave me a good run. I stayed in my position when I saw the two on the outside. I asked her at the quarter-pole and she ran on like the good horse that she is.”
Rice bought Downtown Mama as agent for Lady Sheila at the 2016 OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training. She earned $78,100 in her seven starts before heading to the breeding shed. She produced Downtown Mischief in 2020. Downtown Mama is the dam of a yearling filly by Maclean’s Music, also bred by Lady Sheila, and was bred to Violence last season.
Foaled at Edition Farm in Hyde Park, Downtown Mischief didn’t start at 2 and made her debut going 6 furlongs Jan. 14 at Aqueduct. She won that day by 7 3/4 lengths before a 1 1/4-length tally in a state-bred allowance-optional Feb. 17.
Downtown Mischief earned $55,000 for the Cicada victory to boost her earnings to $133,100.
