A trio of Virginia-bred horses will compete in stakes races this weekend including the Champion Three-Year-Old Male of 2018, a sophomore filly seeking her third straight win, and a six-year-old horse looking to push his bankroll over the $500,000 mark.
Elusive Mischief, bred by Jim FitzGerald and Katie FitzGerald at their Chilly Bleak Farm in Marshall, comperes in Saturday’s $120,000 Mighty Beau Overnight Stakes at Churchill. The now four-year-old Into Mischief colt has not raced since capturing the Punch Line Stakes at Laurel last September. He will battle in a field of ten at the five furlong distance Saturday. It is the 10th race on Churchill’s evening card and will go off at 10:11 PM. Elusive Mischief took top sophomore honors courtesy of three wins last year.
Holly Hundy will vie in the Grade 3, $150,000 Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita Saturday. The three-year-old Yes It’s True filly was bred by the Lazy Lane Farms and has bankrolled $79,800 from four starts this year. She is fresh off west coast wins in a maiden special weight April 21st and an allowance optional claimer May 17th. She will face seven others in the 1 1/8 miles turf test.
American Dubai is the most experienced of the three and enters his stakes Sunday at Sunray Park with $485,442 in earnings from 23 starts. The six-year-old E Dubai horse has 17 top three finishes including seven wins. In His last 17 starts, the consistent horse has finished third or better 14 times. Bred by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III, American Dubai will be one of six competing in the $75,000 San Juan County Commissioners Stakes. The event will be 1 1/8 miles long and is the eighth on Sunray’s card.
Another pair of Virginia-breds will battle at Churchill on Sunday. Forloveofcountry will be in the fifth — a $99,000 allowance optional claimer — while Passion Play will battle in the tenth — a $95,000 maiden special weight. The former, a three-year-old colt, was bred by Lazy Lane Farms and is by Sky Mesa out of Patriot Miss. He has earned $88,545 courtesy of a maiden special weight triumph last July at Del Mar and an allowance score last fall at Churchill. The latter, also a three-year-old colt, was bred by Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Iselin III and is by Hold Me Back out of Stylish Affair. He has a trio of “in the money” maiden special weight finishes at Indiana Grand, Churchill and Oaklawn. Forloveofcountry’s race is at 2:45 PM and Pasion Play’s is at 5:26 PM.