Mizdirection Tops Boys Again in Turf Sprint Ahead of Dead Heat For Second
Mizdirection charges past Tightend Touchdown & Reneesgotzip to win the BC Turf Sprint
Mizdirection kept her Santa Anita record strong with a second career win in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on Saturday afternoon. Under the guidance of Mike Smith, the gray filly bounced back from a fifth-place effort in the Grade 1 Just A Game Stakes at Belmont in June.
With the exception of the Just A Game, Mizdirection's record this year was perfect with wins in the Las Cienegas, the Buena Vista, and the Monrovia for trainer Mike Puype and a partnership that includes Jungle Racing LLC, MSK Racing Ventures, Bill Strauss, Kevin Nish, and Daniel Grohs.
Favored Mizdirection sat just off early leaders before going wide on the final turn to challenge early leader Reneesgotzip. Tightend Touchdown also came up to challenge, but neither could top Mizdirection, who won by a half-length.
"Outside of the day I married my wife Janet, and the birth of my two boys, last year's win right here was the single greatest and most surreal day of my life, and today might be better," declared a jubilant Jim Rome of Jungle Racing after the race. "It might be better. It's that good. It is that good."
Mizdirection is consigned to Monday's Fasig-Tipton November Sale, and Rome indicated during the trophy presentation that he will be sorry to see her go.
"I want her off the track," he said. "I want her to have a good life as a mama, and I think the time is right to sell. It's gut‑wrenching. It's tearing me up, but from a business standpoint, and this is a business, it's something we need to do."
The win is the second in Breeders' Cup for both Jungle Racing and Puype. Smith picked up his 20th Breeders' Cup race with the ride.
Mizdirection was bred in Kentucky by Joseph J. Perrotta and is the daughter of Mizzen Mast and Clever Trick mare Deceptive. She was a $85,000 yearling at Keeneland September, where she was sold by Four Star Sales to Litt Bloodstock. She was then sold again at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic auction for $50,000 to Solis Bloodstock.
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The stewards ruled a dead heat for second between Reneesgotzip and Tightend Touchdown. Unbridled's Note was third. The final time for the six and a half furlongs was 1:12.25.
See the full chart here.
Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Quotes
Mike Smith (jockey, Mizdirection, 1st) – “I broke better this time (compared to last year’s race). Much more alert. I took advantage of the break and I took the rail right away, which is the best place to be turning right. You get a lot of momentum coming out of that turn going left. Man, she was right there. I was worried I might have been a little too close, but I’m glad I was because the lead horses weren’t stopping. Reneesgotzip wouldn’t give up.”
Mike Puype (trainer, Mizdirection, 1st) – “She loves it here, eh? She loves Santa Anita. She’s seven-for-seven on the turf. She’s really tenacious, but it’s quite sad that she is getting on a plane tomorrow and heading for the sales (in Kentucky).”
Jason Servis (trainer, Tightend Touchdown, dead-heat for 2nd) – “He ran good. I’m very, very happy. From what I saw he had a great trip. I’ll settle for the deadheat. This is even better than I first thought. This is a dream come true. I can see how people get hooked on this. I’m going to take him to Palm Meadows this winter and we’ll make some decisions from there. He’ll (run on) dirt too, so we have a lot of options. This is unbelievable. I’m elated.”
Javier Castellano (jockey, Tightend Touchdown, dead-heat for 2nd) – “I got a really good trip. They went fast early and he finished strong with the other two horses. He ran a really good race but just missed.”
Edwin Maldonado (jockey, Reneesgotzip, dead-heat for 2nd) – “She got caught by a really good filly. What more can you ask for? I loved the way she ran. She ran her eyeballs out.”
Peter Miller (trainer, Reneesgotzip, dead-heat for 2nd) – “We’re disappointed, but not in the filly. She ran a winning race. The post (No. 4) cost us. Being drawn inside hurt us, but the filly ran a winning race. She just got out-nodded.
“She did everything she could do and Edwin rode a great race. We knew with the seven-horse (Tightend Touchdown) in there that he would press us and he did. I’ve got no complaints.”
