Make Mischief takes $100,000 Maddie May for first stakes win

Make Mischief squeezed through a narrow opening in deep stretch to win Saturday’s $100,000 Maddie May S. at Aqueduct, the first stakes win for the 3-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, who tallied two stakes winners on the day.

Into Mischief, champion sire of the past two seasons, is once again atop the 2021 General Sire list. He already has accounted for 10 stakes winners this year, after tallying 29 in all of 2020.

The outcome of the one-mile Maddie May was in doubt until the final stride. Make Mischief took up a spot along the rail early on, with Brattle House leading her by some three lengths after six furlongs in a slow 1:14.31. Make Mischief began to cut into the margin in upper stretch, but Dylan Davis, on Brattle House, took his mount in to close Make Mischief’s opening. The eventual winner finally forged past to win by a neck in 1:40.55 on a muddy race track.

“It was a little bit nerve-wracking in the stretch,” jockey Eric Cancel said. “I had the hole at the beginning of the stretch, but then it started closing in pretty tight. I just had to keep on guiding her and work my way to victory. I tried to ride her comfortably. From the quarter pole to the wire, I did my job and I’m glad she helped me do it.”

Make Mischief, who ran second in both the Adirondack S. (G2) and Schuylerville S. (G3) last year, has now won 3 of 7 starts and has earned $207,750. She is owned by Gary Barber and bred by Avanti Stable.