Authentic’s Kentucky Derby (G1) win tops historic day for Into Mischief

Into Mischief, the world’s leading sire in 2020, had an incredible Saturday with Authentic giving him his first Kentucky Derby (G1) winner, capping a day that saw him represent by graded stakes winners at three different tracks across the country.

Cool Arrow (G3 Smile Sprint at Gulfstream Park) and Frank’s Rockette (G2 Prioress at Saratoga) had already made the day a great success for the Spendthrift stallion, then Authentic secured his place in history with a 1 ¼-length over heavily favored Tiz the Law in the Run for the Roses.

With Spendthrift and Bob Baffert’s other Derby entrant Thousand Words scratched in the paddock, Authentic was left to carry the banner for Spendthrift, MyRacehorse Stable, Madaket Stables and Starlight Racing.

Breaking from the outside post in the field of 15, the speedy Authentic didn’t get the lead immediately, but John Velazquez kept his mount in the clear and got to the front as they passed the wire the first time, getting the quarter-mile in a snappy :22.92.

Around the first turn and down the backstretch, Authentic maintained about a 1 ½-length lead over Ny Traffic, with Tiz the Law to the outside in third. Tiz the Law closed the gap on the final turn and was head-to-head with Authentic coming into the stretch. After matching strides for the next furlong, Authentic began to pull away in deep stretch and crossed the wire in 2:00.61, the seventh-fastest Derby in history.

“The key to this race was the break. We’ve been planning this out the last couple of nights at Jeff Ruby’s. We knew we had to get away from there. We talked about where certain people would be. Johnny is a world class jockey and knows where everyone should be. I told him what I thought and he told me what he thought. I said ‘I like your plan.’ This race was won by Johnny, just the way he handled the horse and how he finished. He earned this. He beat a really good horse. Tiz the Law is a top notch horse. I feel bad for the connections. We just feel so fortunate and blessed.”

Though there is no Triple Crown on the line this year, Authentic and Tiz the Law could face off again in the Oct. 3 Preakness (G1) and/or the Breeders Cup Classic (G1) in early November.

Authentic, who became a millionaire when he won the Haskell Inv. (G1) in mid-July, has only one loss in six starts and now has earned $2,871,200, making him Into Mischief’s second leading lifetime earners, behind dual Breeders’ Cup winner and fellow Spendthrift stallion Goldencents.

Authentic was bred by Peter Blum Thoroughbreds and sold for $350,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling sale.

Prior to Saturday’s results, Into Mischief’s offspring had earned just over $10 million this year, nearly $2 million more than any other sire. His 23 black type winners and 44 black type horses are also well atop the list in their respective categories.