ARCADIA, Calif. (April 10, 2013)—Mizdirection, winner of the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course Nov. 3, towers over five rivals in Saturday’s Grade III Las Cienegas Stakes down the hill as she shortens up from a solid one mile turf win in the Grade II Buena Vista Stakes on Feb. 18 and seeks her fourth consecutive win dating back to her Breeders’ Cup triumph versus males.
Undefeated in four tries down the hillside, Mizdirection went over the $1 million mark in earnings with her gate to wire score in the Buena Vista and will seek her 10th win from 15 career starts in the Las Cienegas, which is for older fillies and mares.
“She likes to play, that’s a great way to put it,” said part owner and sports talk superstar Jim Rome following Mizdirection’s 2 ¼ length score in the Buena Vista. “She’s so competitive. The way she dug in through the stretch was awesome. She’s amazing.”
Trained by Mike Puype, Mizdirection, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by Mizzen Mast, is again being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.
With regular rider Mike Smith committed to ride War Academy in Saturday’s Arkansas Derby, Mizdirection will be handled by veteran David Flores, who guided Mizdirection to victory in last year’s Las Cienegas.
In addition to Rome’s Jungle Racing LLC, Mizdirection is owned by Strauss or Grohs and partners. Her overall record stands at 14-9-4-1, with earnings of $1,094,621.
In addition to Mizdirection, Puype will send out the up and coming Schiaparelli, a lightly raced 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by Ghostzapper, who comes of a big 3 ½ length second condition allowance win down the hillside on March 14.
Bred to love the hillside turf course, Schiaparelli is out of the multiple graded stakes winning Cambiocorsa, who won the 2006 Las Cienegas and who was an amazing eight for nine over the course. Owned and bred by Ranjan Racing Inc., Schiaparelli has $120,864 in earnings from an overall mark of 6-3-0-2.
She’ll be ridden by Joe Talamo, who has been aboard for all six of her career starts—including two wins from three starts down the hill.
