Largent takes the inside path to Bert Allen S. win

Into Mischief’s super-consistent 4-year-old Largent found an opening along the rail at the head of the stretch and forged his way to a neck victory in the $87,000 Bert Allen S. on Oct. 9 at Laurel Park.

The bay owned by Twin Creeks Racing Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners sports an excellent 5-3-0 record from eight starts and has earned $196,670.

Winner of the Edward Evans S. two starts prior to the Allen, Largent and jockey Trevor McCarthy were in post 1 and held their spot while tracking just behind the leaders for most of the race. At the head of the stretch, the pacesetter Great Camanoe drifted out slightly, and Largent surged to the lead and out-fought Tologa Bay to get the 1 1/16-miles on the firm turf in 1:42.06.

“I had a really good break and I knew [Tolaga Bay] had some speed, as well, and they were going to want to go out there,” McCarthy said. “[Trainer Todd Pletcher] said he didn’t have to be on the lead today and his race at Colonial [the Evans] he seemed to run pretty good off the pace. Plan B was to go to the lead and Plan A was to kind of get him to settle, and it worked out nice.”

Largent was bred by Lazy Lane Farms and is out of Life in Seattle, also the dam of stakes winners Kona Blend and Edgewater. Largent’s second dam Life at the Top was a six-time graded stakes winner of nearly $1 million.