Ain’t Easy gives Into Mischief a milestone 100th stakes winner

Ain’t Easy cruised to a 4 ¾-length victory in Friday’s $200,000 Chandelier S. (G2) at Santa Anita Park to become the 100^th lifetime stakes winner for champion sire Into Mischief.

The 2-year-old filly, who also earned an automatic berth in next month’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), is Into Mischief’s 45^th lifetime graded stakes winner.

After leading the General Sire list the past two years, Into Mischief is once again atop the 2021 list with nearly $19 million in progeny earnings, over $5 million more than any other North American sire, to date.

Ain’t Easy came into the Chandelier off a debut maiden special weight win at 5 ½-furlongs in late August. Jockey Joel Rosario kept her just behind the leaders for the first half-mile before coming up the inside to engage Electric Ride for the lead going into the final turn. She begin to edge clear on the bend, then pulled away effortlessly in the stretch without urging from Rosario.

“She acted very professional, sitting behind horses,” said winning trainer Phil D’Amato. “When Joel wanted to, she came up the inside, which I like to see with a young horse. She just looked like she was having fun in the stretch. I think it set up perfect. A good two-turn experience, confidence booster, an easy win, where it didn’t look like she was taxed too much, so I like everything I saw right now.”

The winner is owned by Old Bones Racing Stable, LLC, Michael V. Lombardi and Joey Platts and has earned $162,000 in her two victories. Platts placed a winning bid of $400,000 for Ain’t Easy at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling sale.

Ain’t Easy was bred by Spendthrift Farm and is out of the Group 3-placed Ameristralia (AUS). She has a Bolt d’Oro yearling and was bred to Vino Rosso this year.