Maximus Mischief’s Raging Torrent is Breeders’ Cup-bound

Raging Torrent, a rising 3-year-old colt from the first crop of Maximus Mischief, earned a berth into this year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint after a powerhouse performance to defeat older horses in Del Mar’s $250,000 Pat O’Brien S. (G2) on Aug. 24th.

Ridden by Antonio Fresu, the speedy colt broke sharply and took command through an opening half mile in 44.96 seconds. Turning for home, heavily favored G1 winner The Chosen Vron ranged up to challenge Raging Torrent and the pair engaged in a thrilling stretch duel. Raging Torrent proved to be resolute, as he turned back his highly regarded rival to hit the wire with a clear neck advantage.

The final time for the seven-furlong event was 1:21.17, earning the emerging top sprinter a 104 Beyer – matching his lifetime best established while dominating an allowance field in his breakthrough victory Kentucky Derby week at Churchill Downs. In his only other start since that win, Raging Torrent captured the Maxfield Stakes over straight 3-year-olds at Churchill.

Trained by Doug O’Neill, Raging Torrent earned $150,000 for his Pat O’Brien triumph and signaled himself as not only a leading sprinter in the 3-year-old division, but also a leading sprinter in North America who will now have the chance to show it again at Del Mar in November’s Breeders’ Cup World Championship. He has earned $467,400 to date for owners Great Friends Stables, LLC and Mark Davis, who purchased the colt for $75,000 last year at OBS. Raging Torrent was bred by Rodney J. Winkler & Alfonso Mazzetti.

“Antonio (Fresu) had a lot of confidence and everything we dreamt about on paper worked out,” said O’Neill. “Turning for home, I was thinking maybe we got second, but it didn’t look like anybody was moving in on us. I never thought he’d put away The Chosen Vron. That was pretty incredible.”

Maximus Mischief is now the No. 1 Second-Crop Sire in North America by Black Type Horses with 13, and by Black Type Winners with 6.